Implementing the AfCFTA Agreement: Implications for Biodiversity, Agriculture and Trade Negotiations

The document examines the nexus between the AfCFTA, biodiversity, and agriculture, noting that while the agreement can boost agricultural growth and regional value chains, it lacks strong, explicit commitments to biodiversity conservation. It warns that trade liberalisation could lead to natural resource depletion, the displacement of smallholder farmers, and the promotion of monoculture. To counter these risks, the authors advocate for 'biodiversity-based agriculture' (eco-functional intensification) and the alignment of trade negotiations with multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Key recommendations include establishing common frameworks for non-tariff barriers, protecting indigenous genetic resources through intellectual property rights, and investing in capacity development for small-scale farmers who produce approximately 80% of Africa's food.

• The AfCFTA agreement contains limited and non-binding provisions for biodiversity conservation, leaving member states with the discretion to determine their own environmental policy measures.
• Trade liberalisation under the AfCFTA poses risks to Africa's biodiversity by potentially increasing the demand for natural resource exports and encouraging agricultural monoculture over traditional farming.
• While the AfCFTA can strengthen regional food value chains, there are concerns that it may benefit multinational agribusinesses at the expense of small-scale farmers, and that certain nutrition-sensitive goods may avoid full liberalisation.
• Biodiversity-based agriculture, or 'eco-functional intensification,' is proposed as a way to align agricultural development with environmental protection, relying heavily on small-scale farmers who produce about 80% of the continent's food.
• Compliance with biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) can create tensions with AfCFTA goals by introducing trade restrictions on endangered species, creating technical barriers to trade (TBTs), and affecting intellectual property rights regarding genetic resources.
• The effectiveness of the AfCFTA in improving agriculture is hindered by systemic challenges including a lack of agricultural data, government interference, food export bans within regional economic communities, and poor rural infrastructure.

APA

ONYEKWENA, C., IRAOYA, A., & IHEZIE, E. (2023). Implementing the AfCFTA Agreement: Implications for Biodiversity, Agriculture and Trade Negotiations. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SAIIA-AfCFTA-Biodiversity.pdf

Chicago

ONYEKWENA, CHUKWUKA, AUGUSTINE IRAOYA, and EZRA IHEZIE. Implementing the AfCFTA Agreement: Implications for Biodiversity, Agriculture and Trade Negotiations. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2023. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SAIIA-AfCFTA-Biodiversity.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=ONYEKWENA |first1=CHUKWUKA |last2=IRAOYA |first2=AUGUSTINE |last3=IHEZIE |first3=EZRA |title=Implementing the AfCFTA Agreement: Implications for Biodiversity, Agriculture and Trade Negotiations |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=October 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SAIIA-AfCFTA-Biodiversity.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{onyekwena2023implementing, author = {ONYEKWENA, CHUKWUKA and IRAOYA, AUGUSTINE and IHEZIE, EZRA}, title = {{Implementing the AfCFTA Agreement: Implications for Biodiversity, Agriculture and Trade Negotiations}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SAIIA-AfCFTA-Biodiversity.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }