Difficulty in traceability and labelling complicates trade in agroecological products in EAC

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Stakeholders drawn from across the East African Region for a regional conference on advancing agroecological trade have appealed for the prioritisation of labelling of agroecological products to separate the foodstuffs from conventionally produced agricultural products traded at the East African border markets.

The stakeholders, including traders, policy makers, researchers, academia, the media and farmers, say fast tracking of policy frameworks and other mechanisms that support the tracing of agroecological products will enhance the production, trade and consumption of non-harmful agricultural products.

The conference organised by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) ran from October 27-30, 2025, at the Nile Resort Hotel in Jinja city under the theme: Placing Agroecological and Resilient Food Systems Trade at the Heart of the EAC. 

Impact of agrochemicals misuse

The unregulated use of highly hazardous pesticides such as Carbendazim, Neonicotinoids, Pyrethroids, and Organophosphates by farmers presents a huge challenge to the quality of food for consumers across the East African region and Africa as a whole.

It is important to note that while the European Union (EU) has banned numerous highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) due to their risks to human health and the environment, these chemicals still find their market in Ugandan farmers, especially among farmers who have preferred conventional agriculture to agroecological agriculture.

While the EU’s specific list of banned pesticides might not directly mirror Uganda’s national regulations, many of these HHPs are also banned or restricted in Uganda, particularly those with severe impacts on human health or the environment. Examples include pesticides like DDT, Aldrin, and Lindane, which are known carcinogens or have other severe health impacts.

It is against this background that AFSA and other actors in the food production and supply chain have embarked on a rigorous advocacy to ensure that food produced, sold and consumed aligns with established health standards, is culturally accepted, the production process supports biodiversity, and above all is socially acceptable.

Million Belay, the general co-ordinator for the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, said the African food system is still strong and the only thing to do is to maintain its diversity and jealously protect it from contamination.

“The head of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) once said the future of food for the US and Europe lies in Africa. The challenge is that those developed countries want to introduce a farming system that only prioritises the use of agrochemicals to increase productivity and control of our food systems, yet this would lead to the elimination of traditional seeds,” he noted.

Belay has appealed to African governments and traders to embrace agroecological agriculture to ensure that culturally appropriate and healthy foods are produced in the African farms, thus protecting Africa’s food sovereignty.

Burundi bans export of non-agroecological products

Didier Niyokwizigirwa, the executive secretary of Greening Burundi, a civil society organisation, revealed that there exists a policy in Burundi which deters farmers from exporting conventional agricultural products.

“The republic of Burundi is alive to the fact that conventional agricultural products have contributed significantly to a heightened cancer disease burden in the country,” Niyokwizigirwa said.

To support agroecological production, Niyokwizigirwa said the government of Burundi has drafted a national policy which requires every household to embrace a toilet engineering plan which separates urine from faecal matter.

Agroecologists, through extensive research, have shown interest in using human urine as a fertiliser due to its nutrient-rich properties. They have found out that human urine contains essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are vital for plant growth and that using human urine as fertiliser promotes a closed-loop system where waste is converted into a valuable resource, reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers and minimising environmental pollution.

Cross-cutting drawbacks 

The traders at the various cross-border markets highlighted some of the challenges to trade in agroecological products as the lack of cold rooms, which affects perishable products; misconceptions among consumers that agroecological products are expensive; difficulty in differentiating between conventional and agroecological products; like-minded a lack of joint EAC frameworks that seek to promote agroecological trade.

Other challenges the traders and stakeholders have pointed out include; lack of sufficient storage space at the one stop border points, unpredictable exchange rates of currencies, delays in processing the movement of the agricultural products leading to perishability of some of the products, lack of information desk in some of the border markets and language barriers to effectively communicate about products and services among traders in the EAC region.

The regulatory framework 

Policy makers and researchers have expressed concern that while there exist hundreds of regulatory frameworks that seek to enhance and boost trade in agroecological products within the EAC, several barriers have remained a thorn in the flesh of the agencies and like-minded partners that seek to promote trade in agroecological products.

The policy experts argue that several barriers underpin the promotion of the agroecological value chain in the East African region.

They also said most trade policies in the EAC member states are in conflict with the promotion of agroecological trade, and that the lack of enforcement of harmonised standards, weak implementation of harmonised tools/frameworks, continues to frustrate efforts to promote trade in agroecological products in the region.

Prosper Peter Sangawi, senior trade officer at the trade ministry of Tanzania, said the national ecological organic strategy of 2023 to 2030 emphasises labelling and export promotion of agroecological products.

“To facilitate trade in agroecological trade, the government of Tanzania provides incentives for green productions and exports and public-private sector partnerships to enhance value addition and certification of agroecological products,” Sangawi said.

Beatrice Pamela Onyango, the assistant director of trade policy and strategies, State Department for Trade –Kenya, made a commitment to build the capacity of traders in addition to disseminating information on the significance of trading in agroecological products.

“Premium and niche markets establishment shall be prioritised by the trade ministry. These markets shall act as one-stop centres for trade in agroecological products. We shall support the segregation of markets' specific interest in promoting agroecological zoning,” she emphasised.

In addition to the establishment of the premium markets, Onyango expressed concern about the several blueprints on the 13 principles of agroecology that seek to advance the cause for agroecology but have continued to remain on paper.

According to the experts and policy experts, other drawbacks to agroecological trade in the EAC include limited access to trade facilitation.

Matia Etedu, the regional integration officer at the Ministry of East African Affairs, while making a presentation on the EAC trade policies in relation to agroecology trade, quotes Article 5 of the Treaty, which provides for the creation of a legal mandate for partner states to develop trade and agricultural systems that balance productivity, ecological resilience, and sustainability.

Regional trade events and networks

Matia Etedu revealed that in order to increase visibility of EAC products and increase intra-EAC trade, the EAC buyer and seller platform is being developed in a phased approach. Phase 1 was completed in 2021, providing a marketplace for medium and small-scale enterprises to post their products for visibility and marketing.

The policy maker said the EALA member states are working with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO to resolve some of the barriers through amending the existing laws, provision of oversight and accountability frameworks, formulating EAC organic production standards(EAC), and the approval of budgets with conditions.

Mariam Babu, the chairperson of Busia Women Cross-border Traders Cooperative Society, appealed to EAC partner states and other entities to help address the issue of non-existent one-stop border posts in some countries and also advocates for the designation of markets specifically for agroecological products within the EAC border markets.

The Jinja declaration on opportunities in Agroecological cross-border trade.

The participants of the Agroecological conference unanimously agreed that there is great potential in advancing agroecological cross-border trade as a catalyst for regional transformation.

They argue that aligning EAC trade and agricultural policies with agroecological principles can create a productive, regenerative system that sustains people and ecosystems.

“We envision thriving territorial markets, cross-border collaboration among smallholders, and recognised regional certification for agroecological products. With growing political will across EAC countries, there are opportunities to craft inclusive trade policies that empower women and youth. Leveraging One Stop Border Posts and trade reforms can further ease small-scale trade, while emerging networks and movements strengthen collective action toward equitable, ecological regional trade systems,” the joint statement dated October 30, 2025, reads in part.

Some key commitments and call to action

The participants made several commitments among which include; the need to advance the cause for improved agro ecological trade through the full enforcement of commitments to eliminate non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and streamline customs procedures, the establishment of dedicated market spaces and facilities for agroecological products in local and cross-border markets, scaling up of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) and traceability mechanisms to enhance consumer trust, investment in cold storage, logistics, and public infrastructure that supports agroecological enterprises, aligning national policy with agroecology priorities for sustainable growth and green economy transformation, review of the relevant standards to advocate for integration of agroecological principles, community awareness initiatives on agroecology and agroecological trade, and the inclusion of agroecology in the curricula at all levels of educational institutions.

The Jinja declaration points to the fact that the transformation of Africa’s food and trade systems must begin with the people and emphasises the urgency of continuous dialogue, partnership, and advocacy until agroecological trade becomes central to regional development and integration.