In our previous discussion, we discussed that there are six corporations that control the pesticide market, namely: Syngenta, Bayer, Monsanto, Dow, BASF, and Dupont. We addressed how the use of pesticides made by these companies is harming the health of children, leading to a rise in child cancers and AUTISM – and we did this looking at 4 case studies; namely: France, Germany, Hawaii, and Belgium. Well, today we ought to focus on an African country that has been among those that are at the forefront of challenging the use of pesticides, in light of the dangers they pose.

THE PUSHBACK ON TOXIC PESTICIDES IN KENYA

A study released on September 13, 2023, in Kenya indicates that pesticides that are banned for use in the European Union due to their risks to health and the environment continue to be sold by European and other international companies in Kenya, Human Rights Watch said today. Kenyan authorities should ban all imports of highly hazardous pesticides and their active ingredients, phase out their use within the country, and invest in safer and more sustainable methods.

The study, published by The Route to Food Initiative (also known as the RTFI), a program advocating for the right to food in Kenya, says that in 2020 highly hazardous pesticides accounted for over 75 percent of the total pesticide volume in Kenya and nearly half were substances already banned in the EU due to their risks to health and the environment. The group called on the Kenyan government to urgently put in place regulations on highly hazardous pesticides, prioritizing a list of 40 ingredients identified due to their health and environmental risks and prevalence of use.

In addition, sata on Kenya’s pesticide use in 2020 obtained from a private market research company by the RTFI indicates that the Chinese-owned Swiss company Syngenta and German Bayer AG had the largest market share by volume for pesticides in Kenya, together making up 35 percent. The group also found that over 65 percent of the pesticides sold by Syngenta and nearly 85 percent of those sold by Bayer in Kenya are classified as “highly hazardous” by the Pesticide Action Network, meaning they “are acknowledged to present particularly high levels of acute or chronic hazards to health or environment” under international classification systems. Some of the pesticides sold by these companies in Kenya in 2020 had already been banned in the EU.

Now, the danger of highly hazardous pesticides is exacerbated in Kenya, where strategies and resources to minimize the effects of exposure are limited or not feasible. The location and size of farms means buffer zones are impractical for limiting pesticide drift or runoff to nearby homes, schools, and waterways. An Agrochemicals Association of Kenya study found that only 15 percent of farmers in Kenya wear full protective equipment when using pesticides for reasons including cost, lack of availability, or climate. Furthermore, exposure to hazardous pesticides can have severe effects on the human rights to health, to adequate food, to safe drinking water, and to a healthy environment. Here’s more on this in a discussion with Kelvin Kubai, who is an advocate of the High Court in Kenya, and a notable voice in discussions on food security.

In these discussions, we have emphasised an urgent need to take actions to stop the use of these toxic chemicals, and thankfully, the people of Kenya and some within their government have commenced action. For instance, in 2019, Gladys Boss Shollei, a parliament member, submitted a public petition about the issue to the Kenyan National Assembly, on behalf of a group of civil society organizations. In response, Kenya’s National Committee on Health “raised a red flag” regarding dangerously high pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables and called on the Ministry of Agriculture’s Pest Control Products Board to review the list of pesticides allowed in the country and put in effect urgent regulations for pesticide use.

In response, the Pest Control Products Board initiated a regulatory review of a priority list of active ingredients. In September 2021, the civil society organizations behind the 2019 petition submitted a dossier prepared by a task force of independent experts to the board, urging the Kenyan government to quickly put in effect regulations on highly hazardous pesticides. They prioritized a list of 30 active ingredients identified due to their risks and use prevalence.

Then, on July 10, 2023, the Pest Control Products Board introduced new regulations limiting the use of nine active ingredients. The new regulations include restrictions on the use of four active ingredients included in the 2021 civil society submission: Pyme-trozine, Thia-cloprid, Chloro-thalo-nil, and Chlor-pyri-fos – all of which are already restricted or banned for use in the EU.

However, the full results of the review mandated in 2020 have yet to be published BUT civil society organizations continue to call for stricter regulations on a more comprehensive list of hazardous pesticides to adequately protect food safety, health, and the environment.