INF/MSME/P/5  
 
4 April 2023  
(23-2340) Page: 1/4 
  Original: English  
 
INFORMAL WORKING GROUP ON MSMES  
FARAFENA  
The following communication, dated 4 April 202 3, is being circulated at the request of the 
Coordinator of the Informal Working Group on MSMEs . 
 
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The information reproduced in Annex was provided  by Mr Oumar Barou Togola, Founder & Executive 
Chairman of FARAFENA . This document is circulated for information only.  
 
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  ANNEX  
 
 
Thoughts on Actions that the WTO could take with regards to 
African Agriculture and Smallholder farmers  
Overview  
Reflecting on the 10 March 2023 meeting between WTO Director General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala 
and MSME representatives, I believe that the WTO could do a lot to support smallholder farmers in 
Africa, both directly and indirectly . Direct actions could include things like negotiating trade 
agreements that prioritize the interests of smallholder farmers, implementing policies that support 
agricultural development, promoting fair trade practices, providing technical assistance and  
capacity -building support, and establishing a special fund to help smallholder farmers overcome the 
challenges they face in accessing pan -African and international markets.  
Indirect actions could involve advocating for policies that benefit smallholder farme rs at international 
forums, working with organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to 
provide financial support, promoting the transfer of technology and knowledge, and encouraging 
the development of infrastructure and logistics  to enhance the efficiency of agricultural value chains 
within the continent.  
There are also some possible actions that the WTO could consider to uplift smallholder farmers and 
redress the current inequities of trade with Africa, like negotiating a special  agreement on agriculture 
that provides preferential treatment to smallholder farmers, establishing a fund to compensate 
smallholder farmers for the losses they incur due to unfair trade practices, and providing training 
and technical assistance on the use  of e-commerce platforms.  
We believe that currently there are some entrenched policies and governance structures that give 
preference to the Global North over the African Global South, like unfair trade agreements that favor 
developed countries, subsidies for agriculture in developed countries that disadvantage smallholder 
farmers in Africa, biased international standards and certifications, and inadequate infrastructure 
and logistical support for agricultural value chains in Africa.  
Three countries in Euro pe alone, France, The Netherlands and Belgium export more than 
55,000  tonnes of fresh food yearly to Mali. These include staples like onions, tomatoes, carrots, 
potatoes etc. These are all fresh food products that can be grown in Mali using regenerative 
principles. Also, for every tonne of product shipped from Europe to Bamako, 2.2 tonnes of CO2 
gases contribute to climate change.  
We offer the following list of possible actions to consider.  
 
Direct actions:  
• Facilitate negotiations for trade agreements that prioritize the interests of smallholder 
farmers.  
• Develop and implement policies that support the development of agriculture particularly for 
smallholder farmers . 
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  • Promote fair trade practices that enable smallholder farmers to access international markets 
on equal terms.  
• Provide technical assistance and capacity -building support to countries to enhance their 
agricultural productivity and competitiveness . 
• Encourage the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices to enhance productivit y, protect 
the environment, and ensure food security.  
• Establish a special fund to support smallholder farmers to overcome the challenges they face 
in accessing international markets . 
• Set up a dispute resolution mechanism to address disputes related to trad e in agricultural 
products that affect smallholder farmers.  
• Work with governments to improve the legal and regulatory frameworks that govern 
agriculture and trade in the continent, thereby creating a more conducive environment for 
smallholder farmers.  
• Offer financial support to smallholder farmers including credit facilities and subsidies, to help 
them overcome the challenges they face in accessing global markets.  
 
Indirect actions:  
• Advocate for policies that benefit smallholder farmers at international forums such as the 
United Nations.  
• Work with international organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary 
Fund to provide financial support to smallholder farmers.  
• Advocate for the removal of trade barriers and discrimina tory practices that disadvantage 
smallholder farmers.  
• Encourage developed countries to provide preferential treatment to African agricultural 
products, particularly those produced by smallholder farmers . 
• Facilitate partnerships between smallholder farmers and international buyers to enhance 
market access and promote fair trade practices and equitable sharing in profits.  
• Promote the transfer of technology and knowledge to smallholder farmers to enhance their 
productivity and competitiveness . 
• Advocate for the  implementation of policies that support sustainable agricultural practices 
and environmental protection.  
• Encourage the development of infrastructure and logistics to enhance the efficiency of 
agricultural value chains.  
• Provide a platform for smallholder f armers in Africa to share their experiences and learn 
from each other.  
• Collaborate with civil society organizations to ensure that the concerns of smallholder 
farmers are represented in trade negotiations.  
 
Possible actions to uplift smallholder farmers to redress the current 
inequities of trade with Africa:  
• Negotiate a special agreement on agriculture that provides preferential treatment to 
smallholder farmers.  
• Establish a fund to compensate smallholder farmers for the losses they incur due to un fair 
trade practices.  
• Provide training and technical assistance to smallholder farmers on the use of e -commerce 
platforms to sell their products.  INF/MSME/P/5  
 
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  • Establish a certification program that recognizes the sustainable practices of smallholder 
farmers, thereby pr omoting their products in global markets.  
• Work with African governments to establish a regional food security mechanism that ensures 
that smallholder farmers have a reliable market for their products.  
• Provide support to smallholder farmers to help them ada pt to climate change and mitigate 
its effects on their crops.  
• Develop a comprehensive strategy that addresses the specific challenges faced by 
smallholder farmers and outline measures to promote their development.  
• Set up a mechanism to monitor and evaluate  the impact of WTO policies and agreements on 
smallholder farmers . 
• Partner with international organizations, civil society, and the private sector to mobilize 
resources and support for the development of smallholder farmers.  
• Establish a network of smallhol der farmer organizations to promote information sharing, 
capacity building, and collective action . 
• Encourage the establishment of regional agricultural markets and value chains to enhance 
market access and competitiveness for smallholder farmers . 
• Explore t he potential of blockchain technology to increase transparency and traceability in 
value chains, which could benefit smallholder farmers.  
• Advocate for the development of international standards and certification schemes for 
sustainable agriculture, which c ould improve market access and prices for smallholder 
farmers.  
• Foster collaboration between smallholder farmers and other stakeholders, such as 
researchers, policymakers, and consumers, to address complex challenges in the agriculture 
sector.  
 
Entrenched p olicies and governance structures that give preference to the 
Global North over the African global south:  
• Unfair trade agreements that favor developed countries over African countries . 
• Subsidies for agriculture in developed countries that distort internati onal markets and 
disadvantage smallholder farmers in Africa . 
• Intellectual property rights regimes that limit access to technology and knowledge for African 
smallholder farmers . 
• Biased international standards and certifications that favor developed countries and make it 
difficult for African smallholder farmers to access international markets . 
• Lack of access to finance and credit for African smallholder farmers . 
• Inadequate infrast ructure and logistical support for agricultural value chains in Africa.  
 
I am sure that my team and I have missed out on many issues. We do however believe the work 
we are doing in Mali are steps towards re -inventing food systems in and out of Africa. Food  systems 
that are African vs. Euro centric.  
 
 
Oumar Barou Togola  
Founder & Executive Chairman  
FARAFENA  
Vancouver, BC  
Canad a 
 
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