About the Programme

In 2000 the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) and WWF proposed an initiative to address to the accumulation of obsolete pesticide stockpiles across the African continent, at the same time negotiations for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) were coming to a close. African countries were requesting assistance with their POPs pesticides, recognizing they pose serious threats to the health of both rural and urban populations, especially the poorest of the poor, and contribute to land and water degradation.

To undertake this initiative a multi-stakeholder partnership was established bringing together skills and expertise of multi-national organizations, international non-governmental organizations, governments and industry. The scope of the ASP is 10-15 years, implemented over a series of projects, at an estimated total clean-up and prevention cost of US$250 million. Project 1 consists of 7 countries: Ethiopia, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Tunisia. Planning and preparatory activities for 8 priority countries to participate in Project 2 are underway.