Under its Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) seeks to reverse Africa's agricultural crises by fostering economic growth in agriculture rooted in increased productivity and efficiency and boosting its otherwise untapped comparative advantage. To allocate scarce financial resources efficiently under CAADP, agricultural products with a comparative advantage need to be identified, developed and traded. Investments must have a high probability of commercial success, expected positive returns and economic viability.
Facing the growing importance of an integrated global trade system increasingly based on regional economic groupings, Africa's subregions and countries need to promote their respective comparative advantages jointly, to take advantage of economies of scale and to reach a critical mass in what they produce and trade. If well selected, products of focus can help to drive productivity and income growth at both country and regional levels. The identification of potentially competitive agricultural products was made by the main (five) agro-ecological subregions. There is room for both niche and mass-market products, with Africa to choose where it can best achieve significance in international markets while also making acceptable returns for its producers.
