Agenda for Competition Reform in Africa for Fair Agrifood Systems

The policy brief highlights how market concentration in African agrifood systems, particularly in inputs like fertilisers and poultry feed, inflates food prices and undermines the ability of smallholder farmers to adapt to climate shocks. It notes that nearly half of Sub-Saharan African countries lack functional competition laws. The document recommends a three-pillar reform agenda based on market intelligence, regional cooperation (such as through the COMESA Competition Commission), and international donor support to dismantle cartels and ensure fair market access, especially for women-led agribusinesses.

• Market concentration in Sub-Saharan Africa is severe, with a small number of multinational firms dominating key value chains such as fertilisers and poultry, which leads to price manipulation and increased food system vulnerability.
• Competition enforcement capacity is critically low across the region; nearly 50% of Sub-Saharan African countries do not have functional competition laws or institutions, and only nine countries have had such institutions operating for over a decade with robust enforcement history.
• In the poultry value chain across Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia, intermediaries earned an average of US$200 to US$300 per tonne above reasonable transport costs between 2021 and 2022, contributing to high prices in consuming areas like Nairobi and negative margins for producers in Malawi and Tanzania.
• Fertiliser markets in East and Southern Africa exhibit significant price mark-ups; data from January to July 2023 showed urea prices in East and Central Africa were three times higher than world prices, suggesting an excess mark-up of 60–70% over fair delivered prices.
• Women face systemic barriers in the agrifood system despite owning over 50% of SMEs in Africa and making up more than half of the Sub-Saharan agrifood workforce, specifically regarding discrimination in access to land and finance.
• Effective competition reform is linked to climate adaptation because reducing input costs allows smallholders to invest in resilient practices, while regional trade networks buffer supply disruptions caused by extreme weather events.

APA

Kroll, F., & Dasoo, M. (2025). Agenda for Competition Reform in Africa for Fair Agrifood Systems. African Climate Foundation. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_Q-Competition-regulation-reform-WEB-1.pdf

Chicago

Kroll, Florian, and Malik Dasoo. Agenda for Competition Reform in Africa for Fair Agrifood Systems. African Climate Foundation, 2025. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_Q-Competition-regulation-reform-WEB-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kroll |first1=Florian |last2=Dasoo |first2=Malik |title=Agenda for Competition Reform in Africa for Fair Agrifood Systems |publisher=African Climate Foundation |date=2025 |url=https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_Q-Competition-regulation-reform-WEB-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kroll2025agenda, author = {Kroll, Florian and Dasoo, Malik}, title = {{Agenda for Competition Reform in Africa for Fair Agrifood Systems}}, institution = {African Climate Foundation}, year = {2025}, url = {https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_Q-Competition-regulation-reform-WEB-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }