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THREAD on statements about pesticide use in Kenya. Lets get into some of the questions/statements about the use of pesticides here shall we?
1. "Anything can be harmful if not used correctly": Think about it in terms of sale of medicine. The stronger the medicine the tighter the regulation. In agro-vets sale and use of pesticides isn't well regulated #ToxicBusiness @routetofood
@KabugiMbae saw this while in the field filming the documentary #Bitterharvest (with the support of @Greenpeaceafric ). The copied here link takes you right to the scene where a farmer acknowledges the potential danger of unsafe use of pesticides:
2. "We can't produce food without pesticides. The petition will cause a food security crisis". The petition in Parliament by @GladysShollei calls for the withdrawal of certain harmful ACTIVE INGREDIENTS in pesticides, look for less harmful alternatives....
and weigh use of certain active ingredients against our own local context
3. "Which pesticides should be withdrawn/ what are the product names?" This is difficult to answer because one active ingredient can be used by different companies in different products e.g. glyphosate (active ingredient in RoundUp) is registered in 39 products by 22 companies
So its not a great idea to list product names. Would be more useful to look for active ingredients themselves. Check out page 9 of this report by @routetofood : http://routetofood.org/toxicbusiness
4. "What are the alternatives to farming with pesticides?"
Farming without them
Agro-ecological practices (Here's a link to explain what agro-ecology is: http://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/415959/) and integrated pest management can still produce enough food
Farming without them
Agro-ecological practices (Here's a link to explain what agro-ecology is: http://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/415959/) and integrated pest management can still produce enough food
This will take time. Transitioning from conventional farming to methods that protect the environment and prioritize health won't happen overnight, but it is possible! First step: educate yourself. Step 2: Ask your MP to support the petition! @nixon_korir tuko pamoja? Asanteni!
