Agency warns on danger of misinformation on pesticide use

[Antony Gitonga, Standard]

The Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) has clarified the misinformation surrounding pesticide use and its effects on the country's export market.

PCPB Chief Executive Fredrick Muchiri on Tuesday highlighted the importance of factual information on the local food safety standards during an editors' round-table discussion in Nairobi.

"In recent times, there has been a lot of misleading information about pesticide use in Kenya. This misinformation is affecting our reputation as a net exporter of fresh produce, especially in markets like the European Union, where it has increased scrutiny of our exports. Unfortunately, the information being used to justify these measures is not based on facts," said Mr Muchiri.

His remarks come amid growing concerns about the impact of the use of Roundup in farming on humans and the environment.

In recent controversies, there have been claims that glyphosate, an active ingredient in Roundup, causes cancer because of its carcinogenicity.

However, Mr Muchiri said, PCPB has reapproved the product for use in the local market after a rigorous review of scientific data and evidence.

In November 2023, the European Union (EU) Commission reapproved glyphosate for 10 years following numerous assessments by its health and safety agencies.

Locally, this begs the question about the procedure for regulating such pesticides. Mr Muchiri explained that the regulation is done by PCPB in collaboration with other agencies such as the Environment Protection Agency in the United States and the European Food Safety Authority. The agencies then set maximum residue limits, evaluate safety, and establish guidelines for safe use.

He lauded the capacity of Kenya's pesticide regulation system, explaining that there has been a misunderstanding about the product ban process.

"Kenya leads the East African Community (EAC) in pesticide risk assessment, and neighbouring countries often visit to learn from Kenya's methods.