Reviving Benin's shrimp export sector: the need for an integrated approach

Benin’s shrimp sector collapsed following a ban on its exports to the EU. The ban was imposed in July 2003 and resulted from the non-compliance with EU food safety standards. Strikingly, the sector did not revive, despite the lift of the ban in 2005 and considerable Aid for Trade flows. We argue that the sector’s dependency on the EU, Benin’s poor institutional environment, and inadequate Aid for Trade have played critical roles in explaining the persistent effects of the ban.