A new report by Swedish NGO Swedwatch reveals that European companies are exporting thousands of metric tons of pesticides banned within the EU to African markets. The findings highlight a major regulatory gap in Africa’s agriculture sector, which remains a cornerstone of its economies but often lacks strong chemical safety oversight. Kenya illustrates the scale of the issue: its imports of these chemicals—with nearly a third coming from the EU—more than doubled between 2015 and 2018. In June, Nairobi banned 77 of these highly hazardous pesticides. With 34% of active ingredients unapproved in Europe, the report argues that the practice is both unethical and economically self-defeating, especially as EU border checks frequently reject contaminated Kenyan exports.
SEMAFOR
