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Experts differ on barring herbicide from market on cancer fears

ratemo

Prof Ratemo Michieka, Secretary, Kenya National Academy of Science. FILE PHOTO | NMG

An umbrella body of local scientist has opposed calls for banning of glyphosate, Kenya’s popular herbicide, from the market despite fears that it causes cancer.

Kenya National Academy of Science (KNAS) says so far there has been no tangible evidence to condemn the herbicide for causing cancer.

KNAS secretary Ratemo Michieka says research done by European Union and other world bodies have not linked the chemical to cancer.

“We still need to do a lot of research before reaching the point of banning this Glyphosate from the market. As it stands now, there is no need for stopping the use of this technology,” said Prof Michieka.

This comes at a time activists have stepped up campaigns for the ban of the herbicide, claiming it has adverse effects on human beings.

Kenya recently hosted an international conference that advocated for significant reduction of use of pesticides. It was led by the World Food Preservation Centre, Biovision Africa (BvAT) Trust and IFOAM Organic International.

“An estimated 3.5 billion kilogrammes of pesticides is applied to crops each year, and that number is steadily increasing as developing nations are steadily transitioning over to chemical-based agriculture,” says David Amudavi, executive director of BvAT.

The use of chemical, fertilisers and pesticides, argues Dr Amudavi, has been linked to a number of environmental and health problems.

The UN says 90 percent of synthetic pesticide fatalities come from developing countries and estimated costs in sub-Saharan Africa exceed annual overseas development aid given for basic health services.

However, Prof Michieka says careful users will not have a negative effect.