The extreme levels of concentration in agricultural and food markets across Africa are a critically overlooked force driving up food insecurity and poverty. It harms small producers, informal enterprises, and consumers. From seeds to supermarkets, markets present high barriers to entry, leading to frequent and harmful cartels. These cartels are widespread and cross-borders, as exemplified by the case of fertilizers, seeds, and poultry.
While this is happening in Africa, laudable efforts are underway in western Europe and the United States to rein in a different, but similar type of abuse of corporate power. An activist and reform-minded agenda, led by Lina Khan in the United States and, at the time, Margrethe Vestager in the European Union, has shone a light on the abuse of market dominance by digital platforms like Amazon, Google, and Facebook.
The momentum to combat market concentration now needs to spread to Africa and to the food and agricultural sectors. African competition authorities need to be supported with the resources, knowledge, and the mandate to act. It is time for the development community to step in.