The East African region is witnessing growing demand for certified organic products—both locally and across borders. Yet, one of the key challenges remains ensuring compliance with shared organic standards that build trust and open up trade opportunities. That’s where the “Strengthening Regional Trade Through Compliance with the East African Organic Product Standard (EAOPS)” project comes in.
A Regional Effort for Organic Trade
Running from August 2024 to March 2026, this regional initiative is supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and coordinated by Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT). It is being implemented in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania through the leadership of the respective national organic movements:
- KOAN (Kenya Organic Agriculture Network)
- NOGAMU (National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda)
- TOAM (Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement)
The project’s primary objective is to unlock the potential of regional organic trade by increasing stakeholder compliance with the East African Organic Product Standard (EAOPS) and boosting visibility and recognition of the Kilimohai Organic Mark—the regional label that stands for certified organic excellence in East Africa.
Why It Matters
This initiative is implemented under the umbrella of the African Alliance for Food Processing and Quality (AFPQ)—a platform that works to improve food systems through better certification systems, quality assurance, and trade facilitation. The AFPQ plays a strategic role in offering technical guidance and promoting knowledge sharing across borders, making it a critical partner in this effort.
At its core, the project is about bridging the gap between organic standards and trade, ensuring that farmers, processors, and small businesses can confidently engage in regional organic markets.
Key Focus Areas of the Project
- Boosting Regional Organic Trade:
Strengthening the capacity of SMEs to meet organic quality requirements for cross-border export, enabling them to take advantage of new market opportunities. - Building Certification Capacity:
Helping farmer groups and companies achieve and maintain EAOPS certification, making it easier for them to sell across multiple East African markets. - Improving Compliance and Quality:
Delivering hands-on training, refresher sessions, and peer learning opportunities to improve the overall quality of organic products. - Supporting National Organic Movements (NOAMs):
Enhancing the capacity of NOAMs to provide demand-driven certification services and establishing Cross-Border Organic Trade Support Desks to facilitate trade and guidance.
Towards a Stronger Organic Trade Ecosystem
The AFPQ-supported project is more than just a compliance effort—it’s a catalyst for a regional organic movement that is credible, competitive, and sustainable. By empowering stakeholders with the tools, skills, and systems they need, the project is laying the groundwork for a vibrant, integrated East African organic market.
As momentum builds, the leadership of national organic associations—KOAN, NOGAMU, and TOAM—is proving essential in building a harmonized regional approach to organic agriculture and trade. The journey toward organic integration in East Africa is well underway, and this project is a critical step in making that vision a reality.
Follow us for more updates and stories from the field as we track the progress of this important initiative.
