Europe and Africa may take different stances on pesticides EU regulators have deemed harmful

Profenofos and cypermethrin, the active ingredients in the pesticide which [Ugandan farmer Faustine] Mugalula applies, have been banned within the EU since 2020. The European Food Safety Authority has said they can cause thyroid cancer. But the chemicals are still allowed to be exported. Europe’s leading chemical companies, especially Bayer and BASF in Germany, are market leaders in the worldwide production of crop protection products.

German Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir intends to stop the export of harmful chemical active ingredients. According to his ministry, a bill is being drafted and may be available in the first half of 2023. However, the ministry has said the active ingredients that will be included are still being clarified.

An export ban is long overdue, according to an open letter sent to Ozdemir by 274 human rights organizations from 54 countries in the Global South in November.

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[Uganda Crop Care director Sharad Kumar] Singh doesn’t think an export ban makes sense. “Like many African countries, Uganda also has a problem with food security,” Singh said, warning of a supply gap as countries around the continent lack alternatives.

“Uganda, yes, all of Africa is still suffering from hunger,” he told DW. “You have to satisfy hunger first, then you can come up with new regulations.”

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