An event titled "Beyond Tariffs: how standards and regulations shape agribusiness competitiveness" gathered about 100 participants from East and Southern Africa, including policymakers, regulators, standard-setting bodies, agribusinesses, international organizations, and development partners. The focus was on the role of standards and technical regulations in shaping agricultural trade competitiveness in the region.
The event highlighted practical tools offered by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its partners to help regional farmers and businesses address complex standards. These tools include the ePing SPS & TBT Platform, the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), the Global Trade Helpdesk, and Standards Map.
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala addressed attendees via video. She said that although tariffs have become prominent in global trade discussions again, "in many cases, probably most cases, it is standards and regulations that determine, even more than tariffs, what reaches consumers and what does not." She added: "Health and safety standards. Technical regulations. Certification and quality assurance. These elements increasingly decide who gets to compete and who is left behind. And for many micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries, meeting evolving requirements can be the difference between export success and losing a market overnight."
Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui from Kenya's Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry delivered a keynote address stating: "We must treat standards and technical measures not as obstacles but as strategic tools for competitiveness, value addition and market expansion.As a region, therefore, our task is to harmonize these measures, strengthen our trade capacity and ensure that our producers, especially SMEs, are equipped to meet them." He continued: "Ensuring that our farmers, exporters and regulators are able to anticipate and adapt to new requirements is essential for safeguarding market access and strengthening our integration into global value chains. This is why the work being done by the organizations represented here today is so important."
During the event, a new STDF-funded project was launched in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda to expand use of ePing with technology upgrades. The project also includes targeted capacity building aimed at helping public- and private-sector users monitor regulatory changes affecting trade.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala commented on this initiative: "The project advances the commitment WTO members made at our 13th Ministerial Conference to support WTO members most affected by regulatory challenges." She emphasized Africa's potential by saying that Africa "has what the world wants: arable land, sustainable products, driven by a youthful and dynamic workforce," adding: "Our job together is to ensure that Africa's exporters can meet standards anywhere in the world, and also to shape those standards as leaders in global markets."
Panels during the event explored how international as well as regional standards frameworks impact agribusiness competitiveness under agreements like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Discussions involved government officials alongside business leaders from key sectors such as horticulture, coffee production, tea growing operations as well as livestock farming—focusing on how sanitary/phytosanitary requirements influence trade.
The event was co-organized by both the Gates Foundation and WTO Secretariat with collaboration from Kenya’s government along with STDF (Standards & Trade Development Facility) plus International Trade Centre.