Hidden value on the hoof: cross-border trade in Eastern Africa

Cross-border livestock trade has grown from a fairly minor informal activity to a dynamic enterprise that contributes to local and regional food security, meat consumption in large urban centres and poverty alleviation among pastoralists, among others. Despite its importance, the trade is often poorly understood by policymakers and suffers from ambiguous policies and administrative actions, occasional border closures and various informal (illegal) taxes that can amount to a major percentage of marketing transaction costs. “Hidden value on the hoof: cross-border livestock trade in Eastern Africa” (2009, 4pp), Policy Brief 2 of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), discusses the narratives, realities and points of contention about cross-border animal trade in order to clarify misunderstandings and identify issues for policy discussion.

Posted on 18 March 2018 in Pastoralism & Marketing