Providence Mavubi COMESA

COMESA REGIONAL FOOD BALANCE SHEET (RFBS) INITIATIVE

Intra-regional food trade in West Africa: Data, initiatives and policy agenda Experts’ Meeting 13th October 2023 Paris, France

OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION 2

Background and Context Objectives of RFBS Initiative Key Beneficiaries RFBS Initiative monitoring mechanisms Priorities for policy analyses Enabling Environment/ Coordination Achievements The RFBS Platform: www.rfbsa.com The Future of the RFBS The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

BACKGROUND & CONTEXT 3

The need for timely and reliable regional agri-food information systems is important as many Member States continue to work towards food and nutrition security.

In recognition of the data gap, the COMESA Council of Ministers in September 2020, directed the Secretariat to develop a regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS).

To actualize the initiative, COMESA has collaborated with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), NASA Harvest, Bureau for Food and Agriculture Policy (BFAP), and Tetra Tech in implementing the Regional Food Balance Sheet Initiative.

Basic data on food production, consumption, prices and balances are essential to promote regional food security, long-term inclusive agricultural transformation and resilient food systems.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

RFBS OBJECTIVES 4

Specific Objectives

To contribute to improved regional food security, nutrition, and economic growth in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA)

Enhance availability of near real-time production, trade, price, stocks, consumption, and related data for ESA region.

Increase availability of specific decision support briefs, reports and analysis tailored to user groups.

Establish effective governance structure and partnerships that are responsive to and maintains buy-in from key stakeholders to guide the evolution and sustainability of the tool over time.

Overall Objectives

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

RFBS BENEFICIARIES 5

Public and private actors in the Eastern & Southern Africa (ESA) region are able to access near real time information on critical food balances, prices, market demand.

Governments can leverage evidence-based decisionmaking to improve food security outcomes.

Inform policies that spurs trade and investment in agrifood systems as well as enhances sustainable food security in the region.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

CONT..

6

Private sector users such as commodity traders, processors ,farmers can access information to inform and improve their trade and investment decisions.

Development and emergency relief organizations will be able to better identify, plan for, and respond to emerging food assistance and development needs in the region.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

APPROACH 7

The project is being implemented in phases with the first phase covering 6 countries(Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, and Zambia).

And 3 commodities (maize, beans, and rice) with the next phase to cover additional essential commodities.

Utilise different sources of data to provide near real time data and forecast.

The tool provide data on production, food balance, trade, price, stock & utilisation

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

RFBS Initiative monitoring mechanisms 8

Harmonized data collection tools and procedures that ensure homogeneous data collection from pilot member states.

Carry out refresher trainings on data quality production and management with focal points.

Timely data submission to provide real time data for analysis.

Continued feedback with member states’ focal points to address data gaps.

Sharing analytical reports that are based on for trade, investment and policy decisions.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

Priorities for policy analyses 9

The RFBS Initiative uses a combined analytical data from pilot countries (Public and Private), satellite images, Machine learning and Econometric modelling to provide analytical reports for decision making and policy formulation.

The key priorities for policy analysis are on basic data on food production, consumption, trade, stocks, and balances which are important in promoting regional food security, inclusive agricultural transformation, regional agricultural trade, and resilient food systems within the region.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

Enabling Environment/Coordination 10

Strong political will having been initiated and commissioned by member states’ council of ministers.

Visible buy-in by target member states high-level leaders which enables the Initiative for decision making in investment, trade, food security and policy formulation.

Fully established data collection structures that is composed of focal points from respective member states ministries of Agriculture, National Bureau of Statistics and private sector which provide proper coordination and harmonisation of the uploaded data.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

ACHIEVEMENTS 11

1. RFBS MVP has been developed ,launched and is operational in 6 countries 2. Data coordination structures are in place in all the six pilot countries.

3. Member states are already contributing data to the platform.

4.

RFBS Steering Committee constituted, convened 5. National RFBS TWG constituted and convened; 6.

Harmonized data collection method 7.

Quality Data production management training

The RFBS Platform: www.rfbsa.com 12

THE FUTURE 13

The Initiative has generated a lot of interest in the region with the pilot countries rallying for additional commodities and more member states seeking to come on board.

In the next phase we are looking at geographical and commodities expansion to foster trade within the member states and as well as covering more essential commodities in the region.

Continue to provide capacity building for Member States in Food Statistics and agriculture data analytics

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa

THANK YOU

Merci Beaucoup ‫شكرا جزيال‬ Shukraan

14

www.comesa.int