A report by USAID's regional trade advisor, Stephanie Wilcock, that the US will dispatch a sanitary and phytosanitary specialist to help countries in East Africa comply with agro-food standards intended for the US market is welcome news. This will enable the region to learn from global best practices with a view of positioning its products to meet global standards.

However, the US and EU owe an explanation to developing nations on why they refuse to include the latter in standard setting and implementation; subject them to different auditor and audit procedures; refuse to address the issue of high compliance costs and apply double standards when dealing with developing nations. Some studies, for example, indicate that going forwards, countries such as Kenya will loose out on exports to developed countries due to increased sensitivity to carbon emissions and global warming.

Africa must abandon a wait and see attitude and start engaging its own market. It is clear that developed countries are in no hurry to remove barriers to trade and development of Africa. But it is within Africa's mandate to initiate at least intra Africa trade.

Africa cannot export unless it meets the stringent anti-chemical standards set up by the developed nations. African children must keep dying until some developed country intellectual approves use of certain methods to destroy mosquitoes. Africans must perish due to lack of food because developed country experts forbid the use of technology to turn around the famine situation. African intellectuals, business people and policy makers must soberly seek ways to engage western intellectuals to stem the rising tide of developed countries "standards" onslaught on the future of Africa.