Restricting pesticides on a traditional crop: the example of khat (Catha edulis) and the Njuri Ncheke of Meru, Kenya

Abstract

Rampant increase and diversification of synthetic pesticides poses health, environmental, and livelihood risks especially to smallholder farmers who dominate agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Legal mechanisms for regulating pesticides, although important, have not fully addressed the dangers of ecological services disruptions due to accumulation of different pesticides over time. Legal mechanisms also are not well suited to developing countries because of weak monitoring and enforcement capacity. Understanding the role of other accountability mechanisms in farming, driven by norm leaders in the community, is thus of paramount importance. We investigated the effectiveness of a traditional accountability mechanism, i.e., local councils of elders known as the Njuri Ncheke, in controlling pesticide use in khat (Catha edulis). Khat samples were taken from traditional production systems in which these councils have influence and from commercial production systems lacking the councils' influence. The samples were analyzed for pesticide residues using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Individual farmer interviews were also carried out, inquiring about the influence of the Njuri Ncheke on the local community and on pesticide use in crop production. Our results show that a variety of agrochemical pesticides are being used by smallholder khat farmers and that local Njuri Ncheke councils have had success in limiting pesticide use, arguably more success than any government agency working to control pesticides on any local crop. These results show the potential of public accountability through traditional institutions like councils of elders and the role they can play in complimenting legal regulation mechanisms for successful pesticides management in agroecosytems.

Farmers’ Knowledge, Perceptions, and Management Practices of False Codling Moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) in Smallholder Capsicum sp. Cropping Systems in Kenya

“…She explained that the men she hired to spray never used personal protective equipment (PPE) when spraying, despite the risks, which can be attributed to lack of PPE or awareness of the harmful effects of direct contact of pesticides with the body. Indeed, pesticide contamination and poisoning in smallholder vegetable producers has been reported in sub-Saharan Africa due to the exposure during the pesticide application [42][43][44][45].…”

Analysis of the Concentration of Heavy Metals in Khat Grown in Meru County and the Assessment of Their Associated Health Risks

“…Most khat farmers in the Igembe region practice mixed farming such as planting maize, pumpkin, carrot, beans, potatoes, cassava, bananas, cowpeas, millet, and sugarcanes in khat farms [3]. Tis study indicates that the application of fertilizers containing heavy metals to food crops indirectly become available for khat plants to sequester them into their consumable parts thus increasing its concentration levels.…”

“…Khat farming and its related activities are a multimillion enterprise for many people in the khat-growing regions and also contribute immensely to the gross domestic product (GDP) for the countries where the plant is grown [1,2]. In Kenya, Meru County is not only the main producer of khat for local and international markets but also the highest khat consumer [3,4]. Nonetheless, the consumption of khat leaves for stimulative and psychoactive efects, for instance, is largely unregulated, and the evaluation and monitoring of contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides in khat before consumption is rarely conducted.…”