KENYA – Nairobi, Kenya, recently hosted a two-day workshop that gathered over 200 delegates to discuss harmonizing food safety standards across Africa.
The event aimed to address the technical barriers posed by varying national standards and to explore ways of aligning these standards to promote intra-African trade, particularly in agricultural commodities.
The workshop, focused on trade and food standards, marked a collaborative effort between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The discussions centered on creating a system of international food standards that can enhance trade across the continent.
Maryann Kindiki, Manager for the National Codex Contact Point at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), highlighted the challenges posed by differing food safety standards.
She noted that these discrepancies act as significant barriers to trade within Africa, complicating the movement of agricultural products between countries. Kindiki suggested that mutual recognition agreements could help bridge these gaps, allowing countries to acknowledge each other’s food safety standards.
She emphasized the importance of aligning food safety standards across regional economic blocs, such as the East African Community. By doing so, cross-border trade within Africa could be more seamless, fostering economic growth and reducing reliance on food imports.
Africa’s food import bill and potential
The African Union estimates that the continent’s food import bill stands at approximately US$60 billion annually, despite Africa being home to about 60 percent of the world’s arable land.
This stark contrast highlights the potential for Africa to boost its agricultural production and reduce dependence on international food imports.
Geoffrey Odero, Senior Trade Development Officer in Kenya’s Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry, echoed this sentiment, pointing out that a unified regime of food safety standards could be a catalyst for agricultural growth in Africa.
He advocated for the establishment of regional food safety authorities to oversee the implementation of harmonized standards at border points, ensuring that trade can flow more freely across the continent.
Investment in certification infrastructure
The workshop also addressed the need for investments in certification infrastructure. Peter Mutua, Manager for the KEBS Food Standards division, noted that enhancing the capacity for testing and certifying food products would play a crucial role in easing the movement of agricultural goods.
By improving certification processes, agricultural products could be more easily transported from surplus-producing regions to areas facing deficits, further supporting intra-African trade.
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