The Role of the AfCFTA in Advancing Food Security in Central Africa

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Food insecurity in CEMAC stands at 28% — close to 3 in every 10 people cannot afford safe and nutritious food — driven by security crises, inflation, and extreme climate events.
• Central Africa\’s intra-regional trade share of ~3% is the lowest of any African REC. Food imports grew from USD 4.1 billion (2015) to USD 7.4 billion (2024), widening the agricultural trade deficit to USD 4.7 billion.
• The AfCFTA, through tariff reductions, NTB elimination, and formal trade corridors, can lift 9.3 million Central Africans from extreme poverty by 2035 — but only with deliberate policy sequencing, logistics investment, and PAPSS integration.

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To Cite: Kouam, H., Egbe-Njie, F., Djamo, H., Chefor, D. & Kornher, L. (2026). The Role of the AfCFTA in Advancing Food Security in Central Africa, No. 66, Cameroon Economic Policy Institute (CEPI), Henri Kouam Foundation