The AU led EOAI Continental Secretariat hosted by Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) signed an MoU with the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) on 9th December 2021. The event took place during a breakfast meeting held at the Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Executive Director of BvAT, Dr David Amudavi and his counterpart, ARSO Secretary General, Dr Hermogene Nsengimana underscored the timeliness of the collaboration citing certification as a vital component that drives organic trade.
The two organizations will work together with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to promote organic trade in the African continent. The signing ceremony was witnessed by members of the EOAI Continental Steering Committee (CSC), Biovision Africa Trust, ARSO, EOAI partners and the media.
The collaboration between the two organizations is aimed at drafting a blue print for the development and promotes a consultative and benchmarking approach to analyze existing organic standards and certification schemes at national, regional, continental, and international levels and harmonize where possible. In addition, the two organizations will work in close consultation with stakeholders within the organic sector. Given the shared interest in the development of African organic standards, the purpose of this MoU is to highlight possible ways of interaction and cooperation, to promote mutual exchange of information, input into each other’s processes, and ultimately promote higher quality of output in organic standard development.
The MoU was signed by Dr. David Amudavi, BvAT Executive Director and Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, ARSO Secretary General.
