Aligning trade with global goals will ultimately contribute to building climate resilience and sustainability

The Kenyan State Department, in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Government of Denmark through DANIDA, hosted a two-day stakeholder validation workshop in Nairobi, Kenya, from 10-11 December 2024.

The workshop focused on the integration of a "green supplement," focused on coffee and tea value chains, as a key component of the national implementation strategy for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Kenya is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee and tea and their associated value chains account for nearly half of the wage employment in agriculture. This features the significant role these sub-sectors play in the economy.

Nonetheless, coffee and tea sectors are facing climate-induced challenges, prompting the Government of Kenya to incorporate green value chain practices into its national AfCFTA implementation strategy to align trade with global sustainability goals.

Green value chain strategies and action plans supplement national AfCFTA implementation strategies and are seen as critical for countries seeking to boost the production and export of green products. Ultimately, they contribute to building climate resilience and sustainability.

The workshop convened key stakeholders, such as policymakers, industry leaders, environmental experts, traders and producers. The aim was to assess and validate proposed strategies that promote sustainable practices within the coffee and tea sectors.

These commodities are important sources of earnings for many African countries and the integration of a green supplement into their value chains will help in the growth of the economies in these countries, support the sustainability of the environment and achieve the objectives of the AfCFTA.

Participants learnt about ways to make coffee and tea production value chains more compliant in terms of safeguarding the environment, as well as how to incorporate green financing into the value chains and enhance regional trade integration.

UNECA is committed to supporting member states to attain sustainable and inclusive growth through the AfCFTA.

With the integration of green supplements into value chains, Africa's economic development will align with global sustainability goals.