Dans certaines régions d’Afrique de l’Ouest, les producteurs de coton ont commencé à remarquer un phénomène inquiétant : des produits qui étaient autrefois efficaces contre les ravageurs deviennent moins fiables. Cela ne se produit pas du jour au lendemain et ne se manifeste pas de la même manière partout, mais la tendance est bien réelle. La résistance augmente. Ce qui est encourageant, cependant, c’est la manière dont la région réagit.
In parts of West Africa, cotton farmers have started to notice something worrying; products that used to work well against pests are becoming less reliable. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t look the same every‐ where, but the trend is there. Resistance is building. What is encouraging, though, is how the region is responding.
Across the Africa Middle East region, an often-overlooked challenge exists in the background of food production. After pesticides are used, their empty containers do not simply disappear. In the absence of proper collection and disposal systems, they frequently end up discarded in the environment, posing serious risk to human health and ecosystem.
While countries like Zambia have made important progress including the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks, gaps in implementation remain. However, CropLife Zambia together with its partners, has made strong strides in implanting container management initiatives on the ground. Strengthening these systems further, particularly through such partnerships, offers valuable lessons for other countries seeking to build effective and sustainable container management systems.
Yesterday, our CEO, Stella SimiyuBW, had the privilege of representing CropLife Africa Middle East at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between aak-GROW/CropLife Kenya and Fahari Aviation.
This partnership represents a significant step in advancing agricultural technology in Kenya through drone applications. Building on the Sustainable Pesticide Management Framework (SPMF) – particularly its second pillar focused on fostering innovation for sustainable food systems – this initiative aims to promote precision agriculture, enhance user safety, ensure food safety, and strengthen food security.
It also reinforces the adoption of good agricultural practices that safeguard farmers’ health and protect the environment.
CropLife Africa Middle East remains committed to driving this initiative forward, helping to shape the future of sustainable farming.
CropLife Africa Middle East was honoured to work with African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat on a full day dedicated to capacity enhancement on Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), consumer safety, and MRLs role in enabling safe and predictable global trade, at the 5th AfCFTA Secretariat Subcommittee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures in Nairobi, Kenya and hosted by TradeMark Africa.
The session brought together SPS experts from Ministries of Agriculture, Health, and Trade across AfCFTA member states, alongside Regional Economic Communities and international organizations.
Discussions highlighted both the complexity of MRL-related issues and the clear need for continued regulatory capacity building, as well as the critical importance of strengthening MRL harmonization to support trade of African agricultural commodities.
At the opening of the meeting, Dr. Mmatlou Kalaba presented a CropLife AME-commissioned study by BFAP on “The State of Play of Trade of African Agricultural Commodities,” recently unveiled by CropLife AME. Key insights included:
• African agricultural exporters remain globally competitive
• Regulatory pressures in traditional markets (EU/US) are increasing
• Export concentration creates structural vulnerabilities
• Regional trade through AfCFTA and export diversification are essential
A big thank you to Dr. Mmatlou Kalaba for the excellent presentation, and to Dr. Edward Chikwana (Corteva) for co-delivering the training alongside our CEO, Stella SimiyuBW.
The importance of strong public-private partnerships was also emphasized, exemplified by the cooperation between CropLife AME and AfCFTA. CropLife AME stands ready to further collaborate on these critical topics. Many thanks to Dr. Diana Akullo Ogwal (AfCFTA) for her engagement and support.