Borderless 2015 Conference: Regional Trade and Food Security

ACCRA, Ghana, May 5, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Borderless Annual Conference (http://www.borderlesswa.com) is the main platform for public-private dialogue, and a high-level advocacy platform instituted by Borderless Alliance to bring together the different stakeholders around themes related to trade facilitation and transport for better economic integration of West Africa.

Download the document "The Borderless e-Platform for reporting and monitoring non-tariff barriers in West Africa": http://www.apo-mail.org/150505en.pdf

Download the document "Why join the Borderless Alliance": http://www.apo-mail.org/1505052en.pdf

Like in previous editions, dozens of companies and leading professional organizations in the private sector involved in the areas of transport, agribusiness, trade and logistics, and representatives of regional economic communities, governments and partners in the region have converged here in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, for the 4th edition of Annual Conference of Borderless Alliance. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade, Handicraft and Small Scale Enterprises Promotion of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Borderless 2015 Conference has been scheduled to take place from 19Th to 21St May 2015 at the Palm Club Hotel under the theme: "Regional Trade and Food Security ".

West Africa is noted to have abundant natural and human resources yet remains one of the poorest regions in the world. Accounting for approximately 35 percent of the region's GDP and 60 percent of the active labor force, the agricultural sector is key to achieving food security and broad-based economic growth across the region. Agricultural productivity is constrained by poor linkages between farmers and markets, the vulnerability of the agricultural businesses, limited access to affordable and reliable high quality seeds and fertilizer, and lack of information on new agricultural technologies and best practices.

In addition, the commercialization of agricultural products is fraught with many difficulties; among these include: the persistence of non-tariff barriers related to free movement of agricultural products despite the existence of various ECOWAS protocols relative to the free movement of goods and services including agricultural products, lack of access to markets due to poor state of road infrastructure and lack of market information.

The conference will feature two days of experience-based knowledge sharing, scheduled interaction, networking opportunities and evidence-based advocacy methodologies to produce recommendations to achieve these objectives.

Borderless Alliance, founded in 2011 with the support of the USAID West Africa Trade Hub, is an association of companies and institutions in West Africa working together to strengthen regional trade by reducing transportation costs and delays across the region.