The African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat and AGRA have formalised a renewed strategic partnership aimed at accelerating intra-African trade and positioning agriculture as a key driver of farmer prosperity, value addition, and regional food security.
The commitment was sealed on February 14 during a high-level event held on the margins of the 39th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa.
Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, and Alice Ruhweza, President of AGRA, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) marking a new phase of cooperation focused on translating the AfCFTA legal framework into tangible outcomes for African agricultural markets.
The partnership comes at a critical stage in the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement. With 50 countries having ratified the accord, attention is shifting from legal commitments to practical execution, particularly in the agricultural sector.
“The AfCFTA offers Africa a historic opportunity to shift from exporting raw commodities to building regional value chains that create jobs, raise farmer incomes and strengthen food security,” Mene said.
“Our partnership with AGRA is about moving from ambition to execution, ensuring that agricultural trade delivers tangible benefits for producers, processors and consumers across the continent.”
Under the AfCFTA Agri-Trade Action Plan, the collaboration will focus on reducing non-tariff barriers, improving trade facilitation, promoting value addition, and mobilising investment in regional agricultural value chains to unlock cross-border trade opportunities.
Ruhweza emphasised that trade reforms must translate into real gains for farmers and agri-enterprises.
“Trade will not transform Africa’s food systems unless farmers and agri-enterprises are able to produce competitively, meet international quality standards, and connect to reliable markets,” she said.
“This partnership is about making intra-African food trade work in practice—linking policy to delivery so that agriculture becomes a driver of inclusive growth, resilience and shared prosperity.”
Through the renewed partnership, the AfCFTA Secretariat and AGRA aim to drive practical, farmer-centred implementation efforts that enable agriculture to fully leverage integrated African markets and support sustainable economic growth across the continent.
