Enhancing Organic Trade in East Africa through EAOPS Adoption : Alliance for Product quality - AFPQ

About The Project

Quality is pivotal for competitiveness in both regional and international trade. To access new markets and sustain existing ones, enterprises often need to implement quality management systems (QMS) and meet private sustainability standards. AfPQ (Alliance for Product Quality) supports companies in the agro-processing sector by bridging gaps in their QMS or obtaining voluntary standard certificates. AfPQ collaborates with private sector institutions to bolster their quality service offerings, focusing on two workstreams: QMS implementation and private standard certification.
This project, a part of AfPQ in Africa, focuses on Workstream B: Strengthening regional trade through the East African Organic Product Standard (EAOPS). The global trade landscape has witnessed an increased adoption of public and private standards, with growing markets for certified organic products. EAOPS, as a regional private sustainability standard, offers a promising avenue for strengthening regional organic trade in East Africa, particularly in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The project aims to address challenges hindering the full utilization of EAOPS by companies in East Africa. In Kenya, companies face barriers such as limited market insight, opaque certification processes, and unclear standards application. Similar challenges exist in Uganda and Tanzania, inhibiting the effective adoption of EAOPS.

The primary goal is to stimulate and promote inter-regional trade in East Africa by facilitating the adoption and sustainable use of EAOPS in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. This involves enhancing regional trade, building the capabilities of companies and farmer groups to utilize EAOPS, ensuring compliance, and strengthening national and regional structures for certification services.

Project Objectives

The following are the project objectives

  1. Strengthen regional trade by African companies through capacity building.
  2. Enhance capabilities of companies and farmer groups to utilize EAOPS.
  3. Enhance compliance for EAOPS by company employees and farmers.
  4. Strengthen national and regional structures to offer new or demand-oriented service on certifications.

Project Outputs & Targets

  1. Strengthened regional trade by engaging 48 African companies in capacity building activities.
  2. Enhanced capabilities of East African companies and farmer groups with EAOPS compliance for at least 48 companies.
  3. Improved compliance for EAOPS by 48 employees/farmers across East Africa.
  4. Operational and strengthened national and regional structures offering new or evolved certification services.

The implementation involves various activities under each objective, including mapping of companies, training needs assessments, certification support, workshops, and certification cost subsidies. Peer-to-peer learning sessions, refresher courses, farmer exchange visits, and trade fair participation are also key components. Moreover, the project aims to facilitate national and regional trade through cross-border matchmaking and exchange trade missions.