Browse Data and Analysis

This is a regional report on West Africa that primarily covers Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Mali, but also provides brief overviews in certain sections for Niger, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania.

In September 2021, the Government of Niger signed the ministerial decree that defines the composition, organization, and function of the National Technical and Scientific Committee on Biosafety (CTSNB).

Global lentil exports in 2020 jumped from $1 billion to $2.6 billion compared to the year before. Canada and Australia led the surge, accounting for more than three-fourths of the exports. Lentil exports peaked at $2.7 billion in 2015 but drifted lower through 2019, primarily due to reduced shipments from Canada to India and Turkey and from the United States to Canada and India.

The Government of Senegal is reviewing and revising its new biosafety law which may include language for an expedited approval process for certain genetically engineered (GE) products.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s voracious appetite for imported agricultural goods is a direct result of the region’s robust growth in gross domestic product (GDP) and population.

In recent years, India’s exports have demonstrated phenomenal growth – especially to developing countries, which now account for nearly 80 percent of Indian exports.

Since January 2014, the Burkinabe National Biosafety Agency (NBA) has been converting the status of the organization to a technical and scientific public institution (EPSET) for greater autonomy.

A strong economic outlook, growing middle class and surging demand for consumer-oriented foods make Sub-Saharan Africa one of the fastest-growing regions for U.S. agricultural exports.