By: Brandon Moss

Djibouti has launched an agriculture investment roadmap aimed at reducing the country’s heavy reliance on food imports while creating jobs and expanding economic opportunities for rural communities.

The Djibouti AgriConnect Compact brings together government institutions, farmers and producers, financial institutions, private companies, development partners and the World Bank Group around a shared plan to strengthen the country’s agricultural sector.

Djibouti is the first country in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAAP) region to complete an AgriConnect Compact. The roadmap identifies livestock, horticulture and dates as priority value chains with potential to attract private investment, increase domestic production and generate employment.

Nearly 90% of Djibouti’s food requirements are currently met through imports, making stronger domestic production an important part of efforts to improve food security. The Compact aims to develop a more productive and resilient agricultural sector despite the country’s challenging climatic conditions.

Livestock is central to Djibouti’s agricultural economy, contributing nearly 75% of agricultural GDP and supporting approximately 80% of the rural population. The roadmap proposes stronger producer organisations, improved animal health services and measures to increase productivity and value across the livestock sector.

Horticulture and date production have also been identified as areas where greater investment could help reduce imports while creating opportunities in local processing, logistics, marketing and trade.

The Compact also places emphasis on improving access to finance, upgrading infrastructure and strengthening agricultural services. These measures are intended to create a more supportive business environment for agribusinesses and encourage greater private-sector participation.

The initiative was developed through consultations with government institutions, producer organisations, agribusinesses, financial institutions and development partners.

By bringing these stakeholders together around priority agricultural value chains, Djibouti aims to mobilise investment, improve domestic food production and create stronger economic opportunities for rural communities.

The AgriConnect Compact therefore represents an effort to link food security with broader agricultural development, using investment in livestock, horticulture and dates to build more competitive value chains and reduce dependence on imported food.