Last week, CropLife Africa Middle East hosted a webinar bringing together farmers and exporters from Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco to discuss the EU’s Food & Feed Safety Omnibus package and better understand what these proposed changes could mean in practice for exporters across the region. These growers export a wide range of products to the EU – mostly fruits and vegetables – from avocados and beans to potatoes, citrus, grapes, and more. As part of the speakers, CropLife AME was also honoured to have Dr Saliou Niassy as representative of the AU-IAPSC.
Producer from Kenya noted that pest and disease pressures differ significantly between tropical and temperate growing regions, citing, for example, in February 2026 temperatures as low as -10°C in parts of the EU, and the very different pest and disease profiles between EU and Kenya that result from such different climate. He called for MRL standards that reflect these regional realities rather than a uniform global threshold.
Producer from Egypt noted that Egyptian growers use roughly 1/7 to 1/8 the volume of pesticides per hectare compared to some European growers and encouraged continued scientific dialogue on how residue thresholds are set.
A grower from Morocco described a difficult season in which 30–50% of crops were lost due to flooding and the withdrawal of certain active ingredients, as well as limited alternatives available. With roughly 50% of Moroccan production supplying the local market, growers stressed that export pressures also have direct implications for domestic food availability and prices.
Representative from the African Union’s Inter-African Phytosanitary Council (AU-IAPSC) – Dr Saliou Niassy – also joined the discussion, reaffirming the AU’s support for high food safety standards, science-based decision-making, and the importance of CODEX MRLs as an international reference point where established.
Across the conversation, a shared and constructive message emerged: farmers and exporters across the region are committed to food safety. However, they are concerned about the direction the EU’s legislation is taking on MRLs and its implications for exports and farmers’ livelihoods. Exporters hope for continued dialogue with EU counterparts to ensure any new measures are grounded in science, reflect regional realities, and consider the shared goal of resilient, safe, and productive food systems on both sides.
At CropLife AME, we believe in fostering science-based dialogue among all stakeholders across the value chain because sustainable, resilient food systems can only be built through partnership, evidence, and mutual understanding between producing and importing regions.
