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Spotlights Food Seminars

Monday 27^th April @ Scarman Space 11

Including lunch and networking

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1 - : Unlocking Employment and Livelihoods in Africa’s Evolving Food Systems

With Dr Saweda Onipede Liverpool-Tasie, Professor of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University

10:30 - 11:30 @ Scarman Space 11

Agrifood value chains across low- and middle-income countries have expanded rapidly over the past three decades, significantly driven by the aggregate investments of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) operating in midstream and downstream segments such as wholesale, logistics, processing, and retail. Yet, despite this transformation, policy and research discussions on food security continue to focus predominantly on farms or, more recently, on consumers, overlooking the critical contributions of these midstream and downstream actors within both input and output supply chains. In this talk, Liverpool-Tasie highlights the essential but often underappreciated roles of these segments, drawing on rich primary data collected across several African countries. Her work underscores the need to recognize and analyze these interconnected midstream and downstream dynamics in order to design effective food systems, food security policies and interventions.

2 -

With Fuad Abubakar Mohammed, Head of Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company

12:30 - 13:30 @ Scarman Space 11

Cocoa is Africa’s most valuable agricultural export, and in 2024 the continent accounted for US$18.6 billion in cocoa and chocolate product exports within a global trade flow of US$89 billion. In West Africa, cocoa represents 52% of agricultural export value, and 45% in Central Africa, underscoring its central role in rural economies where agriculture remains the largest employer. Yet most value continues to be captured offshore due to export-oriented supply chains, limited industrial upgrading, and sustainability regulations that have become costly and restrictive rather than enabling competitiveness. Using Ghana’s structured supply chain as a reference, this talk explores deeper value-addition pathways—not only beyond processing and chocolate manufacturing, but also through emerging nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and bio-based applications that can enhance incomes and strengthen Africa’s trade competitiveness.

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