BioTrade

Africa's 15 mapped BioTrade crops represent an estimated $2.7 billion in current annual market value — concentrated today across 38 producer countries, with West and East Africa accounting for the majority of volume through spices (Ginger at $720M, Turmeric at $456M, Black Pepper at $368M) and South Africa holding a near-monopoly in high-value botanicals (Rooibos, Aloe ferox). The carbon layer reveals a stark geographic split: humid tropical countries in the Congo Basin and West African coast carry agroforestry carbon stocks up to 120 tC/ha at full multi-tier adoption, while the Sahel and semi-arid belt offer meaningful but more modest gains in the 12–38 tC/ha range. As our interactive map illustruates, the full commercial opportunity, however, remains largely unrealised: projecting all 15 crops to their saturated potential across 50 bioclimatically suitable countries points to a $5.7 billion annual market — a $3.1 billion uplift — with the fastest-growing segments led by under-commercialised species like Akpi (22% CAGR), Mondia (18%), and Marula (14%), and the largest absolute expansion possible in Ginger, Moringa, and Turmeric, all of which have the widest suitable geographies across the continent.

DI associates were honored to implemented an evaluation of the ABS Initiative, assessing the GIZ-led ABS initiative, which seeks to strengthen market pathways for BioTrade products. 

Applying qualitative methods, we assessed the performance, results, and strategic relevance of the multi-donor, multi-tier, multi-country ABS Initiative against the OECD-DAC criteria, particularly Efficiency, Impact, and Sustainability. The findings are intended to inform future decision-making.