Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Mutahi Kagwe, has called for international action to eliminate hazardous agricultural chemicals, urging that substances deemed unsafe in some countries should not be allowed in markets with weaker regulations.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) General Assembly in Nairobi, Kagwe emphasized that farmers in developing countries are often exposed to chemicals restricted or banned elsewhere due to health and environmental concerns.
Kagwe said the world cannot continue operating under a double standard when it comes to agricultural chemicals.
“If a pesticide is considered unsafe in one country because it poses unacceptable risks to human health or the environment, it should not find a market elsewhere simply because farmers are poorer or regulations are weaker,”
Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe
He stressed that the lives and health of farmers in developing countries should be valued equally to those in developed nations. “The life of an African farmer is not worth less than the life of a farmer in other parts of the world. The health of consumers in developing countries matters just as much as the health of consumers anywhere else,” Kagwe added.
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The CS highlighted the threat posed by unsafe chemicals and counterfeit farm inputs, which undermine food safety, public health, environmental sustainability, and access to international markets. He called for stronger cooperation among governments, regulators, manufacturers, traders, and farmers to tackle illegal trafficking, counterfeiting, and misuse of agricultural inputs.
“Unsafe chemicals entering our markets through informal channels undermine public confidence, threaten export markets, and expose farming communities to unnecessary risks,” he said.
Kagwe also emphasized that protecting farmers goes beyond improving productivity and market access. “Food safety begins at the farm. Consumer confidence begins at the farm. Public health begins at the farm. Therefore, protecting farmers must begin with protecting their health,” he said.
The CS further urged the international community to place farmers at the centre of agricultural policy discussions, noting that debates on food security, climate adaptation, financing, and productivity often overlook the welfare of farmers.
By Obegi Malack
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