Pioneering research shows how to improve the environment at Ghana-Togo border
When traders bring their goods between Aflao, Ghana and Lomé, Togo, they cross one of the busiest borders in West Africa. Delays at the border have a financial cost, but also an environmental cost.
Better waste management, energy efficiency, streamlined trade processes and upgraded infrastructure can go a long way toward addressing the environmental crisis at the border.
Those are among the findings of a new research publication released by students from The Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID) and developed with the support of the International Trade Centre (ITC).
Climate Neutrality at Borders: Mitigating Environmental Externalities of Cross-Border Activities sheds light on the urgent environmental challenges at the Aflao-Lomé border.
This release is the culmination of a year-long collaboration between the ITC and IHEID masters students who joined forces in an intensive study including desk research, fact finding survey, stakeholder engagement and analysis.
Clear recommendations to improve the Aflao-Lomé border crossing
With an estimated 11.2 billion tonnes of solid waste collected annually, the research paper underscores issues such as inefficient waste management and biodiversity loss, resulting in air, water and soil contamination. Meeting the immediate need for sustainable infrastructure and practices would address many of these problems. The paper offers holistic policy recommendations to balance trade efficiency and environmental protection:
- Streamlined clearance procedures and enhanced digital platforms to reduce paper use for cross-border trade documentation
- Green building practices on border infrastructures to support environmental sustainability
- Risk management practices to expedite controls and limit the environmental impact of potential leakages or waste of perishables goods
- Protected biodiversity by enforcing regulations promoting sustainable development
The enhancements can mitigate environmental impacts of cross-border trade, protecting the border ecosystem and the community while enhancing trade efficiency and economic growth.
Supporting market access and agri-food trade in West Africa
The research supports ITC’s work to improve both trade and food supplies in the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS). That includes the ECOWAS Agriculture Trade (EAT) Programme and the Promoting private sector competitiveness in Togo (ProComp) Programme, implemented in partnership with GIZ, by offering concrete recommendations for enhancing sustainable cross-border trade, market access for small businesses and trade facilitation measures.
The research conducted at the Aflao-Lomé border will complement a series of diagnostics at border points in West Africa, including the Pada-Dakola crossing (between Burkina Faso and Ghana) and the Seme-Krake crossing (between Benin and Nigeria). ITC is rolling in order to assess how sustainable practices can support agricultural trade without compromising environmental integrity.
Scaling up ITC’s offer on green trade facilitation
This successful pilot for green borders draws a clear path reinforcing ITC’s leadership in transforming trade while minimizing its environmental impacts through green trade facilitation.
About the projects
Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the GIZ ECOWAS Agricultural Trade (EAT) Programme is a special initiative “One World – No Hunger” dedicated to strengthening regional integration through intra-regional agricultural trade in the ECOWAS region. GIZ, the leading German development agency, is the main implementing agency, with ITC as partner, collaborating with the ECOWAS Commission with the directorates responsible for agriculture and rural development, trade, customs, free movement of people, and the Gender Development Center. The programme's central objective is to enhance the capacity and services of regional and national organizations, with a particular emphasis on improving agri-food policies, sustainability, gender sensitivity, trade facilitation inclusivity, and active engagement with small businesses and professional associations in the sector.
The ProComp programme, part of GIZ's broader Promoting the Competitiveness of the Private Sector in Togo (PROCOMP) addresses the economic impact of global crises on youth employment in Togo. Focusing on key sectors like agricultural processing, agri-food, and related industries, ProComp aims to enhance the competitiveness of Togolese SMEs and promote trade and exports. By tackling structural challenges such as supply chain issues and financing difficulties, the initiative seeks to unlock the full potential of Togo's private sector and drive sustainable economic growth.
