Africa’s Role in Global Supply Chain Diversification
Session Chair: Ms. Tone Cecilie Faugli
Session summary
Agricultural supply chains have quietly become a strategic asset in a more volatile geopolitical environment, and African countries are moving to capture more of that value themselves — attracting new investment, building local processing capacity, and legislating to keep more of the value chain on the continent. For Nordic retailers and off-takers, this is both an opportunity and a wake-up call: the direct trading relationship between the Nordics and Africa remains thin relative to the size of the opportunity, and relative to how fast other regions are moving.
The numbers make the gap concrete. At EU level, agri-food imports from Africa reached roughly €34.7 billion in 2025 against €23.5 billion in exports, with import growth of 23.3% in a single year and agri-food trade accounting for close to a fifth of the EU's overall trade with Africa.
Nordic direct sourcing barely registers against that backdrop: Norway's total imports from South Africa were just $466 million in 2024, dominated by ores and vehicles rather than food, with edible fruit, nuts and citrus at only $58.7 million and cut flowers at $1.5 million. Direct imports from Ethiopia were around $15 million, split mostly between flowers and coffee.
Where a direct Nordic–African relationship does exist at scale, it shows what's possible: Norway is already Kenya's fourth-largest flower export market, after the Netherlands, the UK and Germany, taking around 5.6% of Kenya's flower exports. But even that trade is often intermediated rather than direct. Most African agricultural products reaching Nordic shelves still arrive via Rotterdam or Hamburg, not through direct producer relationships, and Kenya itself has been actively diversifying away from over-reliance on European hubs in recent years. Meanwhile, Asian buyers are climbing the ranks of Africa's agricultural trade partners faster than European ones. However, over the past few years there have been significant changes in interest from Nordic retailers for alternative supply chains, driven by perceived needs for reduced climate impact, increased traceability and improved food preparedness. This backdrop changes significantly what African countries want and can offer.
If direct relationships are not built now, other regions will keep closing that gap.
Countries like Côte d'Ivoire represent a top global crop producer, yet have historically exported the vast majority as unprocessed produce for processing elsewhere. This pattern of "value retained abroad" is what this session aims to address, and to foster a dialogue in how the Nordic agri-food landscape can trade with producers trying to move up the global value chain.
Africa has a vibrant young population which is increasing. The economic growth in Asia began when the population density reached a certain point. Today, the population density increase in Africa may contribute to growing regional and national consumption markets and a larger middle class workforce.
Discussion points:
What is the background for increased interest from the Nordic retailers, and what would it take for Nordic actors to trade more with Africa — and specifically, more processed, higher-value African agricultural products?
What opportunities and obstacles do Nordic retailers actually see when they weigh sourcing from Africa?
Who should be building stronger Nordic–African partnerships, and what does that process look like in practice?
What role can business, government and civil society each play in closing the gap?
Job creation for young Africans poses an opportunity for economic growth and is a key element in Norwegian Development policy. Jobs provide both income, a source for tax revenue, and incommensurable values such as hope and dignity, and fair work may be considered a cornerstone for secure local communities. However, according to ILO, 35.6 percent of employed people in Africa still lived in poverty in 2025. How can businesses, government and civil society help to ensure that more jobs provide a path out of poverty?