Aflatoxins: A Threat to Competitiveness of EAC Agricultural Produce and Products in the Domestic and International Markets

Abstract

In order to address the impacts of aflatoxin contaminated produce to trade, this policy brief recommends that EAC Partner States provide: adequate human and financial resources to enforce aflatoxin standards in conjunction with Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures; put in place an enabling environment to attract informal cross border traders to confidently engage into formal trade systems; a harmonized testing protocol for use by relevant stakeholders along the food value chains; and a credible “aflatoxin safe” certification that will expedite movement of intra-regionally traded aflatoxin prone commodities and products to reduce time spent in border clearance procedures.