COLEACP signs MoU with East African Community

COLEACP has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the East African Community (EAC) to support a competitive and sustainable horticultural sector in the East African Region.



The agreement identifies synergies in four key areas of SPS systems: strengthening governance; improving operational processes; managing skills and competencies; and strengthening communication dynamics between relevant stakeholders, particularly to ensure communication between National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs) and professional organisations, especially focusing on active involvement of the private sector in the process of strengthening SPS systems.



The MoU also aims to strengthen the EAC Fruit and Vegetable Platform (EAFVP) by improving conditions for investment and access to appropriate financial solutions for MSMEs through targeted collaborations with financial intermediaries and investors in EAC Member States. This includes the specific objectives, among others, to empower MSMEs to embrace opportunities on domestic and regional markets, with a focus on value addition, while improving market access to the European Union through regulatory and commercial compliance; and to embed sustainable agricultural and management practices through business development strategies to improve the competitiveness of MSMEs.