CEFROHT calls for stronger regional action on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs).

Speaking to regional stakeholders, CEFROHT’s Executive Director, Dr. David Kabanda, delivered a clear and compelling message: the EAC must urgently strengthen its regional laws and policies on highly hazardous pesticide use to protect both people and environment health.

Dr. Kabanda noted that East Africa has reached a critical turning point. The mounting scientific evidence linking highly hazardous agrochemicals to environmental degradation, soil depletion, biodiversity loss, and serious public health risks can no longer be ignored. Communities across the region are paying the price through contaminated food, declining soil fertility, and rising health vulnerabilities, especially among smallholder farmers who often handle these chemicals without adequate protection.

He further emphasized that the EAC now has an unprecedented opportunity to pivot toward safer, sustainable, and science-backed alternatives. These include biopesticides, biofertilizers, and agroecological farming practices that protect ecosystems, enhance soil health, and enable farmers to produce clean, nutritious food without dependence on toxic inputs.

By harmonizing pesticide regulations across partner states, strengthening enforcement, and prioritizing ecological solutions, the EAC can safeguard consumer health, empower smallholder farmers, restore degraded ecosystems, support resilient food systems, and promote a vibrant regional market for safe and environmentally friendly agroecological products

Dr. Kabanda’s message reflects CEFROHT’s broader commitment to ensuring that East Africa’s food systems are rooted in justice, public health, environmental stewardship, and community resilience. Through continuous regional engagement and advocacy, CEFROHT is helping to shape national and regional policies that protect the most vulnerable while championing agroecology as the pathway to a sustainable future.