Sourcing Agricultural Commodities From Africa: An Importer's Guide to Risk, Quality and Payment (2026)

To import agricultural commodities from Africa well, you need to manage four risks at once: the supplier may not be who they say, the product may not match the spec, the lot may fail a food-safety limit at your border, and the payment may go to the wrong place. None of these is unique to Africa, but each has patterns that careful importers learn to check. This guide uses official and import-promotion sources to show where problems tend to appear and what you can do about them. It is general information, not legal advice.

Risk 1: Quality that does not match the contract

Quality disputes usually start with vague specs. Where an international standard exists, refer to it; where none exists, write your own and attach it to the contract.

• Cashew kernels. CBI's European cashew market page (updated 23 March 2026) says the UNECE cashew kernel standard is the most widely applied benchmark in Europe, with a maximum moisture of 5 percent and three quality classes. Whole nuts are graded by kernel count per pound. UNECE lists the standard as DDP-17.
• Sesame. CBI's sesame market page (updated 18 November 2024) says there are no official sesame quality standards, so buyers set their own. The main criteria are colour, purity, oil content and seed quality, and a product data sheet and certificate of analysis are advised. Metal detection and magnets are strongly recommended.

Practical point: write down tolerance for moisture, foreign matter and defects, and say what happens when a lot misses them (price adjustment, rejection or retest).

Risk 2: Contaminants and border checks

For nuts and oilseeds, aflatoxin and Salmonella are the recurring issues in the CBI pages. For cashew, CBI gives the EU aflatoxin limits as 5 micrograms per kilogram for B1 and 10 for total aflatoxins, and notes that roasting does not fully remove them. It also lists pesticide residues, cadmium, Listeria and storage humidity as concerns, advising relative humidity below 65 percent in storage and transport. For sesame, CBI reports that Salmonella incidents have been frequent, that ethylene oxide is banned as a sterilising agent in the EU, and that as of July 2024 the EU was checking 50 percent of sesame shipments from Nigeria for Salmonella. That figure was current at the time of the CBI update and the EU reviews such lists regularly, so check the current EU regulation on increased checks, or ask your customs broker, rather than relying on a past percentage. Ask your customs broker which products are on the current list.

Risk 3: Supplier and documentation risk

CBI notes that major cashew buyers usually audit facilities before trading, and that almost all European food importers require a recognised food-safety certification even though it is not a legal requirement. If you cannot visit, ask for the certificate and verify it with the issuing body, request photos or a video walk-through, and consider a third-party inspection arranged by you. Follow the steps in how to vet an overseas supplier before paying and agree an Incoterm so it is clear who carries risk at each stage of transport.

Comilmart helps with the discovery step. Suppliers can list free, verified supplier checks exist (verified status is optional), listings can show minimum order quantities and tiered pricing, and you can use live chat to ask questions. Buyers can register and send requests for quotation at /request-quotation. None of that replaces your own checks.

Risk 4: Payment risk and how to reduce it

The International Chamber of Commerce academy's overview of trade finance (29 November 2024) describes a documentary credit as a bank instrument that pays the seller if the credit's terms are met, with parties dealing in documents rather than goods. The same article notes that a letter of credit does not protect the buyer against inferior or short goods, which is why an inspection step still matters. It describes documentary collection as less protective, because banks follow instructions but assume no payment liability. Read the ICC Academy article for the definitions, and our own LC, TT and escrow guide for a plainer comparison.

Whichever method you use, beware of payment-instruction fraud. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center says in a June 2023 alert that warning signs include requests to change payment methods or bank details and sender addresses with subtle misspellings, and recommends verifying account changes through a second channel. Read the IC3 alert and apply it: never pay to new bank details without calling the supplier on a number you already trust.

For orders placed through Comilmart, buyer protection holds payment until delivery is confirmed, with a 7-day window to report issues. Comilmart also offers trade financing, and our explainer on how buyer protection works goes through the detail.

A practical checklist before you confirm an order

• Written specification and tolerances attached to the contract
• Sample approved and a sealed reference kept
• Certificate of analysis for the actual lot, and a plan for independent testing if the value justifies it
• Supplier identity and certificates verified independently
• Incoterm, delivery point and insurance agreed
• Payment terms agreed, with bank details confirmed by phone
• Import paperwork checked with your customs authority or a licensed broker

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest risks when importing agricultural commodities from Africa? Product not matching spec, contaminant limits such as aflatoxin and Salmonella, unverified suppliers and payment fraud. Each can be reduced with written specs, testing, independent checks and protected payment.

Do African exporters need certifications for the EU? Requirements vary by product. CBI says food-safety certification is not legally required for cashew but almost all European importers ask for it. Confirm what your buyers and the authority require.

How can I pay safely on a first order? Use a method that ties payment to documents or delivery, such as a documentary credit or a protected marketplace payment, and verify bank details by phone.

Does a letter of credit guarantee the goods are good? No. The ICC Academy article notes the buyer has no protection against inferior or short goods, so arrange inspection as well.

Getting started

Post a requirement at /request-quotation, browse food and agro listings and create a free account to message suppliers. Import rules and check lists change, so confirm current rules with your customs authority or a licensed broker before shipping.