Summary Sub‐Saharan African (SSA) governments have recently implemented policies that promote farmer productivity and value addition to support export‐oriented agricultural commodity value chains (VCs) such as coffee and cocoa. The efforts are expected to raise incomes and welfare of the stakeholders engaged in these VCs, contributing to the UN's SDG1 (no poverty). The SSA countries have historically received financial and technical support from the EU through trade‐related policies and initiatives. Despite these combined efforts by SSA governments and the EU, SSA farmers are still unable to produce sufficient commodities at sufficient quality to meet both domestic and export market needs. Given this situation, recent developments related to the implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and related EU Green Deal measures are considered not helpful in motivating smallholder farmers to realise the desired levels of production, productivity and VC development. It is therefore argued that both the EU and local governments should take a more holistic approach to support multiple activities at multiple VC levels, while supporting SSA smallholder farmers. In doing so, it is important to avoid or at least minimise conflicting sustainability impacts and food security implications, while accounting for diverging needs of African farmers, processors and traders. Additionally, it is argued that it will be especially important to address the capacity‐building needs of Africa's smallholder farmers. This involves improvements in both quality and scope of agricultural extension services, enhancing product quality and supporting the adoption of value addition technologies and packaging methods in SSA countries.
Lunogelo et al. (Wed,) studied this question.