BICC 25 Nov 2021, 8am – 3pm
THEME: Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Opportunities and Challenges for Agriculture in Malawi
Very few farmers in Malawi are market oriented due to market failure that often limits farmers’ ability to be linked to formal markets. The National Agriculture Policy and the National Agriculture Investment Plan provide guidance for agriculture development in Malawi. The two documents also offers solutions to the challenges affecting the sector in the country. The policy provides the relevant guidance for all sector players for effecting increased production, productivity and real farm incomes. One of the key policy outcomes includes increased access to well-functioning markets by producers and consumers. The policy also prioritizes promotion of regional and global exports of value-added agricultural commodities. However, the most recent CAADP Biennial Review Report (2020) shows that Malawi is off track on all commitments including that of promoting intra-African Trade in agriculture commodities and services.
It is against this backdrop that CISANET has organised this a one-day national policy conference themed Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Opportunities and Challenges for Agriculture in Malawi. The Conference will aim to:
(1) Convene and converge different actors in the agriculture sector and trade to deliberate and unpack current issues affecting agriculture markets in Malawi and possible pathways towards harnessing the AfCFTA as an opportunity to accelerate agriculture growth and transformation in line with Malawi Agenda 2063.
(2) Unpack the potential impact of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) on Malawi’s agro-food systems and ensure positive impact.
(3) Outline a strategy for prioritizing targeted public and private investment that facilitates scale production within key value-chains to effectively harness the opportunity
(4) Develop a communique on expanding sustainable production to contribute towards meeting the region’s growing food demand and associated market;
(5) Enhance engagement of the Executive and government officials on issues pertaining to regional trade; and
(6) Assess the operational feasibility of alternative policy options by clearly identifying concrete.
Please register below to attend the conference
https://cisanetmalawi.org/event/agriculture-policy-conference-2021/