Dr Nashon Okanga, Executive Member, Harm Reduction Society of Kenya
The Harm Reduction Society of Kenya has called on the government to reduce the cost of safer pest-control products and strengthen regulation of pesticides to discourage the use of highly hazardous chemicals by farmers.
The organisation also wants authorities to improve the labelling of pesticides and ensure farmers have clear information on the safe handling, application and disposal of the products.
Speaking on pesticide use in Kenya, Dr Nashon Okanga, an executive member of the Harm Reduction Society of Kenya, said the country should give greater attention to food safety alongside efforts to increase food production.
Okanga claimed that more than 70 per cent of pesticides used by farmers are harmful, and called for stronger enforcement of regulations governing pesticides. The claim could not independently be verified from publicly available regulatory data and is therefore attributed to him.
He also raised concern about pesticides that have been restricted or banned in some countries but are still available in other markets, calling for closer scrutiny of products entering the Kenyan market.
The Pest Control Products Board (PCPB), Kenya's regulator for pest-control products, is responsible for regulating the importation, manufacture, distribution, sale and use of such products. The board maintains a register of approved products and guides pesticide labels and safe use.
The concerns come amid wider international warnings about the health and environmental risks associated with highly hazardous pesticides. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) define highly hazardous pesticides as products that present particularly high acute or chronic risks to human health or the environment.
WHO says pesticides can be toxic to humans and may cause acute or chronic health effects depending on the substance, dose and route of exposure. Some pesticides or groups of chemicals have been associated with effects including cancer, reproductive and developmental problems and damage to the nervous system.
WHO also notes that some pesticides can act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which may interfere with the body's hormone system.
The Harm Reduction Society of Kenya is advocating for an integrated approach to reducing pesticide-related risks. Its recommendations include the adoption of integrated pest management, greater investment in research into biopesticides and biological pest-control methods, and increased training for farmers on the appropriate use of personal protective equipment.
Integrated pest management seeks to combine different methods of controlling pests while reducing unnecessary reliance on chemical pesticides. FAO recommends integrated pest management as part of efforts to reduce pesticide risks and promote more sustainable agricultural production.
The organisation is also calling for measures that would make safer alternatives more affordable to farmers, arguing that cost should not become a barrier to adopting less hazardous pest-control practices.
WHO recommends that pesticide use be strictly regulated, that farmers use only the amount necessary to protect crops and that people handling pesticides follow safety instructions and use appropriate protective equipment.
