Prospects for ethnic African products in the European Union

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to identify some key factors that are conducive to the exportation of ethnic African products into the European Union (EU) market. Our literature review seeks to contextualise the main players and processes at work. We also analyse the prospects for authentic African products in selected EU member states, namely France and the UK. We conclude that the reality on the ground often involves complex structures in socially and culturally heterogeneous contexts. Our exploratory study thus seeks to offer insights into these structures and processes, noting that the relationship between ethnic producers/retailers and their distributional channel members are often volatile and conflictual.