A farmer sprays his Irish potatoes with pesticide in Elburgon, Nakuru County, in November last year. A new study has revealed that six out of ten pesticides used in the country are highly toxic.
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Toxic food: New study unearths looming peril of hazardous pesticides
Six out of 10 pesticides used in the country are highly toxic, a new report has revealed.
The report, “Toxic Business; Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Kenya", released by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, shows that Kenyans are still using about half of the pesticides banned by the European Union.
Pesticides are used to control insects, diseases and weeds. According to the Pesticide Atlas 2022, the circulation of hazardous pesticides banned by the EU has not changed since last year.
The new report shows that your maize, wheat, coffee, potatoes, tomatoes and cabbages are likely to be contaminated by the products you use on your farm.
"These crops are exposed to a range of toxic substances that pose a significant threat to both consumers and the environment," the report says.
The report points out that the pesticides are potentially carcinogenic, can be toxic to an unborn child, cause hormone disruption, genetic mutations and adverse changes in the functioning of the nervous system.
"Due to their potential toxicity to human health, several active substances require urgent regulatory action," the report said.
Only two per cent of the farm input are biopesticides [derived from such natural materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals.]. Eight out of ten pesticides are classified as highly hazardous. These are pesticides that pose a great threat to human health and the environment.
"Although the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation have developed criteria for HHPs [highly hazardous pesticides], they have not yet published an official list of all HHPs used worldwide. This makes it difficult for governments, extension agents, distributors and spray service providers to identify and replace HHPs with less hazardous alternatives," the report says.
“This huge disparity shows the urgent need to promote biopesticides. Immediate regulatory action is also needed for several active ingredients,” Heinrich Böll Foundation said a statement. While the country has no official data on pesticides, Mr Joachim Paul, the Nairobi-based director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, said the report addresses the data gap, which will be a stepping stone to phasing out highly hazardous pesticides.
The report also shows that most pesticide products are manufactured by external organisations based in Kenya, with the largest shares going to Syngenta, Bayer, Corteva Agriscience™, FMC Corporation and Adama Agricultural Solutions, in that order.
On 10 July, a circular from the Pest Control Products Board indicated that it would consider reviewing the status of some active ingredients in some pesticide products. Ingredients found to be harmful would then be phased out by next year.
"We acknowledge and welcome the PCPB's move to withdraw seven active ingredients. This is a step in the right direction in prioritising food safety in Kenya," said Harun Warui, a senior programme coordinator, food rights and agroecology at the Heinrich Böll Foundation and coordina tor of the Right to Food Initiative. "But more needs to be done. Pesticides such as Mancozeb/Metalaxyl-M, Paraquat, Mesotrione and Imidacloprid still have significant health and environmental impacts and need to be phased out immediately."
Although pesticides are known to have a harmful effect on human health, farmers are often advised to follow protective measures.
In Kenya, only one in six farmers wear protective gear when applying pesticides. Children are exposed to these pesticides because only 15 per cent of Kenyan farmers store them properly in places they cannot reach.
The report recommends that farmers should be encouraged to use biopesticides rather than chemical ones, and that this can be done by making them affordable. It also recommends that research and information be made available to farmers.
