South Sudan moves to reclaim global Gum Arabic market with regional standards drive

Regional experts emphasized that standardization will not only facilitate trade but also ensure food safety and help East African products command premium prices on the global market.

By Binia Elizabeth

South Sudan has launched a major regional push to revive its gum arabic sector, hosting East African standards experts in what officials describe as a decisive step toward restoring the country’s competitiveness in the global market

The five-day Regional Harmonization Meeting on Food additives, running from February 23–27, 2026 in Juba, has brought together delegates from across the East African region to develop unified standards for gum arabic.

The meeting is being jointly organized by the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards and the East African Community secretariat, with participation from all the East African partner states.

Officials say the process is critical for South Sudan, where gum arabic is widely available but remains underutilized due to weak quality systems and lack of harmonized regional standards.

Speaking at the opening, Dr Augustine Lokule Bongo of the University of Juba warned that the country cannot compete internationally without clear quality assurance mechanisms.

“Gum arabic is one of our strongest non-oil products, but without standards and quality assurance, we cannot compete globally,” he said.

The initiative is receiving technical backing from the International trade centre through the European Union funded markup II programme, which focuses on improving market access for regional products.

Regional experts emphasized that standardization will not only facilitate trade but also ensure food safety and help East African products command premium prices on the global market.

Dr Moses Matowu of the national agricultural research organization Uganda noted that gum arabic is widely used as a food additive in products such as juices, confectionery, ice cream, and chewing gum, making quality control essential.

Meanwhile, markup II program advisor Martin Kimanya said the absence of a regional standard on gum arabic prompted the programme to support South Sudan in spearheading the harmonization process.

“We wanted to support the region to develop a usable standard that facilitates trade within the EAC and beyond,” Kimanya said

Under the current framework, Uganda and South Sudan are co leading the technical committee on food additives to accelerate progress.

By the end of the five day session, experts are expected to produce a draft regional standard for public review, a move stakeholders believe could unlock new export opportunities, strengthen intra African trade, and boost incomes for rural communities that depend on gum arabic harvesting.

For South Sudan, the meeting signals a strategic shift toward economic diversification and stronger integration into regional and global value chains.