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P A N U P S
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Pesticide Action Network
North America
Updates Service
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Africa NGOs Meet on Pesticides and Sustainable
Agriculture
January 10, 1995
In an unprecedented meeting of nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) from across Africa, representatives
from 16 African countries met in Bamako, Mali to discuss
sustainable agriculture and alternatives to pesticides.
Sixty-five people attended the October 1994 workshop
from West, Central, East and Southern Africa, as well as
Europe, Asia and the U.S., representing farmer,
environmental, community development and research
organizations. As one of the largest gatherings ever
held of African NGOs working on agriculture and
pesticides, the meeting served to greatly increase
contact between NGOs and helped to identify areas for
future collaboration.
Topics discussed at the workshop included: pesticides
used in crop protection in Sub-Saharan Africa
(especially cotton), integrated pest management (IPM),
alternatives to chemical pesticides, and the need for
African countries to have stronger pesticide policies
and legislation. In regionally focused panel discussions
(East, West, Central and Southern Africa), NGOs
exchanged information about their organizations and
current activities. Participants visited small-scale
farmers in the area as well as sustainable agriculture
initiatives undertaken with NGO assistance.
The workshop was sponsored by Environnement et
Developpement du Tiers Monde (ENDA-TM, which houses
PAN's Francophone Africa Affiliate), with local
assistance from Groupe de Recherche Action pour
Developpement (GRAD), and co-sponsored by PAN North
America.
During his presentation, Dr. Abou Thiam of ENDA stated
that pesticide use is rising rapidly in the Africa
region; five times as many pesticides are used now as
were used in the 1960s. Currently Africa imports
approximately $100 million worth of pesticides annually,
which are primarily used in the production of cotton and
other cash crops. Dr. Thiam pointed out that many
African countries do not have legislation regulating
pesticides and that farmers do not receive adequate
information on their proper use and storage, often
storing toxic chemicals in food and water containers. He
also expressed concern that as Africans continue to use
pesticides for everything from farming to fishing, the
number of predators and resistant pests will grow
rapidly.
Working groups at the workshop made specific
recommendations on key topics:
-- The working groups agreed that NGOs should support
the creation and enforcement of national pesticide
legislation, and that the UN's Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and other relevant institutions
should publish regularly updated lists of pesticides
banned or restricted in countries around the world.
-- On IPM, participants recommended that NGOs actively
support farmer-centered IPM programs and that farmers
should receive hands-on field training for at least one
cropping season.
-- The workshop emphasized the need for increased NGO
networking and communication in the region on
sustainable agriculture, using a variety of
communication methods, including electronic mail.
A reoccurring theme of the conference was the need to
develop an autonomous Pesticide Action Network Africa
Regional Center. PAN activities in Africa are
coordinated through ENDA-TM in Senegal and the
Environment Liaison Centre International in Kenya, but
without paid staff or resources. During the conference
participants discussed the priorities and direction for
this new Center, including establishing an information
and documentation center on sustainable agriculture,
networking with other NGOs, securing hardware and
training for computerization of African NGOs
participating in the network, and identifying and
assisting NGOs that could serve as subregional focal
points.
An impressive range of NGOs and other institutions
attended the workshop. In Africa, NGOs came from Benin,
Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali,
Niger, Uganda, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania,
Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Representatives also came
from government ministries in Mali, as well as national
and international technical and donor organizations in
the U.S., France and Indonesia, including FAO and U.S.
Aid for International Development.
A summary report of the workshop is available in English
from PANNA. The complete proceedings will be available
from ENDA in late January.
Contact: Dr. Abou Thiam; PAN Francophone Africa/ ENDA-
TM; BP 3370; Dakar, Senegal; phone (221) 225 565; fax
(221) 222 695; email Abou_Thiam@endadak.gn.apc.org
Anne Schonfield; PANNA
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