Honey and bee products require sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) to ensure food safety and eliminate infractions of health and safety standards. However, few honey producers and traders in Zambia are able to comply with SPS standards. This prevents them from engaging in regional and international trade as well as from participating in domestic supply chains with reputable buyers such as retail chains, hotels and restaurants. SNV Zambia received a grant for the TICBAS project (Trade and institutional capacity building in the apiculture sector) from Africa Trade Fund (AfTRA) in cooperation with Africa Development Bank (AfDB). The project targets 35,000+ households and aims to improve the capacity of seven processors and relevant institutions in the honey value chain through the establishment of traceability systems. This is expected to expand trade and production in the sector. We will do this by:

• Improving the capacity of traders, processors and producers to comply with SPS measures.
• Developing the capacity of SPS authorities to perform regulatory functions including surveillance and monitoring of SPS risks in the honey sector.
• Increasing awareness among traders, producers, processors and consumers of quality standards and food safety issues around honey and bee products.