New African Thinkers: Trade and Sustainability under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement

Under the promising potentials of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Africa finds itself at 
crossroad. Immense agricultural resources coexist with persistent energy scarcity, food insecurity and trade 
barriers. The AfCFTA promises a transformative path, but can it truly harness trade, agriculture and energy 
to bring sustainable development in Africa? This edited volume of the New African Thinkers Series cuts 
through the optimism to ask critical questions about AfCFTA. Emerging scholars from across the continent of 
Africa deliver fresh, actionable perspectives on the Trade-Agriculture-Energy-Sustainability Nexus.  
They ask: 
• How can AfCFTA move beyond rhetoric to boost agricultural production that can solve food insecurity,
 empower farmers, and create resilient markets?
 • What specific policy shifts, technological innovations, and structural reforms are essential to make
 intra-African trade a powerhouse for sustainable growth and development?
 • How can agriculture, trade and energy nexus unlock progress toward Africa's Sustainable
 Development?
 Moving beyond diagnosis, new African thinkers provide a blueprint for action. They blend rigorous analysis 
with practical solutions needed to transform AfCFTA from a framework into a tangible force for prosperity, 
self-reliance, and energy stewardship. The volume presents perspectives that are of interest to policymakers 
tasked with designing strategies for agriculture, trade, and energy; researchers uncovering pathways for 
sustainability under the framework of AfCFTA; students keen to contribute to Africa’s future under AfCFTA; 
and development professionals responsible for building a sustainable Africa.