Eritrea Forges Ahead on Pesticide Management

Eritrea has successfully implemented a project to identify significant quantities of banned, obsolete and unwanted pesticides that are scattered over every administrative region (Zoba) of the country.

Snapshots of Progress in Eritrea

Phase One inventory project completed
Quantities of obsolete pesticide stockpiles have been accurately determined
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) initiative to strengthen farmer pest and pesticide management capacity begun
Government of Eritrea seeks FAO’s assistance for two projects (IPM for citrus and emergency safeguarding of critical stores).

Building on past initiatives, the project’s first phase marked the completion of a national inventory of stockpiles and an environmental and social assessment of obsolete pesticides in accordance with operating standards set by FAO for the Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP). A second phase project will be launched to conduct environmentally-sound disposal of identified pesticide stockpiles.

In addition to completion of the pesticide inventory with zero accidents or health impacts, the project’s significant results include an inventory of 305 stores holding an estimated 500 tons obsolete pesticide stock, 1,400 square meters of contaminated soil, about 5,000 contaminated sprayers of various sizes, and 12,000 empty but contaminated containers. In addition, the project helped to modernize Eritrea’s pesticides regulatory framework and an action plan to prevent future accumulation of obsolete pesticide stocks has been prepared.

The project was jointly implemented by the Eritrea Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Land and Water and the Environment, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The project cost was $ 662,800 and was funded jointly by the Governments of Japan and Netherlands.

Notably, the environmental and social assessment identified 10 critical sites that pose an extreme threat to public health and the environment. These sites are dilapidated stores contain leaking pesticides that are

A dilapidated store at Elabered State Farm clearly shows leaking obsolete pesticides and contaminated sprayers. Photo credit [Richard Thompson, Consultant, FAO]

located close to human habitation or water supplies. The Eritrean Government has requested FAO’s assistance to safeguard these sites on an emergency basis, and a technical cooperation project is being prepared. Funding is also being sought for the safeguarding and disposal of all the remaining obsolete pesticides as part of a phase II project, and discussions are underway with a number of donors.

The main activity is the implementation of an IPM initiative aimed at pest and pesticide problems in citrus groves. The initiative involves introduction of biological control and environmentally-sound methods for pesticide use and management. The IPM initiative will be farmer-centric and is aimed at building farmer capacity. The project’s outputs will result in the reduction in the use of harmful pesticides, together with increased citrus production and supply of healthy but cheaper fruits for the consumers.

Searching for Obsolete Pesticides on Farms and in Communities: CropLife International Launches a Safeguarding Initiative

Across Africa, stockpiles of obsolete pesticides pose a serious threat to people, food quality and the environment.

Now, thanks to an initiative by CropLife International, an innovative program of ‘safeguarding projects’ is being established in a number of African countries which have not yet joined the Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP). In Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, local knowledge is providing the key for locating old and unknown stocks of obsolete pesticides so they can be mapped and safeguarded prior to safe disposal.

“We learned many years ago that local knowledge is the critical factor in locating stocks of old and obsolete pesticides in Africa,” says Chris Waller who is leading CropLife International’s participation in the ASP. “The key to success is partnering with the knowledgeable national authorities and then reaching out to a broad range of stakeholders but especially to the owners of the stocks.”

Frequently, knowledge about the precise location of pesticides lies with farmers and community-based groups in rural areas or with municipal staff in bustling urban towns, where obsolete pesticides are often stored in close proximity to people.

Awareness of the dangers posed by obsolete pesticides is uneven and can be politically sensitive in African countries lacking the means to address the issue. In Kenya, for example, obsolete crop protection chemicals have accumulated in some government warehouses, while previously unrecorded obsolete stocks have been identified on some commercial farms.

Unwanted and obsolete pesticides may pose risks to local environments and communities. If such stocks are not stored correctly, the original product packaging can deteriorate, leading to leakages and possible contamination of soil and sources of water. Sometimes, unwanted stocks that are not securely protected may find their way into unauthorized hands and for illegal uses, endangering food quality.

The safeguarding projects include a combination of awareness campaigns and targeted outreach to farming communities, municipalities and large scale growers. Potentially high-risk storage sites will be mapped and prioritized. In a second step, the projects will aim to repack and transfer all highly hazardous stocks to safe and secure storage sites, significantly reducing their potential to cause harm.

Going forward, the plan is for all safeguarded stocks to be destroyed through the Africa Stockpiles Programme. CropLife believes that the information gained in safeguarding projects will greatly assist in forward planning of new ASP country projects, contributing to an acceleration of the overall ASP, and to risk-reduction across more African countries in a shorter time. For more information, visit www.croplife.org or send an email to obstocks@croplife.org