Thousands of tonnes of pesticides banned for use in the EU have been exported for use in Africa, according to a recent study by Swedish NGO Swedwatch.
Agriculture employs more than half of the continent’s population and contributes around 35% of its GDP, yet many countries lack sufficient pesticide regulation.
In Kenya, which banned 77 highly hazardous pesticides in June, annual imports of the chemicals — nearly a third of which come from the EU — more than doubled between 2015 and 2018.
As much as 34% of the active ingredients in these products were not approved in Europe. “The trade in toxic pesticides is not only unethical but economically irrational,” the report said, noting that for Kenya’s exported products, EU border controls regularly stop shipments containing excessive levels of banned pesticides.
— Paige Bruton/ Semafor
