Pesticides play a significant role in boosting agricultural production, but also come with grave dangers. They protect yields and may help increase the number of times each year that a crop can be grown on the same piece of land. This is particularly important in alleviating food shortages.
Farmers are increasingly using fertilisers, other chemicals and pesticides to enhance harvests, but toxic substances find their way into food, undermining public health.
A performance audit of pesticide regulation tabled in Parliament has raised the alarm over millions of Kenyans exposed to hazardous, unregulated and banned pesticides due to the failure to enforce safety standards.
Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has blamed failures by the Pest Control Products Board for the increasing danger. The use of highly hazardous pesticides poses a direct threat to public health, food safety, and the environment.
Interestingly, a significant portion of the chemicals being used are banned in Europe and other regions. They have been linked to rising rates of cancers, kidney diseases, and reproductive health issues among smallholder farmers.
The pesticides poison water, kill helpful bees and birds, and endanger lives. Using them safely is always a challenge. Rain also washes chemicals into rivers, endangering the users downstream.
One of the key concerns is the sale of non-compliant pest control products despite increased inspections.
Researchers and farmers’ organisations are raising awareness on the need to reduce or eliminate the use of toxic pesticides.