The Gambia Standards Bureau (TGSB) and the Large Scale Ecosystem based Adaptation System in the Gambia called EbA Project, have taken steps to standardize the ‘local teas’.
This, as alluded to by the officials of the two institutions, would ensure value and standards of the local teas, like Moringa, are added for safe consumption (by the consumers) and penetration of international markets.
The move by the two institutions is demonstrated by the inauguration of the subcommittee for the Development of Standards on Local Teas, under the National Technical Committee for food and agricultural products.
Dr. Kebba Sima, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the EbA Project, said that the project is a six-year lifespan, funded by the Green Climate Fund with supports from the Government of the Gambia, UNEP, as an accredited entity, with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Natural Resources (MECCNAR) as the executing entity.
“EbA is mainly out to support restoration activities, to ensure that we build resilience to the effects of climate change, which is impacting negatively on lives and livelihoods of the citizenry. It also aims to support communities, especially women, children and men in the upcountry to be able build resilience against the impact of climate change”, said Sima.
These objectives are achieved through it three key components, namely restoration and encourage afforestation activities (for the restoration of the country’s depleted forest resources), natural resource enterprise development (standardization of natural resources), and the building of national institutions (influence institutions) to make policies, for the integration of ecosystem based adaptation into policy instruments, as he told the audience.
Under component two, he said they have signed an MoU with the TGSB to help them to be able to develop voluntary certification systems or schemes. “At the end of the day, we want to see that whatever is derived from our forest resources, is up to standards from production, processing and marketing levels”, the EbA M&E Officer remarked.
Mr. Papa Secka, The Director General (DG) of TGSB, Mr. Papa Secka, explicated, “The MoU is to develop standards for local teas. These are herbal teas which have been in use (since time memorial), but they have not been standardized to their correct dosages.”
He said the MoU is also to ensure that the local teas are processed in such a way that the ingredients and standards of the local teas are maintained, and to ensuring that they are vetted and verified by a competent, Independent third party to attest the quality and standards of the products (in line with international established standards). Thereafter, the products will be certified.
This certification, according to DG Secka, would be internationally recognized, which would enable the locals to compete internationally, and also penetrate the international markets without problems with their standards and quality.
