Only 15 percent of farmers in Kenya store pesticides in a safe place away from children, the latest report by Heinrich-Boll-Stiftung shows.
This is amid concerns that some of the insecticides and pesticides used in the country have already been banned in Europe due to their high levels of human or environmental toxicity.
This is contained in a report ‘Toxic business: Highly hazardous pesticides in Kenya’ released on Wednesday.
Similarly, the report raises concern that only one in six farmers in the country wear full protective gear when applying pesticides.
The report says that even if some insecticides have low application volumes, it is crucial to regulate and withdraw them due to their demonstrated high risk both to humans and the environment.
“To achieve sustainable agriculture and uphold the right to healthy food and a healthy environment, it is crucial to gradually eliminate the use of products containing harmful ingredients that jeopardize human health and the environment,” the report says.
According to the report, 34 percent of the pesticides registered by the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) in Kenya are withdrawn from the European market or are heavily restricted due to potential chronic health effects, environmental persistence, and high toxicity towards fish or bees.
The purpose of the study was to provide critical evidence to legislators and the wider public about pesticide use and its potential risk in Kenya.
The data analysis process was done in phases with the first phase identifying all products and their active ingredients used in agricultural crop production within Kenya.
Data on applied volume, area of land (ha) and value were analysed according to each active ingredient and product.
