Data and Facts | Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) in Kenya
The pesticide market in Kenya has experienced significant growth, leading to concerns about the harmful effects of registered pesticides on human health and the environment. Pesticide residues exceeding limits have been found in Kenyan food and limited progress in implementing stricter regulations and phasing out toxic pesticides has raised concerns about food safety and environmental impact.
Given the increasing use of pesticides, there is a need for a more robust regulatory mechanism to handle the growing number of products with highly hazardous active ingredients entering the country. Official data on national pesticide use is not publicly available, hindering informed decisions by the different players in the value chain.
Against this background, the Route to Food Initiative (RTFI) , a programme of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Kenya, would like to present a report “Toxic Business | Highly Hazardous Pesticides Kenya”. The report is based on data obtained from a private market research company GfK Kynetec Ltd (“Kynetec”), for the year 2020. The report sheds light on the prevalence of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) in Kenya, exposing the extent of their usage across the whole country and the potential risks they pose.
The analysis confirms, that pesticide use in Kenya is extensive: 310 different products containing 151 active ingredients have been used across 26 different crops in 2020, with a significant reliance on HHPs for pest, disease and weed control. The total amount of pesticide products applied is 3,068 tonnes, of which 76% belong to highly hazardous pesticides and of which 44% are already banned in Europe due to their unacceptable risks on human health and the environment.
Download the report here.
Watch a short 3-part documentary called “The Food Challenge” to learn more about pesticide use in Kenya, and alternative solutions.
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