Intra‑regional Food Trade in West Africa

Executive Summary

Unseen markets: A data analysis of intra‑regional food trade in West Africa

Intra-regional food trade is one of West Africa’s most important yet least understood drivers of economic development, food security and nutrition. Long perceived as insignificant and a subsistence activity, new evidence reveals a dynamic, multi-billion-dollar system of diverse, high-value food flows across borders—most of it unrecorded.

This report presents the most comprehensive analysis to date of food trade in West Africa. As urbanisation accelerates and regional demand grows, better recognition and support for this trade is essential to strengthen the agrifood economy, reduce external dependency and enhance food and nutrition security.

A new lens on West Africa’s food trade

Drawing on a pioneering dataset that captures both recorded and unrecorded flows for 134 food products, this report offers an unprecedented view of regional trade dynamics. By combining official statistics with unrecorded data on informal flows across borders, it fills key gaps in our understanding of how food moves within the region.

While still partial, this new evidence base is a significant step forward. It offers a more robust foundation for developing policies that unlock the full potential of West Africa’s internal food trade.

Intra-regional food trade is six times higher than official statistics

The value of intra-regional food trade is estimated at USD 10 billion per year—six times higher than what is officially reported. This figure is equivalent to the value of total rice, wheat and palm oil imports from outside the region, and is six times greater than all food and agriculture aid received by West Africa.

Up to 85% of intra-regional food trade goes unrecorded. These missing flows are not just more of the same products—they represent a completely different food basket. While official data capture much of the processed foods and shelf-stable goods, most trade in essential staples and nutrient-rich foods goes undocumented. For example, cereals (84%), starchy roots (95%), vegetables (72%), fruits (62%), and animal proteins (52%) are missing from records.

Nearly two-thirds of West Africa’s food exports are aimed at the region

Excluding cocoa and cashew, nearly 60% of West Africa’s food exports are regional. This is a share comparable to major regional trade blocs like the European Union. For one-third of West African countries, the primary export market for food is another country within the region.

In addition, intra-regional food trade is also geographically extensive. Countries in the region trade food with a median of 12 out of 14 potential regional partners. Leading exporters such as Senegal, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire conduct 58%, 48%, and 39%, respectively, of their trade with non-neighbouring countries in the region.

Intra-regional trade: The hidden backbone of food and nutrition security

Intra-regional food trade is a cornerstone of West Africa’s food and nutrition security. This report estimates that up to 68 trillion kilocalories are traded regionally each year—enough to meet the annual energy needs of approximately 80 million people, or nearly one-quarter of the region’s population.

Intra-regional trade is critical to food availability, accessibility and diversity

This trade helps ensure the availability and affordability of food throughout the year. In urban centres, it is a critical source of calories and diet diversification: for instance, in Bamako and Ouagadougou, it contributes 23% to 30% of the total food supply—and nearly 100% for products like plantain and avocado.

In a region dominated by rain-fed agriculture and limited infrastructure, food availability is subject to sharp seasonal swings. Intra-regional trade helps smooth out these fluctuations by bridging production gaps and improving access to a wider variety of foods.

During production shocks, its role becomes even more pronounced, helping reduce scarcity and stabilise prices. Price volatility has direct consequences for nutrition. When prices spike, households often reduce the quality and quantity of the food they consume. By helping keep prices in check, intra-regional trade reduces the risk of malnutrition and long-term health impacts, particularly among children.

Powering agricultural transformation

Structural shifts in food demand are expanding intra-regional food trade

Intra-regional food trade is reshaping West Africa’s agricultural development. Driven by population growth, urbanisation and rising incomes, regional food demand is projected to reach USD 480 billion by 2030, significantly surpassing West Africa’s global food export markets.

Demand is becoming increasingly concentrated in large cities, while commercial agriculture is expanding in response. Intra-regional food trade is crucial in this transformation, connecting supply and demand across the region, thereby expanding and multiplying market opportunities. The increased scale and predictability of market demand through intra-regional trade will drive additional investments, enhance competitiveness and lower regional prices.

Food trade is boosting the commercial food economy

Intra-regional trade is catalysing the growth of a commercial food economy in the region. Rising urban demand for convenient, high-value products is attracting investment into market-oriented farming and processing. In Ghana, medium-scale farms expanded from 20% to 43% of cultivated land within five years, primarily driven by horticulture and oilseed production. Regionally, the area under vegetable cultivation increased by 70% between 2010 and 2022.

These dynamics drive the development of agricultural clusters, expanding small and medium-sized enterprises, and generating employment both on and off the farm. Notably, non-farm segments now constitute over 30% of total food system employment, with women representing 72% in marketing and 83% in processing roles.

Rebalancing agrifood policies towards regional markets

West Africa’s agricultural policies still reflect outdated trade models focused on cash crop exports and food imports. However, the region’s internal food market is expanding rapidly. By 2050, there will be 235 million more urban consumers. National and regional agricultural policy frameworks must adapt to this shift and harness the full potential of intra-regional trade to strengthen food systems—from production to retail.

Strengthening the policy foundations of intra-regional food trade

Change the narrative

Shifting entrenched misperceptions about intra-regional food trade is a critical first step towards more effective agricultural and trade policies in West Africa. Despite being worth USD 10 billion, with hundreds of high-value products moving across the region each week, the sector is still too often dismissed as marginal or informal.

Regionalising the food sovereignty agenda through trade

Intra-regional trade is central to West Africa’s food sovereignty, connecting farmers to stable markets, boosting production and improving resilience to external shocks. Far from undermining national food systems, it supports investment, productivity and access to diverse, affordable foods. Yet many policies still prioritise restrictive self-sufficiency models, such as export bans, which disrupt trade and raise prices. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) could lead a shift towards a shared regional vision by co-ordinating policies, harmonising regulations and enforcing trade commitments.

Moving from trade facilitation to trade promotion

Non-tariff barriers are only part of the problem. Traders also face unclear rules, lack information and poor public services—challenges that increase costs and encourage informality. To build a more efficient trade environment in West Africa, more transparent, consistent rules and a service-oriented trade bureaucracy that rebuilds trust are needed. Better public support systems, transport and logistics will lower costs, attract investment and strengthen regional value chains—driving a more vibrant regional food economy.

Invest in better regional trade data

Better data is critical for strengthening regional food and trade policies. Most intra-regional food trade in West Africa goes unrecorded, missing not only from official statistics but also from policy debates. National data efforts exist but remain fragmented and underfunded. ECOWAS is well placed to lead the harmonisation of these initiatives and foster a unified regional framework that would better capture unrecorded flows. Stronger data systems would empower governments to design more targeted and effective policies for food and nutrition security, trade and regional economic development.