Food Retail, Markets and Informality in Africa

The document examines 'territorial markets' in Africa—informal retail spaces where 70–90% of agricultural products are traded. It argues that while these markets are essential for food security, nutrition, and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and women, they are frequently neglected or criminalized by governments. Through case studies in Benin, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, the brief highlights systemic failures in infrastructure and legal protections, advocating for philanthropic and government investment to align these markets with agroecological principles.

• Territorial markets are critical to African food security, handling between 70% and 90% of agricultural products, yet they are often systematically ignored or discriminated against in public policy.
• Smallholder farmers, who produce approximately 70% of domestic food requirements in Sub-Saharan Africa, rely on these markets to sell products often grown via agroecological processes that enhance climate resilience and biodiversity.
• Street vending is a vital economic activity dominated by women and girls, but it is characterized by extreme financial instability and the persistence of colonial-era laws used to penalize and harass vendors.
• Case studies across four countries reveal a universal lack of basic infrastructure, including storage and sanitary facilities, which leads to high levels of food loss and waste.
• Specific national challenges include high transportation costs and imported competition in Benin, exploitation by middlemen and lack of formal credit in Ghana, political instability and taxation changes in Kenya, and harassment by law enforcement in South Africa.
• The document recommends that philanthropic investments be directed toward research and advocacy to provide policy-makers with evidence on how territorial markets function to facilitate an agroecological transition.

APA

Dittoh, S., Ramkat, R. C., Fobosi, S. C., & Sossa, E. (2025). Food Retail, Markets and Informality in Africa. African Climate Foundation. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_O-Food-retail-markets-and-informality-WEB-1-1.pdf

Chicago

Dittoh, Saa, Rose C Ramkat, Siyabulela Christopher Fobosi, and Elvire Sossa. Food Retail, Markets and Informality in Africa. African Climate Foundation, 2025. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_O-Food-retail-markets-and-informality-WEB-1-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dittoh |first1=Saa |last2=Ramkat |first2=Rose C |last3=Fobosi |first3=Siyabulela Christopher |last4=Sossa |first4=Elvire |title=Food Retail, Markets and Informality in Africa |publisher=African Climate Foundation |date=2025 |url=https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_O-Food-retail-markets-and-informality-WEB-1-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dittoh2025food, author = {Dittoh, Saa and Ramkat, Rose C and Fobosi, Siyabulela Christopher and Sossa, Elvire}, title = {{Food Retail, Markets and Informality in Africa}}, institution = {African Climate Foundation}, year = {2025}, url = {https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/801023_O-Food-retail-markets-and-informality-WEB-1-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }