Frederick Mugisha, PhD Evarist Twimukye, PhD Madina Guloba, Msc Mwita Rukandema, PhD SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BENEFIT SHARING PROJECT, NILE BASIN.

Frederick Mugisha, PhDEvarist Twimukye, PhD

Madina Guloba, MscMwita Rukandema, PhD

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BENEFIT SHARING PROJECT, NILE BASIN INITIATIVE

Creating and sharing the benefits of cross border trade

Method: Analytical approachV

alue

add

ed, %

wom

en, m

en &

you

th

women

men

traders

farmers

exporte

rs

impo

rters

value

Youth

Methods: DataType and source of data

Primary data collected from farmers, traders, exporters and importers in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, DRC and Sudan.

Interviews with 160 farmers and fishers, 96 traders, 43 exporters, and 22 importers – with overlaps farmers, trader, exporters, importers and key informants

Published and unpublished documents such as policies, reports etc

Summary of issuesFarm stage

Value addition is considered low at the farm, men get involved for commercial purposes, women for food security

Lack of skills and experience in subsequent stages of the chain confine women at the farm

Trade stageLack of financeLack of time and conflict with domestic dutiesFamily power relations – husband would not allowLack of skills and experience in trade and trade

facilitation

Summary of issues (cont’)Export stage

Same issues as the trade stageImport stage

Women are relatively more but involved in smaller quantities

Women are in it to ensure food security and in turn sell mainly to women vendors

Men sell mainly to factories that sometimes package, process and re-export outside the Nile Basin

General issues that emergeAbsence of value addition at all stages of

the cross border trade chain – except in packaging, sorting

Poor physical infrastructure – e.g. roadsUndeveloped market institutions at

border points need strengthening – relations between and across actors, unhampered and free movement of people, security and cross border telecommunications

Policy and program response to challengesPolicies to mainstream men, women and youth exist, no

implementation strategies though;

Policies and value addition focus on domestic and cross border trade, and not general international trade

Market institutions is viewed as a wider undertaking covering roads, railways and telecommunication

Policies and practices on free movement of people, goods and services have a basis in treaties but not well enforced

What should the Nile Basin Countries do and how?Mainstream women in trade, export and import stages of

the cross border chain, think more than security – invest in Granary for the Nile Basin(GNB) that combines small scale warehousing and low cost credit partnership with non-government organization, civil society and community based organization;

Mainstream men at farmer stage – invest in Basin Appropriate Technology (BAT) that combines farming and post harvest handling techniques partnership with the private sector

Mainstream youth at all stages [farmer, trader, exporter and importer ] – invest in Basin Agricultural Commodity Exchange (BACE) that collect, disseminate information on standards, quantity, quality, grades, prices and other critical information through for example short message technology participating institutions to host the youth

Other actionsAdd value at all stages of the cross border trade chain

Act to improve cooperation between and across actors in the chain

Strengthen market institutions and infrastructureMobilize support (political and financial) for and

upgrade market institutions and infrastructureImprove border policies and practices

dialogue on consequences of unilateral action for food security;

sensitize customs, immigration and security staffsensitize citizens on rights with clear channels for

redress

Investment strategy – mainstream men, women and youth

Val

ue a

dded

, % w

omen

& m

en

women

men

traders

farmers

exporte

rs

impo

rters

value

Youth

BACE

BAT

GNB

Management and coordinationComponent Mainstream Implementer

BACE (Basin Agricultural Commodity Exchange)

Youth Participating Institutions

GNB (granaries for Nile Basin)

Women NGO, CBO, CSO

BAT (Basin Appropriate Technology)

Men Private sector

Coordination & oversight

Responsibility

In country political oversight

National Government (ministry of trade and agriculture)

In country coordination Participating Institution (implementation)

Regional coordination NELCU, ENTRO (country coordination)

Nile Basin wide coordination

Position at Nile secretariat

Few reflections1. Invest in supporting member countries to

implement existing policies and agreed upon practices

2. Focus on the entire chain of cross border trade, take action at specific stage when action is required, and action will be specific to commodities or services

3. In many instances, our actions will not be gender specific but will likely enable women to create and share benefits of cross border trade.

E.g. investment in market institutions, standards and trust, will enable women use developments in ICT, use phones to trade – women in Kenya