The Children's Environmental Health Foundation (CEHF) is sounding the alarm on the widespread use of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) among Zambia's smallholder farmers – calling it a public health and environmental crisis that demands urgent government intervention.
According to recent field data and expert testimony, over 95 percent of small-scale farmers in Zambia are applying hazardous chemicals such as those used against Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) in maize and Tuta absoluta (tomato leaf miner) in tomato crops.
These pests – already resistant to many chemical treatments – are prompting farmers to increase pesticide dosages dangerously, often without adequate training, protective gear, or understanding of the long-term consequences. Speaking during a media briefing, CEHF Executive Director, Michael Musenga, warned that this unchecked pesticide use poses a triple threat to Zambia's future.
"Our food systems, our health systems, and our ecosystems are all under siege because of unregulated pesticide use. Pregnant mothers and children in farming households are exposed daily to toxic residues in the air, water, and food. Meanwhile, the soil is being degraded, water sources polluted, and beneficial insects like bees and butterflies wiped out," Mr. Musenga said.
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