Overview of Arctesa

Our Story

ACTESA was established in response to the 2003 Maputo Declaration by the African Union (AU), which called for coordinated and comprehensive public and private investments in the agricultural sector under the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP).

Our Vision

To boost intra-regional agricultural trade through support of small-scale farmers' access to agricultural input, output, and financial markets, contributing to poverty eradication and food security across Eastern and Southern Africa.

Commodity Focus

Cereals and pulses, oil seeds, horticultural crops, roots and tubers, tree crops, forestry products, livestock, and agricultural inputs across the COMESA region.

Our Role

As a key institution of COMESA, we reverse market constraints and empower the 85% of staple crop producers who are smallholders to participate effectively in regional and international markets.

Regional Challenges

ACTESA addresses critical challenges facing staple food production and trade across 21 COMESA Member States:

Low agricultural productivity with uncoordinated and weak markets limiting growth potential.

Weak policy environment hampering agricultural development and trade facilitation.

Limited farmer organization and restricted access to post-harvest handling technologies and facilities.

Information asymmetry across value chains linked to inconsistent quality requirements and harmonization.

Trade barriers including government-imposed import/export bans and prohibitive transport costs.

Strategic Interventions

ACTESA partners with development organizations across three core focus areas approved by the Council of Ministers in 2012:

1. Policy Development

Supporting evidence-based agricultural policies that encourage staple food trade and create enabling environments for farmer participation in regional markets.

2. Market Facilities

Developing and strengthening market infrastructure to expand trade opportunities and connect smallholder farmers to national, regional, and international markets.

3. Capacity Building

Enhancing commercialization capabilities through training, technology adoption, and strengthening farmer-based organizations across the region.

COMESA EAC Horticulture Accelerator

Our Flagship Program

By 2031, climate-smart horticulture value chains will become a significant driver of income growth, inclusive job creation, and improved nutrition throughout Eastern and Southern Africa. Created in 2022, CEHA brings together public and private sector partners to coordinate horticulture policy, value chain development, financing, and Research & Development.

Priority Value Chains

Avocado

Onion

Irish Potatoes

Tomato (Future)

Cabbage (Future)

CEHA Structure

CEHA employs a bottom-up approach where national-level stakeholder priorities drive regional strategy through: CEHA Board, Technical Committees, Country/National Platforms & Chapters, and an ACTESA-managed Secretariat. An annual General Assembly enables COMESA and EAC Member States to endorse recommendations and engagement for increased intra-regional horticultural trade.

ACTESA's Role in CEHA

Investment Coordination

Coordinating primarily private sector-led, public sector-enabled, and donor-catalyzed investments into production and processing clusters supporting regional horticulture strategies.

Policy & Standards

Facilitating policy and standards improvement to stimulate trade and market access across the region for multiple fruit and vegetable value chains.

Financial Access

Facilitating access to working capital, capex finance, and technical assistance for processors, farmers, and agribusinesses to accelerate growth.

Increasing Agricultural Productivity

Strategic programs to enhance staple crop productivity across the COMESA region:

COMESA Seed Harmonization (COMSHIP)

Moving forward implementation of seed harmonization standards and policies across member states.

Biotechnology Implementation (COMBIP)

Supporting initial biotechnology activities including GMO cotton to enhance productivity.

Fertilizer Harmonization

Harmonizing fertilizer policies, regulations, standards, and quality assurance; establishing finance mechanisms for bulk manufacturing and procurement.

Livestock Feed Harmonization

Harmonizing livestock feed standards in line with COMESA Council decisions and regional livestock policy framework.

Value Chain Support

Supporting regional value chains in cassava, banana, maize, cotton, niche crops (small grains and legumes), livestock (beef, poultry, dairy), and fisheries.

Technology Adoption

Training and support for technologies including drip irrigation, climate-smart varieties, agricultural water management, conservation farming, and carbon trading.

Extension Enhancement

Enhancing capacity of farmer organizations and adoption of extension models such as lead farmer training

Competitiveness Analysis

Supporting annual regional competitiveness analyses and benchmarking of national business environments.

Market Access Programs

Supporting smallholder and commercial farmers' access to national, regional, and international markets:

Business Environment & Analysis

Comparative competitiveness benchmarking of national business environments among ESA Member States.

Analysis of key sectors across intra-regional markets and comparative analysis against alternative export sources.

Empirical client satisfaction surveys to guide improvements.

Farmer Organization Development

Strengthening and facilitating development of farmer associations to engage in staple food value chains.

Consolidating and disseminating innovative practices integrating smallholders into commercial markets.

Promoting viable models for storage, access to finance, and market linkages.

Strengthening formal value chain linkages between farmers, FBOs, and regional marketing infrastructure.

Market Infrastructure & Standards

Harmonization of Warehouse Receipt Systems (WRS) for staple commodities.

Development of COMESA Regional Food Balance Sheet (RFBS) for reliable food security information.

Establishment of dialogue platforms for food balance sheet oversight and cross-border trade monitoring.

Enhancing capacity to comply with regional and international market standards.

Harmonization of grades and standards for staple food commodities

Commercialization Support

Creation of service, production, and marketing forums to develop and disseminate best practices.

Development of public-private partnership services supporting staple food commercialization.

Support for grain bulking through farmer groups and bulking centers.

Establishment of COMESA regional agricultural commodity exchange on spot and futures markets.