Author (s):
ACTESADate:
August 2008Publication (if applicable):
N/AAbstract (if Available):
Enhanced national and regional trade in staple foods holds the potential to stimulate agricultural growth and accelerate broad based poverty reduction in the Eastern and Southern Africa sub-region. This is best accomplished through growth in intra-regional trade, particularly in staple foods that the poor produce and consume, and by increasing the distribution of food supply to moderate price volatility. The urgency of these needs is made starkly apparent by the shocking escalation of prices for staple foods in international commodity markets, a trend that is unlikely to change in the short to medium term. This provides a unique opportunity to for the development of a vibrant regional agricultural sector. It is for these reasons that the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) commissioned the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA).ACTESA is the primary agency for achieving the COMESA vision of "increased regional integration and improved competitiveness of staple food markets, leading to broad based growth and decreased food insecurity." This document lays out ACTESA's design plan and strategy for achieving this vision. The primary Core Activity of ACTESA will be a Regional Competitiveness Analysis. The Regional Competitiveness Analysis will evaluate the areas of micro and macro economic policies relevant to production and trade of staples through comparative competitiveness bench marking of national policy environments between COMESA member states.
