Poverty Brief

OBSOLETE PESTICIDE STOCKS AS AN ISSUE OF POVERTY

Across the African continent, as much as 50,000 tons of obsolete stockpiles of pesticides are threatening the environment by potentially contaminating soil, water, air, and food sources. These hazardous chemicals are a threat to the entire continent and beyond, but those living in poverty often suffer a disproportionate burden. In poor communities these often under-reported dangers are compounded by a range of factors such as unsafe water supplies and working conditions, malnourishment, illiteracy, and lack of political empowerment. Today, the majority of poor people lives and works in rural areas. In sub-Saharan Africa the average poverty rate is well over 50 percent. These poor people who are mostly engaged in subsistence and only marginally in market agriculture, depend even more on a healthy environment than their urban counterparts. If exposed to obsolete pesticides this may lead to a decrease in their work productivity and to rising health costs. In order to achieve the United Nation Millennium Development Goals of eradicating hunger and poverty through sustainable development, the significant question will be how to balance the need for fighting crop and livestock pests and the use of toxic substances.

Contaminated by poverty and poison

Obsolete pesticide stocks in Africa are often located near places where people live and gain their livelihoods. The poor have little say regarding the location of the stockpiles and are not informed of the dangers. Illiteracy – which reaches almost 50 percent in sub-Saharan Africa (greater in rural areas) – hinders people’s ability to learn about the hazards of these pesticides and other chemicals to which they are exposed. Children often face heightened exposures by playing in polluted areas, as they put contaminated items into their mouths which may lead to very high toxic levels as their food- body weight relation is higher than for adults. This renders children an extremely vulnerable group of society who often suffers the most from contaminated water, soil and food. Another characteristic of poverty is the lack of empowerment to participate in political processes and to influence public action. In some rural African communities pesticide waste dumps are left to fester and pollute for years or even decades beyond what would be tolerated in an industrialized community. The health and environmental effects, i.e. the external costs of pesticide use are often considered of low priority in these poorer areas. New research has shown that many of these chemicals, particularly persistent organic pollutants (POPs), affect people already at very low doses. The chronic illnesses, reproductive problems, and birth defects that may result from such exposure create high long-term risks for communities, individuals, livestock and wildlife. Other pesticides are acutely toxic and pose an immediate threat of injury or illness. Adverse environmental impacts include erosion of biodiversity, reduced populations of pollinators and natural enemies of pest organisms, and sublethal or lethal impacts on fish, birds, and other wildlife. Many of these environmental goods such as bees, bush-meat and fish, are critical for the food security of poor communities.

Threats of obsolete pesticides

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines obsolete pesticides as all pesticide products not in current use because they have been banned, have deteriorated or are damaged, have passed their expiration date, cannot be used for any other reason, or are not wanted by the current owner. Some pesticides that are in use despite their legal or physical status are still considered obsolete. The stockpiles are generally unmanaged, stored in the open air, or held in broken or disintegrated containers lacking proper labeling. Spills, leaks, and dust contaminate surface waters, groundwater, and the atmosphere. Some pesticide stocks are located in open village pits where, within a few meters, children play, livestock graze, women prepare food, and people work. Water may be drawn from areas where these pesticides have leached. Because many of the stockpiled pesticides are POPs, the hazards are long-lasting and far-reaching. The results of stock inventories are not static or complete; new stocks are often and regularly discovered, and new stocks are being created.

Problematic policies

Regulators are sometimes unaware of the extent of pesticide use in rural Africa. In the absence of information on pesticide distribution and application, many focus their attention on large, commercial farms. However research indicates that smallholder usage of these products is also increasing. Many policy makers believe that pesticides are crucial for agricultural development and should be part of a package of ‘modernizing’ agriculture. Extension officers pass this message on to farmers who think that they ought to use pesticides, but lack essential information, training, and safeguards. National poverty reduction strategies thus often promote an agricultural growth strategy including use of pesticides that is not always appropriate for the farming conditions in the country. If the strategy includes the use of toxic chemicals it should also deal with the potential hazards that these substances may pose, and suggest precautionary methods for their reduction and mitigation. Poverty and lack of proper delivery systems often lead farmers to buy cheap pesticides through informal supply channels, which source their products illicitly and sometimes include expired and obsolete pesticides. These pressures also contribute to illegal trade in stolen stocks, drums, and canisters which are stored sometimes in direct vicinity to food items. In addition, the intense public health needs in rural Africa lead people to look for any means of potential control, not only for insect pests and rodents, but also for head and body lice, and substances to heal cuts and abrasions. Easy access to obsolete pesticides and the widespread use of the term ’medicine’ for pesticides encourage these uses. The poor are affected directly by exposure to obsolete pesticides, but also indirectly when policies fail to recognize and promote environmental goods and services. A healthy and functioning environment and clean production processes have important implications for both subsistence and commercial production. They offer a potential for creating export opportunities and improving the value and marketability of agricultural crops. These factors in Turn may lead to better health, greater revenues and increased employment opportunities.

Communicating with poor communities

Many of the stockpiles contain POPs which are contaminating the regional as well as the global environment. Multilateral environmental agreements on POPs, pesticides, and biodiversity aim to protect the global commons, but in order to gain sustainable results their implementation will need a stronger prioritization of the interests and needs of the poor. Illiteracy is an impediment to information dissemination, but there are a variety of ways of informing people. The multi-stakeholder Africa Stockpiles Programme, in conjunction with the on-going work by local and international NGOs and aid agencies, can promote country-specific, community-based actions. These strategies can encourage a wider consciousness of pesticide hazards, particularly if information can be disseminated by radio, and in health centers, schools and other meeting places. NGO activities play a role here as well as the efforts of agricultural extension services. It is especially important to reach female audiences which are often more sensible to environmental hazards. Not only are women often highly exposed themselves, but they also bear the major responsibility for protecting the children.

Prevention is as important as disposal

Poor pesticide management and hazardous practices are common due to a lack of capacity at the national level, poverty, and untrained and uninformed dealers, farmers and farm workers. This lack of information and capacity means that prevention is as important as disposal. The Africa Stockpiles Programme, besides supporting the implementation of the disposal of obsolete pesticides, includes efforts to help stop the accumulation of future stocks, e.g. by promoting the ban of particularly harmful pesticides and improving the regulatory and enforcement infrastructure of partner countries. Strategies that increase farmers’ capacity to farm sustainably and productively, sound integrated pest management or organic practices, and use of local renewable resources, can greatly enhance human and environmental health, as well as private profits. These approaches promoted by the ASP will contribute to more sustainable livelihoods and better food security. Improved environmental management reduces the vulnerability of the poor, enhances the quality of life, and enables many rural families to find a way out of poverty.

Last version: December 2006