Leguminous vegetables market in Africa

Earlier Report Observations

The African market for fresh leguminous vegetables opened the period at 2 030 thousand tonnes in 2018, supported by strong consumption linked to traditional supply chains. A slight decline to 1 974 thousand tonnes followed in 2019, a year in which a regional FAO report highlighted ongoing food security and nutrition challenges across the continent. The market volume then stabilised near 1 978 thousand tonnes in 2020.

Market volume contracted further to 1 910 thousand tonnes in 2021 and remained nearly flat at 1 911 thousand tonnes in 2022. In value terms, the market experienced fluctuations, dropping to 3 537 million US dollars in 2021 before beginning a recovery to 3 785 million US dollars in 2022.

A notable rebound occurred in 2023, with market volume rising to 2 042 thousand tonnes and value surging to 4 749 million US dollars. This growth period coincided with coffee companies beginning to divert from the African market ahead of impending European legislation, an event that impacted several agricultural sectors. Concurrent economic pressures also started pushing consumers toward home cooking and more affordable protein alternatives like legumes.

Production leguminous vegetables in Africa

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of leguminous vegetables, 2017-2020

World map of production of leguminous vegetables, 2017-2020

In 2020, Africa produced 2,168 K t of leguminous vegetables, remaining stable compared to the previous year. The highest production level was recorded in 2018 at 2,290 K t, which represented a 6.6% increase. However, in 2019, production saw its largest decline of 5.4%.

Annual dynamics of production in Africa in kind, 2017-2020, K t

In value, 2017-2020, M $ US

Following two years of growth, Africa's leguminous vegetables production experienced a decline. In 2020, the output was valued at 4,197 M $ US, showing a moderate decrease of 5.4% from the previous year. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, production decreased by 2.3%, equivalent to an annualized rate of 0.8%. The peak value occurred in 2019 at 4,436 M $ US, while the largest increase was recorded in 2018 at 1.6%.

Annual dynamics of production in Africa in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

Exports leguminous vegetables from Africa

Exports in kind, K t

Exports of leguminous vegetables from Africa declined for the second consecutive year. In 2020, export volumes reached 212.2 K t, marking a moderate year-over-year decrease of 3.2%. From 2017 to 2020, exports fell by 2.5%, translating to an annualized rate of 0.8%. The highest export volume was in 2018 at 274.8 K t, which saw a 26.3% increase. In contrast, 2019 experienced the largest decline of 20.3%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Africa in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Between 2017 and 2020, three key markets—Spain, the Netherlands, and France—collectively accounted for 64.0% of Africa's total leguminous vegetables exports in volume terms.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Africa in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, M $ US

In 2020, the value of leguminous vegetables exported from Africa was 400.6 M $ US, representing an 8.7% decrease from the previous year. Over the 2017-2020 period, exports declined by 3.8%, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -1.3%. The peak value was recorded in 2019 at 439.0 M $ US, which also saw the largest increase of 5.5%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Africa in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

From 2017 to 2020, Spain, the Netherlands, and France were the top buyers of leguminous vegetables from Africa in value terms, with shares of 36.3%, 19.1%, and 17.9%, respectively. Together, these three markets made up 73.3% of total export value.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Africa in value, 2017-2020

Imports leguminous vegetables to Africa

Imports in kind, K t

Import volumes of leguminous vegetables into Africa showed significant volatility during this period. In 2020, imports amounted to 22.1 K t, down 19.3% from 2019. The lowest volume was recorded in 2018 at 15.6 K t, which saw the largest decline of 33.8%. In contrast, 2019 reached the peak at 27.4 K t, with the largest increase of 75.9%. Overall, imports fluctuated widely, with a 1.8-fold difference between the 2018 trough and 2019 peak.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Africa in kind, 2017-2020, K t

Between 2017 and 2020, leguminous vegetables were imported into Africa from a diverse range of markets. The United States, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates were the largest sources, accounting for 3.3%, 2.4%, and 2.3% of imports in volume, respectively. However, their combined share was only 7.9%, with the remaining 92.1% coming from numerous smaller destinations.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Africa in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, M $ US

In 2020, the value of leguminous vegetables imported into Africa was 14.2 M $ US, reflecting a sharp reduction of 19.6% compared to 2019. From 2017 to 2020, imports decreased by 18.9%, equivalent to an annualized rate of 6.8%. The lowest value was in 2018 at 13.7 M $ US, which experienced the largest decline of 21.4%. The peak occurred in 2019 at 17.6 M $ US, with the largest increase of 28.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Africa in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

During 2017-2020, Africa imported leguminous vegetables from many countries, with the market being highly fragmented. Even the largest sources—the United States, Italy, and China—together represented only 13.3% of total import value.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Africa in value, 2017-2020