Gladys Shollei: Why is Kenya approving pesticides banned in Europe and the US?

Exhibitors with various ecological products at the 2nd Eastern Africa Agroecology Conference in Nairobi [Nanjinia Wamuswa, Standard] Deputy Speaker of the Kenya National Assembly, Gladys Boss Shollei, has criticised the Pests Control Products Board (PCPB) of Kenya for failing to remove harmful pesticides from the market. Since 2019, Gladys, who is also the Woman Representative for Uasin Gishu, has been pushing for the withdrawal of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) from the Kenyan market. Reflecting on her ongoing battle to eliminate harmful chemicals, Gladys acknowledged various organisations that have supported her cause, including the Heinrich Boll Foundation, Roots to Food, and the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN). As an advocate against Highly Hazardous Pesticides, Gladys, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament, recognises that she could not have succeeded without their support. These organisations, along with individuals and scientists, testified before the Parliamentary Committee. "As a result, we managed to remove eight harmful pesticides from the market out of 267. But there is still a lot of work to be done. The PCPB has a long way to go," she said, emphasising that the board has failed in its responsibility to protect Kenyans. She was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2nd Eastern Africa Agroecology Conference in Nairobi, themed 'Strengthening Agri-Food System Transformation for Resilience, Sustainability, and Socioeconomic Development.' The conference aimed to explore the practical, scientific, and policy dimensions of agroecology as a driver of transformation in agri-food systems. The event, organised by Biovision Africa Trust, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and other partners, leveraged the African Union's Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) initiative, which promotes sustainable organic farming to improve food security, agricultural productivity, and livelihoods across Africa while safeguarding the environment. Gladys recounted her efforts to push for change, including petitioning for the removal of dangerous pesticides, many of which are banned in Europe and North America but are still sold in Kenya. "Pesticides manufactured in Europe and North America are banned there, yet they are produced solely for export to countries where weak regulations allow them. But some countries are foolish enough to accept these pesticides-and Kenya is one of them," she said. As a leader, she expressed disappointment and vowed to hold her own government accountable. She accused the PCPB of failing in its mandate to regulate pesticide use. "They are sitting in office, funded by our taxes. It is public knowledge that I petitioned for the removal of the entire board from office. And I shall continue to campaign for their removal until they are out," she vowed. Gladys explained that she visited the board's office and informed them that removing harmful pesticides from the approved list would take just five minutes on their computer, but they failed to act. "They didn't do it. I told them, maybe it's because no one in your family has had cancer, or maybe you've never had cancer yourselves-that's why you continue to be reckless and endanger the lives of Kenyans." Instead, she said, the board responded that it needed more research and funding. However, she pointed out that extensive research has already been done by many organisations, with reports, awareness campaigns, and documentation proving the negative effects of these chemicals. "That is why these pesticides are banned in Europe and North America," she said. Gladys recalled that last year, she summoned the Minister for Agriculture to Parliament to answer why harmful pesticides were still on the Kenyan market. "We know about one of the biggest court cases ever, where farmers were awarded $250 million in damages after being diagnosed with cancer from using Roundup. What more evidence do we need? The board should ask themselves: why are these products still on our market?" she said. She warned: "You're just reckless. You're endangering the lives of Kenyans and abusing your office. And believe me, I'm coming after you." Stating that no further research was necessary, Gladys compared the issue to other health-related cases, saying: "When cough syrups were found to be harmful to children, paediatricians in Kenya didn't ask for further research. They reviewed peer-reviewed medical journals and stopped prescribing them." Similarly, when certain hormonal therapies were found to cause ovarian and breast cancer in women, gynaecologists didn't wait for further research. They simply stopped prescribing them, and those medications were pulled from the shelves. Dr David Amudavi, Executive Director of Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT), praised the success of the conference, saying that what was originally intended as an East African event had evolved into a global gathering, attracting representatives from 42 countries and around 900 participants. He highlighted the significant growth of the organic sector and its crucial role in promoting agroecological practices. Approximately 63,000 farmers in Kenya are now certified organic producers, with around 173,000 hectares of land converted to organic farming. This places Kenya among the top six African countries-out of ten-that have expanded their organic agriculture acreage. Across Africa, about 3.4 million hectares of land are dedicated to organic farming, representing 2.8% of global organic agriculture. "If we support farmers involved in agroecology, they will not only increase production but also boost their incomes by connecting with local markets, as demand for healthy food options continues to rise," Dr Amudavi said. Benjamin Tito, Director of the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), posed a thought-provoking question to the attendees: "Would you eat food if you knew it contained poison?" He lamented that people prioritise farming for export markets over local food safety. "When we cultivate for European and American markets, or for the Far East, we strictly adhere to their prescribed standards. But who cares about the contaminated products that we eat locally?" Tito asked. He challenged consumers to demand safe food and highlighted alarming practices, such as cabbages being grown near sewer lines and strong pesticides being sprayed in the morning-only for the produce to be sold in markets by the afternoon. Tito recalled that a year ago, African nations were alarmed by the EU Green Deal, which directly impacts their agricultural exports, including coffee, tea, horticulture, and nuts. "Today, every government is working to implement measures that will secure a place in the EU market," he said. Tito emphasised the need for coordinated efforts from all agencies and stakeholders to effectively address challenges in the food sector.

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