Raising the quality of African-grown food to international standards—and thereby making it both more sanitary and more exportable—was the subject of an October 29–31 workshop in Kampala, Uganda, led by DAI’s Dr. John E. Bowman.

The "Workshop on Emerging Food Safety and Agricultural Health Standards for Africa” focused on food standards and safety. Bowman, who has led agricultural development projects in some 30 countries, brought together experts from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded field projects that help Africa's small farmers meet export requirements.

Farm products within the scope of the workshop include fruit, vegetables, and nuts; trees, shrubs, and flowers; coffee, organic foods, and fiber; livestock, hides, and skins; and fisheries.

USAID economic growth officers from regional and bilateral missions in Eastern and Southern Africa trained at the workshop. Speakers from the World Bank gave keynote addresses on the role of agrifood standards in value chains and on the growing problem of the mango fruit fly—an invasive pest that threatens Sub-Saharan Africa‘s entire horticultural export sector.

DAI was invited to lead the workshop by USAID’s Office of Agriculture in the Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade Bureau, which sponsored the event as part of its Environmental Policy and Institutional Strengthening contract.