Supporting Trade Systems in the African Agricultural Sector
FCI4Africa aims to enhance sustainable, fair, and healthy food systems in Africa. It focuses on free and fair trade, harmonisation of non-tariff measures, and digitisation of food systems.
Additionally, it aspires to promote knowledge development through open science and digital platforms.
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The FCI4Africa project takes a significant step forward!
KEY OBJECTIVES
Gain an understanding of the impacts of land use change within conventional and organic food production chains on the climate, biodiversity, and society at large.
Identify the status quo and needs to establish, accredit, and scale-up African climate-neutral, fair, healthy, sustainable, and just food supplies.
Collaborate with other, parallel projects on food safety, agroforestry, and urban agriculture in Africa.
Support the improvement of Non-Tariff Measure (NTMs) regimes through an inventory of current methods and application of proprietary simulation methods used to study the impact of these NTMs that can be applied to trade within Africa and between the African Union and EU and how these align with environmental sustainability and welfare goals.
Develop and implement digital and analytical tools that will empower chain actors, certification bodies, and policy enforcers with the ability to verify and certify compliance of African agri-food products with criteria of justness, fairness, and sustainability (environmental, health, and social).
Test, refine, and validate the solutions (business models, tools, and best practices) developed within the project for the scale-up of fair, just, and climate-neutral production of African agri-food commodities under real-life conditions of use cases in selected countries within different African regions.
USE CASES
PROMOTE A HEALTHY, SAFE, AND PROFITABLE FOOD SYSTEM THROUGH SCALING PROVEN FOOD SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES
- Countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya
- Objective: Improvements in quality assurance processes that enhance traceability through fair mechanisms, reducing the risk of aflatoxin contamination in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. The objective is to strengthen processes for flow and traceability of safe produce, while ensuring fairness to the producing population.
- Proposed Solution: Extension, dissemination, and use of bioprotectants for aflatoxin mitigation pre-harvest, hermetically sealed bags (PICS bags) for insect management to reduce post-harvest risk to aflatoxins, reusable humidity indicators to provide indications of moisture levels associated with aflatoxin concentrations, rapid in situ testing equipment to help with the screening produce, and strategic platforms (e.g., Food Convergence Innovation platforms).
- Involved actors: National bodies, such as consumer protection agencies, standard bureaus, crop protection research programmes, and SMEs (processors and traders) for international and domestic markets.
- Value chain: Cereals, maize, peanuts.
DEPLOY DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR TRADE FACILITATION THROUGH COMPLIANCE WITH NATIONAL STANDARDS AND NON-TARIFF MEASURES
- Countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya
- Objective: Improve the quality and consistency of food fortification in sub-Saharan Africa by integrating food fortification into the daily business processes of food processors, offering appropriate incentives, and promoting transparency around compliance with fortification standards. Additionally, enhance food quality through self-regulation, while deploying digital solutions for trade facilitation and compliance with NTMs, focusing on both fairness and public health targets.
- Proposed Solution: Expansion of existing micronutrient fortification indexes, such as the Nigeria Micronutrient Fortification Index (MFI) and the Kenya Millers Fortification Index (KMFI), to create a comprehensive digital platform that integrates sustainability, fairness, and just practices across the entire agri-food value chain. Enable self-regulation and set performance benchmarks for companies, promoting compliance with quality standards and enhancing competitive performance. Specialised support, including local consultancy and women-led processor programmes, for strengthening the food processing sector. Decision analytics and a knowledge platform will facilitate the identification of trade opportunities for fortified commodities and collaboration among local networks, respectively.
- Involved actors: Women-led processors groups, women entrepreneurs, policymakers, industry experts, and civil society organisations.
- Value chain: Wheat and maize flour, wheat, edible salt, and sugar.
ELABORATE APPROACHES TO INCREASE RESILIENCE OF RURAL COMMUNITIES AGAINST SHOCKS
- Countries: Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya
- Objective: Combat food insecurity by offering structural solutions and access to markets, improving the livelihoods of women and youth in the region.
- Proposed Solution: Evaluate the Emergent Territory Programme to assess its effectiveness in supporting local communities facing environmental and humanitarian crises, specifically through the Resilient Territory and Household programme. Sustain and scale the programme’s gains in both Senegal and neighbouring countries. Develop and benchmark a comprehensive set of support systems, tools, and guidelines to inform decision-making at household, district, and regional levels regarding production, consumption, and trade in Senegal and West Africa.
- Involved actors: Women heads of household, rural youth active in agricultural research, agribusiness, and service provision, local mayors and locally elected officials dealing with land tenure systems, technical experts, investors, and traders involved in cross border commerce.
- Value chain: Vegetable, fish, chicken.
results
Indigenous and local knowledge
Knowledge base with curated local and indigenous intelligence for designing FCI solutions.
Evidence-based decision analytics tool
An online decision analytics platform that generates insights and evidence to support promoting and adopting solutions that drive climate-neutral, fair, just, and efficient food supply.
FCI4Africa innovation network
A vibrant and sustainable ecosystem with ≥150 local stakeholders.
Trade models
Fine-tuned models that serve as effective tools for informed decision making and strategic planning in the realm of international trade
Decision-support system
A decision-support system that is directly informed by the refined parameters of FCI4Africa trade models.
Branding elements
Recommendation on the usage of branding elements such as labels and logos, as well as concepts for value-added products.
Policy recommendations of NTM
A comprehensive guide to support the policymakers on possible steps to adopt, implement, and promote NTMs.
Traceability solutions
Set of recommendations for ICT solutions facilitating the traceability and enforcement of NTMs for priority foods.
Product-trait combination inventory
An inventory of analytical methods for the product-trait combination for ≥5 products.
Digital Knowledge Hub
An online knowledge hub offering accessible resources such as practical solutions, best practices and relevant knowledge on food safety.
Open innovation and demonstration platform
A collaborative tool to facilitate the development, demonstration, dissemination and adoption of innovative technologies and business models.
Open call innovative solutions
≥8 new solutions developed and adopted though the Open Call.
KNOWLEDGE HUB
An online knowledge platform offering accessible resources such as practical solutions, best practices, and relevant knowledge on food safety, including a Q&A tool that harnesses the power of Large Language Models (LLMs). The platform aims to establish a comprehensive network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) across several European and African regions, connecting professionals and expert organisations to facilitate seamless knowledge exchange.
The platform incorporates real-time content and a community management system, including the following:
- A content library.
- Collaboration tools such as dedicated digital spaces.
- A solution engine that integrates LLMs into the meticulously curated content and solutions database to create a powerful conversational tool.
OPEN CALLS
Open Call (OC) 1 targets research and technology stakeholders—start-ups, SMEs, research organisations, and other multidisciplinary actors—to test and validate initiatives aimed at enhancing trade, addressing non-tariff measures (NTMs), and improving market access. The 1st OC will launch in April 2026, with the selected beneficiaries implementing their ideas between November 2026 and October 2027.
8 sub-projects will be selected for the OC 1
(total budget of the OC1 400k euro – up to 50k euro for each third party)
Open Call (OC) 2 targets innovation hubs to provide online training for the use cases and projects selected under the 1st OC. These hubs will offer mentoring and support the acceleration of innovative business concepts, including those focused on social innovation and upscaling. The 2nd OC will launch in March 2027, with the selected beneficiaries implementing their ideas between October 2027 and June 2028.
4 sub-projects will be selected for the OC2
(total budget of the OC2 200k euro – up to 50k euro for each third party)
COLLABORATION IS OUR POWER
