From Market Access to Meaningful Exchange

Reflections from the Strathmore University Business School study mission in the Netherlands

On 19 May 2026, EuroAfri Link had the privilege of facilitating a session on EU market access for African businesses during the agribusiness study mission of Strathmore University Business School (Kenya) in Amsterdam.

The session brought together 30 participants and two instructors from across the agribusiness and export ecosystem to explore practical questions about EU market opportunities, compliance, buyer expectations, logistics, financing and export readiness. It drew mainly on EuroAfri Link’s Bridge to Market training workbooks, complemented by the EEE Formula (Elegant Export Elevator), our six-stage export-readiness pathway, and the VERIFY Framework, which assesses a business against what EU buyers check.

From questions to clarity

What stood out most was the level of engagement. Through presentations, group discussions and interactive exchanges, participants openly shared their export ambitions, challenges and questions. For many, exporting directly to the EU was still unfamiliar territory.

As we unpacked certifications, documentation, market-entry pathways and working with EU buyers, uncertainty gradually turned into clearer understanding and a set of concrete next steps. In our experience, this kind of hands-on learning helps participants connect theory with real export decisions.

This is the work at the heart of our mission. Our training and advisory work is grounded in practical experience of agribusiness trade between Africa and Europe. For us, market access is never just about products. It is about systems, standards, relationships and the knowledge needed to operate with confidence across both continents.

Why experiences like this matter

Study missions and trade missions create value far beyond a single presentation. They expose participants to European business environments, innovation ecosystems and real supply chains. They are most useful when information is combined with networks and follow-up support.

Equally important, they create space for dialogue and peer learning. Participants return not only with information, but with new connections and a more realistic sense of what it takes to export sustainably.

The Netherlands offers a particularly valuable setting for this learning, with its strong links between education, innovation, logistics, agriculture and international trade.

Education and trade belong together

One key reflection from this mission is that trade and education should not be viewed separately. Preparing businesses and young professionals for international markets takes knowledge, skills, exposure and intercultural understanding.

That is why conversations about EU market access should go beyond compliance and buyer requirements. They should also include curriculum development, capacity building and long-term partnerships between African and European institutions. When experiential learning is built into academic programmes, students and professionals are better equipped to turn classroom knowledge into viable export strategies.

Meaningful exchange

For EuroAfri Link, this mission confirmed that our work sits at the intersection of three kinds of exchange:

• knowledge, between universities, businesses and ecosystem partners,
• opportunities, between African entrepreneurs and European markets,
• perspectives that shape more inclusive and mutually beneficial trade relationships.

Let’s collaborate

We welcome collaboration with universities and business schools, vocational institutions, trade mission organisers and chambers of commerce, export and investment promotion agencies, agribusiness associations and cooperatives, and development partners.

Whether you are planning a study visit, an executive programme, an export training or a market access workshop, we would be happy to design it with you, with tailored EU market access sessions, programme design and connections to European education, research and industry partners.

Planning a programme for your group? See our Trainings and Events & Programs pages, explore Education Services for students and institutions, or book a consultation to discuss your plans.

By EuroAfri Link