The Republic of Congo is exploring e-commerce as a strategic tool to improve food access and strengthen agricultural value chains, as it grapples with persistent food and nutrition insecurity affecting an estimated 455,000 people.
Despite ongoing efforts, only 4% of arable land in the country is currently under cultivation, and poor rural infrastructure continues to separate food supply from demand centers.
To combat this, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), alongside the Ministry of Trade, embarked on a fact‑finding mission between June 30 and July 4 in Brazzaville and Pointe‑Noire.
Key Outcomes of the ECA Mission
Broad Stakeholder Engagement
Nearly 200 stakeholders participated, including ministers from Trade; Agriculture; and Small and Medium Enterprises, as well as officials from the ministries of Telecommunications and Digital Economy.
Representatives from telecom giants MTN and Airtel, commercial banks, agribusiness firms, and agencies such as FAO, WFP, and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office contributed to the dialogue.
Exploring Digital Pathways for Food Security
This mission forms part of the ECA’s flagship “Innovative Digital Trade under the AfCFTA” initiative, designed to boost food security through digital solutions.
The goal: harness e‑commerce and mobile payments to upscale the flow of highly perishable food from farms into urban and rural markets more efficiently.
Challenges Identified
Participants highlighted gaps spanning policy, infrastructure, and capacity. They emphasized the absence of robust cold‑chain logistics—crucial for preserving perishables—as well as the need for stronger digital platforms and payment systems.
“Food products are highly perishable and require specialized infrastructure… Without reliable cold chains and efficient logistics, maintaining food quality from farm to table becomes virtually impossible,” warned Simone Assah Kuete of ECA.
Opportunities & Next Steps
The mission pinpointed several national food staples with high e‑commerce potential and noted existing but limited experiments in digital food platforms. It also revealed promising partnerships underway with banks and mobile network operators to scale secure mobile payments.
Future plans include developing infrastructure, supporting policy reforms, and enhancing capacity among smallholder farmers and MSMEs.
Why This Matters
This digital‑driven approach aligns with both the African Union’s Zero Hunger ambitions for 2025 and the UN’s global target of eradicating hunger by 2030.
By infusing e‑commerce into the supply chain—and in turn modernizing cold‑chain logistics, policy frameworks, and digital payments—the Republic of Congo aims to integrate fragmented markets, reduce post‑harvest losses, and improve access for underserved populations.
While e‑commerce won’t solve infrastructure deficits overnight, experts believe it can act as a powerful catalyst—linking farmers directly to consumers, minimizing intermediaries, and promoting regional trade through the AfCFTA.
Outlook
As the mission wraps up, the ECA and Congolese government are expected to draft a roadmap detailing pilot e‑commerce platforms, public‑private partnerships, and proposed policy incentives. Watch for updates in the coming months on funding commitments, partnerships, and regulatory reforms necessary to bring this vision online.
This initiative represents a promising convergence of digital innovation and agricultural policy—symbolic of Africa’s broader push to embrace technology as a lever for meeting fundamental development goals.
