Eight non-governmental organizations drawn from East Africa are now calling for concrete policies that will safeguard both man and environment from effects of Highly Hazardous Products(HHPs).
In a joint statement released on March 27 this year, the group under the umbrella of East Africa Pesticide Network noted the region taking laudable steps in reducing the usage of hazardous pesticides, recent findings show presence of HHPs on the ecosystem.
The network brings together GreenPeace Africa, Route to Food Initiative(RTFI), Food Safety Coalition Uganda, Global Consumer Center, Broederlijk Delen, SEATINI, Tanzania Organic Agricultural Movement and Premium Kenya.
The report follows findings that were presented during the East Africa Pesticides, Environment and Health Interdisciplinary Symposium held in Kisumu November from 5 to 6 2025.
The group now wants the region to come up with strong enforcement, transparent registration processes, and regular monitoring and publication of data on pesticide reduction.
In addition, they want governments from the East Africa region to develop an effective surveillance of acute and chronic pesticide poisoning and coordinated regional action to prevent cross-border pesticide trade in hazardous products.
“At the policy level, we recognize that important regulatory steps are already being taken to protect our health and the environment, as well as transboundary control of hazardous products. In June 2025, Kenya announced the withdrawal of 77 per cent of products and restrictions on an additional 202. Earlier this year, Tanzania announced the phase-out of 805 products, a step that demonstrates the growing recognition of pesticide risks. These actions signal growing recognition of the risks posed by pesticides; however, regulatory bans alone are not enough.” reads the statement.
According to the report, global pesticide uses in East Africa rose from 1.8 million tons to 3.7 million tons between 1990 and 2022, posing a challenge in tackling entry of harmful chemicals into the region.
On the other hand, pesticide imports into Africa increased 5.7 times between 2002 and 2022, a pointer to broader agricultural intensification trends driven by changing climatic patterns, pest pressure and food production demands.
During this period, pesticide used on food crops exceeded the allowed safety limits posing health risks to both humans and the environment.
“Today, we present findings of studies shared at the symposium that found pesticide residues in drinking water sources, agricultural soils, fresh produce, and ambient air in parts of East Africa. These effects are as a result of exposure, use and misuse of pesticides products that have already been banned in their countries of origin, but are available and sold in countries in the global south, such as Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania,” continues the report.
“In some food samples, pesticide limits exceeded established maximum residual levels (MRLs). Health research also documented cases of acute pesticide poisoning and identified links between occupational pesticide exposure and neurological, mental health, and reproductive outcomes among agricultural workers.”
MRLs is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue on food or feed of plant and animal origin that is legally tolerated.
To cut down on use of HHPs in the region, respective governments have been advised to among others adhere to existing international agreements such as the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions which outline regulations on hazardous waste movement and trade.
At the regional level, member states have been urged to adhere to EAC Guidelines on Data Requirements for the Registration of Conventional Chemical Pesticides Used in Agriculture and Forestry adopted during the 38th Extra –Ordinary Council of Ministers on January 30 2019.
The Convection provided applicants with better information on the data and studies on how they should submit to national pesticide registration.
“Despite the legal frameworks, there are existential challenges to implementation, corporate control over the food system, and weak negotiation capacity between the EAC and the global north. These have continued to influence the continuous trade in and use of highly hazardous pesticides in the region. East African countries still struggle to coordinate joint actions on the regulation and control of the trade in and use of highly hazardous pesticides. There are still challenges of porous borders where pesticides registered, traded, or used in one country often move across borders through formal and informal markets,” highlights the report.
The East Africa Pesticide Network has also called for continuous adoption of viable alternatives such as crop diversification, use of biological control agents, soil health management, habitat management for natural enemies and farmer-led integrated pest management.
The group says such a paradigm shift has in the past helped reduce chemical dependence while safeguarding the soil ecosystem.
The network has also called for stronger regional collaborative action involving the governments, farmers, researchers, civil societies among others in pushing for initiatives that will protect the public health, food chain and the environment through adopting safer agricultural production practices.
In October 2023 Kenya Organic Agriculture Network(KOAN), Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya(biba), and RTFI had called stakeholders in the agricultural sector to come up with an effective panacea on the use of HHPs in the country.
The trio, while admitting then efforts which were being undertaken towards protecting the safety of crops in regard to the use of pesticides in the country had argued that such efforts should bring more players on board.
“A collaborative effort among regulatory bodies, farmers, environmentalists and civil society is crucial to finding a balanced and sustainable approach to pesticide use, especially concerning the use of Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Kenya,” read a joint press statement from the group.
“We agree that the responsible use and handling of pesticides are essential. However, we must acknowledge that the responsibility for safe pesticide use is beyond the farmers’ ability. Required mitigation measures like buffer zones to safeguard communities or water resources often can’t be implemented. Beyond the responsibility of the farmer, pesticide companies should also play an essential role in ensuring the safe use, disposal and handling of their products through extended producer responsibility (EPR).”
And on September 13 2022, RTFI released a report detailing how the majority of Kenyans could be consuming foods laced with HHPs posing a threat to their overall wellbeing.
The report Toxic Business; Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Kenya ,identified maize, wheat, coffee, potatoes, kales and tomatoes as consumers of the largest volumes of pesticides heavily laced with HHPs.
As a result, the crops which form the bulk of the country’s food sources were said to be exposed to a range of toxic substances, a threat to both consumers and the environment.
Further, according to the 40-page report, only six out of 310 pesticides in use in the country at the time could be qualified as bio pesticides (derived from natural materials such as plant and animal products and therefore considered safe), accounting for a paltry 2 per cent of the total pesticide volume.
“Common food items in Kenya households such as Maize, wheat, coffee, potatoes,
kales and tomatoes require the largest volumes of pesticides, with a heavy reliance
on HHPs. These crops are exposed to a range of toxic substances, posing significant threats to both consumers and the environment,” read the report’s findings.
“Only six out of the 310 pesticide products used in Kenya are bio pesticides, accounting for a mere 2 per cent of the total pesticide volume. Meanwhile, Highly Hazardous Pesticides account for a shocking 76 per cent of the total volume used. This huge disparity indicates the urgent need to promote bio pesticides.”.
But responding to the report later, Pest Control Products Board (PBCB) and aak/GROW Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya (FPC Kenya) faulted the findings insisting the State had ever been keen in ensuring pesticides landing in the country do not impair the health of man, beast and environment.
The board also clarified that only insecticides that meet the required MRLs were allowed into the country.
“Ensuring consumer and pesticide user safety is our top priority. Food safety is key during approval of pesticides that is why Maximum Residue Levels are required,” said PCPB then acting CEO Fredrick Muchiri.
“The Route to Food initiative report is not factual. Ban means total ban on manufacture and use. You cannot ban a pesticide and continue producing for other people,” he said.
The official similarly defended the use of pesticides in the country saying they do play a crucial role in safeguarding crop production by combating pests and disease-causing agents
But KOAN, RTFI and biba claimed there was a need to follow a hazard assessment for registering very toxic pesticides (WHO 1a, WHO 1b, and so-called CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic and reproduction toxic pesticides)) as a matter of urgency.
The NGOs said such hazard assessments should focus on the inherent properties of pesticides, regardless of their use patterns.
“It is essential to strike a balance between risk and hazard assessments to ensure comprehensive safety, as many of the Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHP) mentioned in the recently launched report Toxic Business: Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Kenya are very toxic, for example, beta-cyfluthrin. We agree that the responsible use and handling of pesticides are essential.” they pointed out.
“However, we must acknowledge that the responsibility for safe pesticide use is beyond the farmers’ ability. Required mitigation measures like buffer zones to safeguard communities or water resources often can’t be implemented. Beyond the responsibility of the farmer, pesticide companies should also play an essential role in ensuring the safe use, disposal and handling of their products through extended producer responsibility (EPR).”
And in response to PCPB’s stance on importation of pesticides currently flagged in Europe, the NGOs had remarked that the products under question had been outlawed due to their health risk to both humans and the environment.
They therefore called for exploration of friendlier means of food production that rely less on agrochemicals and also guarantee bumper harvests and access to safe food for the country.
“We encourage PCPB to explore sustainable pest management alternatives that prioritize both crop protection and the long-term health of Kenyan farmers and consumers, and the environment. We would like to emphasize that most of the pesticides that are banned in Europe are withdrawn from the market because of their unacceptable risk towards the environment and human health and not because of less pest pressure.” the trio stressed.
“We would also like to emphasize that a system change of agricultural production is necessary and not just a substitution from one pesticide to the other, to achieve safe food in an enabling environment.”
Among pesticides ingredients considered highly toxic and commonly used by farmers in the country by then included chlorpyrifos, acetochlor, glyphosate, 2,4-D, mancozeb and chlorothalonil.
Active ingredients, such as bifenthrin, dichlorvos, diazinon, carbaryl, fipronil,
Thiamethoxam, and carbendazim, have already been outlawed in Europe.
By Samuel Maina
