Djibouti has launched a national agriculture and agribusiness roadmap designed to coordinate reforms, infrastructure investment and private sector participation across three priority value chains, with livestock, horticulture and dates at the centre of the programme.
The Djibouti AgriConnect Compact has been developed by the Government of Djibouti with the World Bank Group, private sector representatives, financial institutions, producer organisations and development partners.
Djibouti is the first country in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan region to join the AgriConnect initiative.
From a project and programme delivery perspective, the Compact establishes a common framework through which multiple organisations can coordinate investment and reforms across agriculture, infrastructure, finance and business development.
Its priorities include investment in infrastructure, improved access to finance, stronger producer organisations, enhanced animal health and agricultural services, and improvements to the wider environment for agribusiness.
Three value chains prioritised for investment
The roadmap identifies livestock, horticulture and dates as the areas offering the strongest potential for economic growth and job creation.
Livestock currently accounts for almost three-quarters of Djibouti’s agricultural GDP and supports approximately 80% of its rural population.
The Compact identifies stronger producer organisations, improved animal health services and increased productivity as opportunities to generate greater value from the sector.
Horticulture and date production have also been selected because of their potential to increase domestic food production while creating economic activity across processing, logistics, trade and marketing.
The programme comes against a challenging food security backdrop. Nearly 90% of Djibouti’s food requirements are currently met through imports, leaving the country heavily dependent on external supply chains.
Expanding domestic production is therefore intended to improve food security and resilience alongside generating employment and investment.
“This Compact reflects Djibouti’s commitment to unlocking the potential of agriculture and agribusiness as drivers of food security, economic opportunity, and job creation,” said Radwan Ali Bahdon, Minister of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, Livestock and Marine Resources.
“By bringing together government institutions, producers, the private sector, financial institutions, and development partners around a shared vision, we are laying the foundation for stronger and more competitive agricultural value chains that can benefit communities across the country.”
Delivery will require coordination across multiple stakeholders
The Compact was developed following consultations involving government bodies, producers, agribusinesses, financial institutions and development partners.
That structure will continue into implementation, with the roadmap calling for close collaboration between stakeholders to translate its priorities into individual reforms, investments and projects.
For programme managers, the approach places particular importance on coordinating activities that cut across traditional organisational boundaries. Improvements to agricultural production, for example, will need to be connected with finance, infrastructure, logistics, skills and private investment if the targeted value chains are to develop at scale.
The Compact also provides a framework around which development finance and private investment can potentially be mobilised rather than treating individual interventions as standalone initiatives.
Ousmane Dione, World Bank Group Vice President for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said: “Djibouti’s AgriConnect Compact marks an important milestone as the first compact finalized in the MENAAP region.”
“By bringing together public and private sector actors around priority agricultural value chains, it can help mobilize investment, strengthen food security, and create more and better jobs for Djiboutians.”
The next stage will involve moving from the national roadmap into implementation, with the effectiveness of the Compact dependent on stakeholders converting its priorities into coordinated reforms, investment programmes and deliverable projects across the three targeted value chains.
