Food and environmental safety lobbies have cautioned against continued overuse of agrochemicals in food production in Kenya.
The groups warned yesterday that overuse of the farm chemicals, some which have been banned in many other countries, exposes Kenyans to cancer, serious reproductive, hormonal and nervous conditions, as well as genetic deformities that could be passed on to future generations.
Inades Formation Kenya, Pelum Kenya, Kenya Organic Network (Koan) and Biosafety Association of Kenya (Biba-K) warned that use of unhealthy levels and types of agrochemicals was one of the major killers in the country.
Their concerns come in the wake of studies that have found that residues of toxic pesticides used in crop production have been finding their way into and wreaking havoc on human body systems.
Inades Managing Director Joseph Munywoki said most alarming was that pesticides that had been banned elsewhere in the world continue to find their way into the country.
“Toxicity is an obstacle to the right to food and, therefore, food production methods that do not subscribe to the use of pesticides and chemicals should be adopted,” said Mr Munywoki.
The lobbies spoke at a city hotel during a workshop on the promotion of healthy eating dubbed Conscience Alimen Terre Campain (CAC). The campaign entails exposing the dangers posed by the use of pesticides and fertilisers to both humans and the environment.
Biba-Kenya National Coordinator Anne Maina said up to 24 agrochemicals that are already in the market have the potential to cause cancer, while another 24 can cause genetic changes. Studies have found that yet others negatively affect hormones and reproduction in humans and animals.
“Some of the foodstuffs rejected at the airports because of high residue levels, for instance, still find their way back to the local markets,” said Ms Maina.
She noted that the locust infestation of 2020 worsened the situation. “Research found that as high as 10 times of the chemical amounts required to kill locusts were found in one case in Samburu County.”
The most deadly agrochemicals include glyphosate, which was classified in 2015 as potentially cancer-causing. Regulators in the US and elsewhere have since been under pressure to ban the use of the chemical. The Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), however, ruled out a ban on glyphosate-based products in Kenya.
Other chemicals that have been flagged include fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos and fipronil, all of which are, however, allowed by PCPB for the control of desert locusts.
Non-selective insecticide
Fenitrothion is a non-selective insecticide that is known for its toxicity to reproductive systems, as well as its tendency to alter the hormonal system in humans. It is also hazardous to aquatic species and bees, which are essential in food production.
Chlorpyrifos is known to affect brain development especially in children, as well as the reproduction and nervous systems. It also poses danger to aquatic species, bees, terrestrial insects and birds.
Fipronil, which is also poisonous to fish and bees, stays in the environment longer than most of the other pesticides.
Many farmers in Kenya rely on profit-driven agrovets rather than agricultural extension officers to manage pests and diseases. This has led to proliferation of crop protection products in the country, particularly those that are banned in Europe and elsewhere in the world.
“Often, farmers hardly recognise the active ingredients in some of these products,” said Mr Eustace Kiarie, an organic expert at Koan.
A study that focused on Kirinyaga and Murang’a counties found that tomatoes are among the basic food products on which pesticides are largely misused.
The experts challenged the government to regulate agrovets and agro-dealers to stem the proliferation of “these harmful” products.
Pelum Kenya Country Director Rosinah Mbenya urged farmers to embrace agroecology, which encompasses biological ways of managing pests and diseases.
The groups added that although there are no safe synthetic pesticides, those that pose less danger should be promoted.
