Africa’s major agricultural imports largely consist of products for which the continent lacks a revealed comparative advantage (RCA), with notable exceptions being sugars and sugar confectionery and tobacco substitutes.
According to the Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM) Report 2024, the top ten imported product categories make up 81% of Africa’s total agricultural imports. Cereals, animal or vegetable fats and oils, and sugars and sugar confectionery together represent 50% of this total.
This illustrates Africa’s challenge in meeting growing domestic demand driven by income increases, demographic changes, and urbanization, given its limited production capacity.
The report reads “Africa remains a major partner in world markets, capturing 20 per cent of cereal imports and 14 per cent of sugar and sugar confectionery imports. Oilseeds and oleaginous fruits, which account for 4 per cent of Africa’s agricultural imports bill, have a very rapid growth rate of nearly 18 per cent.”
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According to the AATM 2024 database, the top 10 major agricultural import commodities in Africa from 2018 to 2022, based on average annual growth rates, are detailed by the authors’ calculations.
1. Cereals dominated Africa’s agricultural imports with a 31.5% share. Despite this substantial share, the continent’s RCA index for cereals stood at 0.3, indicating a low comparative advantage in this commodity. Africa accounted for 20.1% of global cereal imports during this period, with an import growth rate of 7.6%.
2. Animal or vegetable fats and oils were the second most significant agricultural imports, contributing 11.9% to the total import share. The RCA index for these products was higher at 0.7, suggesting a slightly better comparative advantage. Africa’s share in global imports of these commodities was 8.8%, and the growth rate for imports was 11.0%.
3. Sugars and sugar confectionery ranked third, with a 7.7% share of total imports. This category had an RCA index of 1.2, indicating a comparative advantage in these products. Africa’s contribution to global imports in this sector was 14.4%, while the import growth rate was 3.4%.
4. Dairy produce, eggs, and honey constituted 5.9% of Africa’s agricultural imports. The RCA index for these products was 0.2, reflecting a low comparative advantage. Africa’s share in global imports stood at 5.6%, and the import growth rate was 5.6%.
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5. Meat and edible meat offal followed closely with a 4.9% share in total imports. The RCA index was particularly low at 0.1, suggesting limited comparative advantage. Africa’s share in global meat imports was 3.2%, with a 1.7% growth rate in imports during the period.
6. Preparations of cereals, flour, starch, or milk contributed 4.2% to Africa’s total agricultural imports. The RCA index for this category was 0.3. Africa accounted for 4.7% of global imports in this sector, and the import growth rate was 6.3%.
7. Miscellaneous edible preparations made up 3.9% of the continent’s agricultural imports. The RCA index for this category was 0.4, while Africa’s share in global imports was 4.2%. The growth rate of imports in this sector was 7.3%.
8. Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes accounted for 3.8% of total agricultural imports. With an RCA index of 1.7, Africa showed a comparative advantage in this category. The continent’s share in global tobacco imports was 7.2%, and the import growth rate stood at 5.3%.
9. Beverages, spirits, and vinegar represented 3.7% of Africa’s agricultural imports. The RCA index for these products was 0.4, with Africa contributing 2.6% to global imports. The import growth rate for this category was 7.2%.
10. Oilseeds and oleaginous fruits lastly, made up 3.5% of the total agricultural imports. The RCA index for this sector was 1.0, indicating a balanced comparative advantage. Africa’s share in global imports was 2.7%, with a notable import growth rate of 17.7%.
