Export market study on okra, chili pepper and cassava for Togo
This project was commissioned by Lutheran World Relief (LWR) under the USDA-funded PROFIT project (Food for Progress Programme) to assess export and regional trade opportunities for fresh and processed chili pepper, okra and cassava in Togo.
Together with HollandDoor, we were engaged to conduct a rigorous quantitative and qualitative market analysis covering the United States, the European Union and selected regional markets. The study aimed to identify priority product–market combinations, analyse compliance requirements, assess supply readiness, and provide a practical roadmap to strengthen Togo’s horticultural export competitiveness.
Year
2026
Country
TogoType of activity
- Market Intelligence
Activities
- Conducted a comprehensive trade flow and market intelligence analysis, including the analysis of UN Comtrade, FAOSTAT and international trade statistics.
- Assessed global demand, competitor positioning and Togo’s export performance across six product forms, based on this desk research and various trade interviews.
- Developed a balanced product–market prioritisation model. Applied a structured scoring framework combining production potential, competitiveness, compliance feasibility, global demand and expert validation to identify the most promising export pathways.
- Mapped regulatory and compliance requirements for EU and US markets. Analysed SPS frameworks, FDA regulations, MRL standards, GLOBALGAP, HACCP requirements and phytosanitary systems relevant to fresh and processed exports.
- Executed extensive field research across five regions of Togo. Conducted interviews and focus group discussions with producers, cooperatives, processors, exporters, traders, aggregators and government institutions to assess supply readiness and bottlenecks.
- Performed compliance gap analysis. Compared Togo’s institutional and private-sector readiness against EU and US market requirements, identifying systemic and operational constraints.
- Documented regional and international success stories. Analysed comparable West African exporters to extract practical upgrading pathways for chili, okra and cassava value chains.
- Facilitated a national validation workshop. Presented findings to stakeholders and incorporated feedback into a final strategic roadmap for PROFIT.
Results
- Identified processed cassava (gari, flour, paste, frozen leaves) as the most immediately feasible export opportunity, particularly for diaspora markets in the United States and EU.
- Confirmed fresh okra as Togo’s strongest short-term horticultural export product, with existing trade links to European markets.
- Positioned fresh chili pepper as a high-potential but longer-term opportunity, contingent on significant improvements in SPS compliance and residue management.
- Demonstrated that compliance gaps, including traceability, laboratory capacity, cold-chain infrastructure and documentation systems, constitute the primary constraint to export expansion.
- Delivered a phased export-readiness roadmap outlining short-, medium- and long-term actions for PROFIT and sector stakeholders.