The Challenge

Agriculture plays a central role in Togo’s economy, contributing around 28% of value-added GDP and employing a large share of the population. Access to quality seeds and plant products is essential for improving crop yields, strengthening resilience to climate variability and supporting farmers’ incomes. 

To manage phytosanitary risks linked to the import of seeds and other regulated agricultural inputs, importers must obtain an import permit issued by the Directorate of Agricultural Production (DPA). These permits help ensure that plant products entering the country comply with national regulations and do not introduce pests, diseases or non-compliant varieties that could affect agricultural productivity. 

However, the current import permit process is still largely manual and paper-based, involving multiple institutions and fragmented procedures. This creates information gaps, weak traceability and inconsistent application of controls. Importers also face uncertainty about whether permits are required in certain cases, which can lead to delays at the border and unpredictable administrative requirements. 

Together, these challenges increase transaction costs for agribusinesses, reduce predictability for traders and limit the effectiveness of phytosanitary controls—ultimately affecting both agricultural competitiveness and food security. 

 

What We Are Doing

The Alliance is supporting Togo to streamline and digitalise the import permit process for regulated agricultural products, using seeds as a pilot entry point for broader reform of phytosanitary import procedures.

The project focuses on three main areas:

  • Process redesign: reviewing and strengthening the import permit procedure by introducing a clearer and more operational risk-based approach to phytosanitary controls.
  • Digitalisation: developing a digital solution for the submission, processing and issuance of import permits, improving transparency and reducing administrative burdens.
  • Capacity building: strengthening the technical capacities of the DPA and supporting private sector users to adopt the new system and improve compliance with import requirements.

The digital solution will be developed in coordination with Agence Togo Digital (ATD) to ensure compatibility with national digital standards and long-term sustainability.

Designed as a first module of a scalable system, the project lays the foundation for progressively extending digital import permit management to all regulated agricultural products in Togo.

 

The Impact

By streamlining agricultural import permit procedures, the project will:

  • Reduce time and costs associated with obtaining import permits for regulated agricultural inputs.
  • Improve transparency and predictability for traders importing seeds and plant products.
  • Strengthen phytosanitary risk management, supporting better protection against pests and diseases.
  • Enhance coordination between public institutions, improving the consistency and effectiveness of controls.
  • Support food security and agricultural productivity by facilitating access to quality seeds and planting material.

By introducing a more efficient and risk-based import permit system, the project will help strengthen both trade facilitation and biosecurity, while laying the groundwork for the wider digitalisation of agricultural import procedures in Togo.