Kenya beware. A similar story is being cooked. In a March report, US trade officials detailed their gripes on the “most important foreign barriers affecting US exports.” Kenya makes the list. The complaints are specific.
They echo what was said about México. The report is critical about limits on aflatoxin for maize, as Kenyan controls are lower than what US regulators find safe. These measures are presented as inconsistent with international food standards. Not mentioned is that these standards are not binding.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o wrote: “Stories, like food, lose their flavour if cooked in a hurry,”. This is the case for maize. Our story cites the trade agreement with the US and expected impacts on ugali and githeri.
Next week in Mombasa, Kenyan and American diplomats start a sixth round of negotiations for the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) covering agriculture. Both sides are eager for a final text. Negotiations began in 2022. Imports from Kenya have increased 10 per cent annually for two decades. An economic partner in East Africa looks good for American geopolitics. But trade is more than predictions and images. Look at México, it agreed to US trade pacts twice. México’s experiences serve up valuable lessons on maize and trade for Kenya. Many Mexicans say tortillas, flatbread made from maize and rolled and stuffed to make tacos, have lost their flavour with free trade. This perspective comes from three decades of warnings on the grain, called maíz in México and corn in the US.
