AfCFTA, AGRA partner to fast-track intra-African trade in agro-products
KAMPALA, February 18, 2026 —The African Continental Free Trade Area [AfCFTA] and AGRA, formally Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, have reinforced their strategic partnership to accelerate intra- African trade, positioning agriculture as a central engine of farmer prosperity, value addition, and regional food security.
At the margins of the 39th African Union Summit, the Secretary General of AfCFTA Wamkele Mene and Alice Ruhweza the President of AGRA recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] marking a new phase of cooperation with a strong focus on translating the AfCFTA legal framework into practical outcomes for African agricultural markets and farmers’ benefit.
The partnership comes at a pivotal moment as Africa advances implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, after at least 50 countries ratified the Agreement. This will enable states now to start considering practical implementation, particularly in agriculture.
“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,” said Mene, adding that, “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.”
Through the AfCFTA Agri-Trade Action Plan, which proposes several interventions, including, among others, reducing non-tariff barriers, improving trade facilitation, promoting value addition and mobilising investment in regional agricultural value chains, the collaboration will advance agricultural trade under AfCFTA.
“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,” said Ruhweza.
She added that the partnership makes intra-African food trade practical, linking policy to delivery so that agriculture becomes a driver of inclusive growth, resilience and shared prosperity.
The two principles expressed their commitment to drive the partnership toward practical, farmer- centered action, enabling agriculture to fully leverage integrated African markets and deliver inclusive growth, resilience, and shared prosperity across the continent.
AGRA works with farmers’ governments and other partners including the private sector businesses, to deliver a set of proven solutions to smallholder farmers and indigenous African agricultural enterprises to sustain an inclusive agricultural transformation aimed at increasing incomes and enhancing food security in African countries.
The African Continental Free Trade Area was established in 2018 to create a single market for goods and services across Africa, promote economic integration among African Union Member States, and significantly increase intra-African trade to support sustainable development.
https://thecooperator.news/agra-comesa-to-collaborate-in-promoting-agriculture-productivity/
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