While the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership and U.S.-EU trade pacts get the headlines, the African Growth and Opportunity Act also is due for action this year. In a report, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs suggests creation of a U.S.-Africa Food Dialogue to improve food security in the continent and position U.S. businesses to participate in a food and agriculture market expected to be worth $1 trillion by 2030.
To do that, the Chicago Council recommends the United States improve access to “modern seeds and technologies” for small farmers; support steps to move food more cheaply and efficiently across borders and eliminate barriers to regional marketing; discourage arbitrary restrictions on imports; and set reliable rules on investment. Eighty percent of Africans work in the food and agriculture sector, and one-quarter of Africa’s population is malnourished, says the council. But only a sliver of U.S. food and agriculture exports go to the continent.