Monitoring and reducing pesticide use in farming in Zambia

Pesticides are chemical or biological products that are intended to prevent organisms from causing damage to human health or property. These harmful organisms can be animals (e.g. insects or rodents), plants (weeds) or micro-organisms (moulds, bacteria or viruses) that can cause harm, e.g. by destroying crops and property, or by spreading and causing disease. The use of plant protection products has positive effects on the harvest of agricultural crops, although it can also result in environmental contamination. Consideration of how best to authorise and use pesticides is therefore a topic of large importance.

The aim of ZEMA’s visit to SLU was to discuss and learn more about how to phase out hazardous pesticides in Zambian agriculture. At the meeting, Paul Egan (SLU Global and Department of Plant Protection Biology) talked about approaches to reduce pesticide use in farming, including integrated pest management (IPM), agroecology and biological control. Bodil Lindström (SLU Centre for Pesticides in the Environment) presented SLU’s environmental monitoring of chemical pesticides. Sara Gräslund (SLU Global) showcased SLU’s work for global development to contribute to Agenda 2030.

- ZEMA and KEMI’s visit provided an excellent opportunity to highlight SLU’s on-going contributions to smallholder plant health in sub-Saharan Africa. ZEMA’s particular interest in legislation led to stimulating discussion, especially on the regulation of biopesticides such as botanical insecticides, biological control agents, and plant defence inducers, says Paul Egan, SLU.

- It is commendable how the Zambian government plans to prioritise alternatives to chemical pesticides, for instance through fast tracking the authorisation of more sustainable substances such as these, Paul continues.