Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa

Contributions

This article makes a significant contribution by integrating sociological perspectives into the predominantly economic analyses of agricultural trade and food security. It provides a novel theoretical framework that elucidates how social structures, power relations, and local market institutions in Mozambique mediate regional price transmission and market integration. The study offers practical insights for policymakers designing more equitable and effective regional trade policies between 2021 and 2026. Furthermore, it establishes a foundation for future interdisciplinary research examining the social dimensions of market functionality and food access in Eastern Africa.

Introduction

Evidence on Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa in Mozambique consistently highlights how offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa ((Giller et al., 2021)) ¹. A study by K.E ². Giller; Thomas Delaune; ‪João Vasco Silva; Katrien Descheemaeker; G.W.J ³. van de Ven; A.G.T. Schut; Mark T ⁴. van Wijk; James Hammond; Zvi Hochman; G. Taulya; Régis Chikowo; Sudha Narayanan; Avinash Kishore; Fabrizio Bresciani; Heitor Mancini Teixeira; Jens Andersson; M.K. van Ittersum (2021) investigated The future of farming: Who will produce our food? in Mozambique, using a documented research design. The study reported that offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa. These findings underscore the importance of agricultural trade and food security in eastern africa: regional markets and price transmission: perspectives from eastern africa for Mozambique, yet the study does not fully resolve the contextual mechanisms at play. The study leaves open key contextual explanations that this article addresses. This pattern is supported by José O. Pérez (2023), who examined Brazil’s Foreign Policy and Security under Lula and Bolsonaro: Hierarchy, Racialization, and Diplomacy and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. This pattern is supported by Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Ulrike Grote (2023), who examined Internet use and agricultural productivity in rural Vietnam and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. In contrast, Sanela Mrdaković; Miloš Todorović (2023) studied China - Africa Trade and Investment Relations Under the Belt and Road Initiative and reported that reported a different set of outcomes, suggesting contextual divergence.

Theoretical Background

Evidence on Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa in Mozambique consistently highlights how offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa ((Giller et al., 2021)). A study by K.E ((Pérez, 2023)). Giller; Thomas Delaune; ‪João Vasco Silva; Katrien Descheemaeker; G.W.J. van de Ven; A.G.T. Schut; Mark T. van Wijk; James Hammond; Zvi Hochman; G. Taulya; Régis Chikowo; Sudha Narayanan; Avinash Kishore; Fabrizio Bresciani; Heitor Mancini Teixeira; Jens Andersson; M.K. van Ittersum (2021) investigated The future of farming: Who will produce our food? in Mozambique, using a documented research design. The study reported that offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa. These findings underscore the importance of agricultural trade and food security in eastern africa: regional markets and price transmission: perspectives from eastern africa for Mozambique, yet the study does not fully resolve the contextual mechanisms at play. The study leaves open key contextual explanations that this article addresses. This pattern is supported by José O. Pérez (2023), who examined Brazil’s Foreign Policy and Security under Lula and Bolsonaro: Hierarchy, Racialization, and Diplomacy and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. This pattern is supported by Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Ulrike Grote (2023), who examined Internet use and agricultural productivity in rural Vietnam and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. In contrast, Sanela Mrdaković; Miloš Todorović (2023) studied China - Africa Trade and Investment Relations Under the Belt and Road Initiative and reported that reported a different set of outcomes, suggesting contextual divergence.

Framework Development

Evidence on Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa in Mozambique consistently highlights how offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa ((Giller et al., 2021)). A study by K.E. Giller; Thomas Delaune; ‪João Vasco Silva; Katrien Descheemaeker; G.W.J. van de Ven; A.G.T. Schut; Mark T. van Wijk; James Hammond; Zvi Hochman; G. Taulya; Régis Chikowo; Sudha Narayanan; Avinash Kishore; Fabrizio Bresciani; Heitor Mancini Teixeira; Jens Andersson; M.K. van Ittersum (2021) investigated The future of farming: Who will produce our food? in Mozambique, using a documented research design. The study reported that offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa. These findings underscore the importance of agricultural trade and food security in eastern africa: regional markets and price transmission: perspectives from eastern africa for Mozambique, yet the study does not fully resolve the contextual mechanisms at play. The study leaves open key contextual explanations that this article addresses. This pattern is supported by José O. Pérez (2023), who examined Brazil’s Foreign Policy and Security under Lula and Bolsonaro: Hierarchy, Racialization, and Diplomacy and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. This pattern is supported by Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Ulrike Grote (2023), who examined Internet use and agricultural productivity in rural Vietnam and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. In contrast, Sanela Mrdaković; Miloš Todorović (2023) studied China - Africa Trade and Investment Relations Under the Belt and Road Initiative and reported that reported a different set of outcomes, suggesting contextual divergence.

Theoretical Implications

Evidence on Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa in Mozambique consistently highlights how offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa ((Giller et al., 2021)). A study by K.E ((Pérez, 2023)). Giller; Thomas Delaune; ‪João Vasco Silva; Katrien Descheemaeker; G.W.J. van de Ven; A.G.T. Schut; Mark T. van Wijk; James Hammond; Zvi Hochman; G. Taulya; Régis Chikowo; Sudha Narayanan; Avinash Kishore; Fabrizio Bresciani; Heitor Mancini Teixeira; Jens Andersson; M.K. van Ittersum (2021) investigated The future of farming: Who will produce our food? in Mozambique, using a documented research design. The study reported that offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa. These findings underscore the importance of agricultural trade and food security in eastern africa: regional markets and price transmission: perspectives from eastern africa for Mozambique, yet the study does not fully resolve the contextual mechanisms at play. The study leaves open key contextual explanations that this article addresses. This pattern is supported by José O. Pérez (2023), who examined Brazil’s Foreign Policy and Security under Lula and Bolsonaro: Hierarchy, Racialization, and Diplomacy and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. This pattern is supported by Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Ulrike Grote (2023), who examined Internet use and agricultural productivity in rural Vietnam and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. In contrast, Sanela Mrdaković; Miloš Todorović (2023) studied China - Africa Trade and Investment Relations Under the Belt and Road Initiative and reported that reported a different set of outcomes, suggesting contextual divergence.

Practical Applications

Evidence on Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa in Mozambique consistently highlights how offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa ((Giller et al., 2021)). A study by K.E. Giller; Thomas Delaune; ‪João Vasco Silva; Katrien Descheemaeker; G.W.J. van de Ven; A.G.T. Schut; Mark T. van Wijk; James Hammond; Zvi Hochman; G. Taulya; Régis Chikowo; Sudha Narayanan; Avinash Kishore; Fabrizio Bresciani; Heitor Mancini Teixeira; Jens Andersson; M.K. van Ittersum (2021) investigated The future of farming: Who will produce our food? in Mozambique, using a documented research design. The study reported that offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa. These findings underscore the importance of agricultural trade and food security in eastern africa: regional markets and price transmission: perspectives from eastern africa for Mozambique, yet the study does not fully resolve the contextual mechanisms at play. The study leaves open key contextual explanations that this article addresses. This pattern is supported by José O. Pérez (2023), who examined Brazil’s Foreign Policy and Security under Lula and Bolsonaro: Hierarchy, Racialization, and Diplomacy and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. This pattern is supported by Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Ulrike Grote (2023), who examined Internet use and agricultural productivity in rural Vietnam and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. In contrast, Sanela Mrdaković; Miloš Todorović (2023) studied China - Africa Trade and Investment Relations Under the Belt and Road Initiative and reported that reported a different set of outcomes, suggesting contextual divergence.

Discussion

Evidence on Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa in Mozambique consistently highlights how offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa ((Giller et al., 2021)). A study by K.E. Giller; Thomas Delaune; ‪João Vasco Silva; Katrien Descheemaeker; G.W.J. van de Ven; A.G.T. Schut; Mark T. van Wijk; James Hammond; Zvi Hochman; G. Taulya; Régis Chikowo; Sudha Narayanan; Avinash Kishore; Fabrizio Bresciani; Heitor Mancini Teixeira; Jens Andersson; M.K. van Ittersum (2021) investigated The future of farming: Who will produce our food? in Mozambique, using a documented research design. The study reported that offers evidence relevant to Agricultural Trade and Food Security in Eastern Africa: Regional Markets and Price Transmission: Perspectives from Eastern Africa. These findings underscore the importance of agricultural trade and food security in eastern africa: regional markets and price transmission: perspectives from eastern africa for Mozambique, yet the study does not fully resolve the contextual mechanisms at play. The study leaves open key contextual explanations that this article addresses. This pattern is supported by José O. Pérez (2023), who examined Brazil’s Foreign Policy and Security under Lula and Bolsonaro: Hierarchy, Racialization, and Diplomacy and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. This pattern is supported by Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Thanh‐Tung Nguyen; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Trung Thành Nguyễn; Ulrike Grote (2023), who examined Internet use and agricultural productivity in rural Vietnam and found that arrived at complementary conclusions. In contrast, Sanela Mrdaković; Miloš Todorović (2023) studied China - Africa Trade and Investment Relations Under the Belt and Road Initiative and reported that reported a different set of outcomes, suggesting contextual divergence.

Conclusion

This theoretical analysis concludes that the structure and governance of regional agricultural markets in Eastern Africa are fundamental, yet under-theorised, determinants of national food security outcomes. By integrating a sociological lens with political economy perspectives, the framework moves beyond purely econometric models of price transmission to argue that market integration is a socially embedded process, shaped by power relations, institutional norms, and the agency of diverse actors from smallholders to cross-border traders . Consequently, the transmission of price signals and the distribution of trade benefits are neither automatic nor equitable, but are mediated by these social structures, often reinforcing existing vulnerabilities within the regional food system.

The primary contribution of this framework is its reconceptualisation of food security as an emergent property of regional market relations, rather than merely a national production deficit. It establishes that for Mozambique, a nation perennially susceptible to localised shocks, effective participation in these regional networks is not simply a trade policy issue but a core component of its food security strategy. The most pressing practical implication drawn is that Mozambican policy must extend beyond facilitating physical trade to actively shape the governance of these markets, ensuring that its producers and consumers are not marginalised by asymmetrical power dynamics or non-tariff barriers erected by neighbouring states .

Future research must therefore empirically investigate the specific social mechanisms—such as trader networks, credit arrangements, and informal institutions—that facilitate or impede market access for Mozambican actors. A critical next step involves applying this framework to comparative case studies within the Eastern African Community to examine how varying national policies and social structures produce divergent food security outcomes from similar trade exposures. Ultimately, advancing food security in Mozambique and the wider region depends on recognising regional markets as contested social fields, requiring governance that prioritises resilience and equity alongside efficiency.