Blog

As part of the Sustainable Pesticide Management Framework, and in anticipation of its official launch on October 21, our colleague Abdelmoneim Bakr and the CropLife Egypt team met with the Chairman of the Agriculture Export Council (AEC) in Cairo in September to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the AEC and CropLife Egypt.

This collaboration focuses on training 10% of member companies by the end of 2024. To kick off this initiative, during September and October, 59 producing and exporting companies were trained on MRLs, pesticide residues in their exports.

We’re excited to continue these training efforts, aiming to reach a total of 140 companies by year-end! Together, we’re paving the way for a more sustainable future in agricultural exports!

At the end of September, our colleague Stella supported MRL sensitization workshops, focusing on reaching out to over 80 technical assistants and agronomists who play a crucial role in supporting the export market value chains, in Kenya.

These training events were organized by CropLife Kenya/aak-GROW in collaboration with partners, including the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), Horticultural Crops Directorate of the Food and Agriculture Authority (HCD), Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya (FPCK), Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK), and Solidaridad.

Stella shared insights based on the CropLife eLearning modules on MRLs, consumer safety, and trade, specifically during the sessions on understanding MRLs, how they are set, and the nexus with international trade and food safety. She contributed to enhancing the understanding of MRLs and fostering discussions on overcoming current MRL challenges for technical assistants, agronomists, and the farmers they represent.

Participants also benefitted from other experts discussing key topics such as understanding MRL market requirements, illegal and counterfeit pesticides, calibration, baseline study results on MRL surveillance, traceability systems, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).

Recently, the CropLife Africa Middle East team gathered in Brussels for our annual internal meetings! Together with our president, Jerome Barbaron, we focused on setting our objectives and priorities for the coming year.

We discussed several important topics aligned with the CropLife AME vision and mission, such as the need for a regulatory framework on biologicals in the AME region, the fight against anti-counterfeit pesticides. the importance of developing Personal Protective Equipment in the region.

This meeting also provided a great opportunity to connect with CropLife International team to discuss the exciting developments under the Sustainable Pesticide Management Framework in Kenya & Morocco, as well as the upcoming launch in Egypt on October 21st!