The Route to Food Initiative (RTFI) and partners have today commended the government for its landmark decision to ban over 50 pesticides classified as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHP) from the market.
In a joint press briefing, the partners said that if effectively implemented, the commitment marks a decisive step towards safeguarding human health and biodiversity and Kenya's ecological integrity, aligning with global best practices, as stipulated by the FAO/WHO, a crucial step towards a safer, more sustainable food system. "We are urging for the full implementation, stronger regulatory oversight, and farmer-centered alternatives for a toxic-free food system," they said.
The civil society has also applauded the enactment of the Business Laws Amendment Act, 2024, that introduces a provision addressing the issue of double standards in chemical regulation, whereby hazardous substances banned or severely restricted in exporting countries have continued to be imported and used in Kenya.
The Act provides a robust legislative foundation to support and enforce the announced ban of 50 pesticide products. "For years, civil society, researchers, farmers' organizations, and public health have been advocating for the phase-out of the HHPS, and we are hopeful that the list of 50 pesticide products targeted by the ban will be made public and will include the highly hazardous and widely used active ingredients long identified as a priority for regulatory action," they said in the read statement.
