Mwaniki Wahome
1 May 2007
Nairobi — Kenya's horticultural industry appears to be winning the battle to protect its huge European market in the face of a campaign by supermarkets in the United Kingdom to block its products over environmental concerns.
A former British MP, Tony Colman, said yesterday strong lobbying in Britain had won over the support of the media and owners of supermarkets.
Mr Colman is also the executive director of African Practice, a private consultancy firm that lobbies for African states on trade issues in Europe.
He was speaking at the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (Kephis) headquarters where Agriculture minister Kipruto Kirwa was meeting chief executives of parastatals under his ministry.
Mr Colman said the issue of carbon emissions for produce from Africa had been exaggerated. Mr Kirwa said the country exports only five per cent of its vegetables and the European Union standards applied were also meant to protect the public.
Some UK supermarkets had labelled horticultural products from Kenya, to warn potential customers that they were transported by aircraft which emitted more carbon, thereby contributing to global warming. To the contrary, Mr Colman said, the sales of vegetables and flowers from Kenya had increased.
The supermarket owners now understand that the contribution of Kenya's horticultural products to carbon emissions are much less than in Europe where production is mainly done under greenhouse conditions.
However, African governments must remain vigilant against neo-colonial elements who would want to deny the continent trading opportunities.
He said the combined lobbying by activists in Kenya and Europe had changed the perception created that air-transported horticultural products from Kenya produced more carbon emissions than those grown in Europe, hence contributing to global warming.
Mr Colman said he had visited several flower firms in Kenya, and was impressed by the high environment-friendly standards they had maintained.
Production in Kenya should be increased to double employ opportunities, he noted. "The sector employs two million people, and the production should be expanded to employ up to four million people."
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