CLOSA Project Develops Knowledge Product for Private Sector Associations in Agriculture Sector across Africa
In April, the USAID-funded Connect and Learn for Sustainable Associations (CLOSA) Project completed the development of a new knowledge product for Agriculture Sector associations in Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal.
The knowledge product titled – Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement: Potential Opportunities and Roles of Associations in Agriculture Sector, is aimed at enlightening players in the agriculture sector in Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal on the potential opportunities of the AfCFTA Agreement and how associations can position themselves (and their members) to maximize these opportunities towards achieving commercial viability and financial sustainability.
The resource also highlights potential market opportunities for the agricultural sector which exceeds $30 billion in key commodities such as sugar, rice and rubber. Speaking about the thinking behind the developing of the knowledge product, the CLOSA Project Director, stated:
With the AfCFTA Agreement projected to boost intra-Africa trade in Agriculture by 49 percent and external trade by over 10 percent, we decided to develop a knowledge product to sensitize private sector associations within the CLOSA network about the myriad of opportunities of the Agreement and support them in taking advantage of these opportunities.
We believe that this product will be a valuable asset for stakeholders within the Agriculture ecosystem. Furthermore, we envisage that it will help to strengthen the sector by enhancing regional integration and support the development of the African continent. We plan to provide relevant support in terms of coaching and mentoring to ensure that this knowledge product is used to its full potential.
Next, CLOSA will host a webinar to further enlighten associations on how to make the most of the information contained in the knowledge product using context specific case studies and connect associations with private sector experts to provide coaching and mentoring on specific topics such as supply chain management, product development and branding, etc.
