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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

Pesticides: Silent killers or a necessary evil?

Smart Harvest

By Patrick Kariuki | Sep 07, 2019

**Pest Control Products Board CEO Peter Opiyo at his laboratory.**

1. A study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the JKUAT-based Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre found that soils from Kapsabet, Nyeri and Voi towns contain high levels of contamination with cancer-causing DDT and the pesticide Lindane. The researchers say the DDT contamination in the three towns was from recent chemical applications and, yet, DDT and Lindane are banned. What’s your take on this?

That study was full of inaccuracies which I found to be alarming. DDT has not been available in Kenya since 1986. Around 2010 there was donor pressure to use DDT to fight malaria in Western Kenya. However, the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) did not issue an import permit. Therefore, it was impossible for DDT or Lindane to find its way into Kenya legally. The study is therefore not factual. It is impossible for DDT to be present in the soils as a result of recent pesticide use. However, you must note that DDT was originally banned because it takes forever to break down. It is known to last in soils or animals for a very long time. This is the reason DDT remains present in Kenyan soils. Not from recent applications but past use.

2. Pesticide abuse and misuse is common in Kenya, what exactly is PCPB’s mandate in light of this?

The PCPB was created by the Control Products Act Cap 346 to regulate the pesticide industry. Pesticides are intentionally designed to be toxic because they work by harming or killing pests. This makes them useful but dangerous, the way fire or a knife is useful but also dangerous. Pesticides are essentially poisons. To protect human health and the environment, we conduct risk assessments of all pesticides. If the risks outweigh the benefits, we prohibit their use. If the benefits outweigh the risks, we license them to be used under directions placed on the label.

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3. What resources do you have to undertake this responsibility?

We are funded by the Government of Kenya. We also collect fees from licensing the products in the market to the tune of about Sh80 million annually. We have five regional offices around the country. We have a team of inspectors, registration officers, compliance and enforcement officers and various support officers as well.

4. There have been reports of high residual levels of pesticides in fruits and vegetables and in soils. What is the board doing about this?

I cannot comment on reports that I have not seen. However, we are aware of heightened public concerns about food safety. We have just concluded a study in Kirinyaga, Nyandarua and Nyeri. In addition, we are expanding our capacity by building a laboratory whose purpose is to address this very matter. Hundreds of tomatoes and sukuma wiki were sampled in the study. This report will be out in October and will be shared with the public and represent the official findings of the PCPB on the subject.

5. Why is Roundup still available in Kenya despite its link to cancer?

Round-up is a glyphosate-based product. It has been reported that a court in the US ordered Monsanto to pay damages to a California man whose cancer it determined was caused partly by the use of Round-Up for 26 years. Monsanto was held liable because it reportedly failed to include a label warning of the product’s risk of causing cancer.

Today, many products use glyphosate as an active ingredient. Indeed, it is the most widely used in the world. In Australia, 500 products containing glyphosate are registered for use. In Kenya, there are over 70 products registered containing glyphosate out of 1,540 products registered. Glyphosate is currently allowed for use in the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and many other countries. About 2.6 million Kgs of glyphosate are imported into Kenya annually. Under normal use of glyphosate, there are no reported adverse effects or cases of poisoning or cancer in humans.

In 2016, a joint Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Health Organisation meeting on pesticide residues concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans from exposure through the diet. In 2017, the European Union allowed the renewal of registration of glyphosate after an extensive review of scientific data. PCPB will continue to monitor any new scientific data on the same for decision making.

As a general rule, appropriate protective clothing should be used by workers who are handling, mixing or applying pesticides. No undue exposure to glyphosate is expected under these circumstances. PCPB and the agrochemical industry have introduced the concept of Spray Service Providers. Under this initiative, a group of well-trained service providers will be offering spray services to the farmers. The government should support the initiative to enhance professional application of pesticides.

6. There have been concerns about fake pesticides in the market, what’s PCPB doing about this?

We conduct a lot of training and awareness campaigns to stakeholders through participation in farmer field days, exhibitions and shows and training of stockists. Due to advancements in technology, it has become very difficult to detect fake pesticides. Even the original manufacturers find it difficult. So what we do is advise all distributors and stockists to buy only from known sources that they can fall back on. If a product is sold to you at a fraction of the market price, ask why? If a product is sold to you without documentation but on cash basis, ask why?

7. What role is PCPB playing to reduce the presence of chemicals in our food chain and encourage nonchemical or organic pest control methods?

We highly recommend that everyone does integrated pest management through good agricultural practices. Kenya was one of the first countries in Africa to develop guidelines for biopesticides. In the next few weeks, we will publish a comprehensive write up on these guidelines to better guide all stakeholders in the use of cultural or organic methods to control pests, which we highly encourage.

Biopesticides are highly specific and have imperfections or limitations in control. Where these limitations are exposed, chemical interventions are introduced. Therefore, for biocontrols to work, early detection of pests is critical through regular scouting. If one is late in detection, then the usefulness of the bio pesticides is highly limited. Chemicals will, therefore, be needed.

We have registered and continue to register various biopesticides for use. However, please note that simply because a product is natural doesn’t mean it cannot be toxic. Nicotine is natural but highly toxic. Datura is a seed that is used to make poisoned arrows. Cassava is a known killer. This is why it is necessary to register biocontrol products, just like the chemical products, and follow stipulated guidelines for use.