Building Value Chains

COMPETE  is based on the premise that the private sector should set the agenda for removing barriers to trade and reducing the cost of doing business.  However, the COMPETE approach also recognizes that for this to happen, there must be public-private sector partnership to address the challenges to doing business in the region. 

COMPETE works closely with the two major Regional Economic Cooperation (REC) groups in East and Central Africa, notably, COMESA (the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) and EAC (East African Community) as well as national governments and other donor agencies. COMPETE also works with firms and regional trade associations (RTAs) such as the East African Grain Council, the East African Fine Coffees Association, and the African Cotton and Textile Industries Federation to improve production capacity and quality standards.  

With support through the U.S. Initiative to End Hunger in Africa (IHEA), COMPETE is working to reduce poverty and enhance food security by increasing small holder farmers’ access to commercial staple foods markets.  

COMPETE works in the following value chains:

• Staple Foods
• Specialty Coffee
• Cotton/Textiles/Apparel

COMPETE’s key activities are:

• Develop value chain competitiveness strategies for staple foods, cotton/textiles/apparel and coffee.
• Create a COMPETE Impact Index to measure COMPETE’s impact on value chain competitiveness.
• Strengthen the capacity of Regional Trade Associations (RTAs) by
  • reviewing and updating existing sustainability plans,
  • developing an RTA institutional sustainability index,
  • building capacity within the RTAs
• Promote private sector awareness of harmonized standards for dairy products and maize.
• Increase smallholder farmer access to commercial markets
  • In conjunction with the East African Grain Council (EAGC) COMPETE will support capacity building of farmer based organizations so smallholders are equipped to take advantage of existing and planned structure trading systems.
• Improve efficiency of transit systems for transport of staple foods
  • Expand the reach and commodity focus of the Regional Agricultural Trade Intelligence Network (RATIN) www.ratin.org.  (RATIN currently provides information on market prices, cross-border data, trade policy updates, and production and consumption data for seven of fifteen border crossings in East Africa.)  COMPETE will work with EAGC to extend coverage to new borders and include more commodities.
  • Expand RATIN coverage of customs and transport procedures so that it becomes a one-stop source for information about current customs and transport procedures.
  •  Implement World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Customs Organization (WCO) Policy Standards for the regional trade of Staple Foods. COMPETE will work with regional trade associations (RTAs), COMESA, and the EAC to introduce a staples foods transit agenda into the relevant policy committees.

The Global Food Security Response (GFSR)

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