{
  "id": 662350,
  "title": "Kenya: Farmers Urged to Cut Use of Hazardous Pesticides",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/kenya-farmers-urged-to-cut-use-of-hazardous-pesticides",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-12T12:27:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "AllAfrica",
    "slug": "allafrica",
    "url": "https://allafrica.com/stories/202608120287.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nairobi — The Harm Reduction Society of Kenya has urged policymakers to reduce the cost of pesticides, while tightening regulations to curb the use of highly hazardous products. Dr Nashon Okanga, the society's Executive Member, highlighted that over 70 percent of pesticide applications involve harmful substances, raising concerns about food safety. Okanga advocated for stricter enforcement of regulations to prevent prohibited pesticides, previously banned in other nations, from entering the Kenyan market. He emphasized that pesticides can pose significant health risks, encompassing endocrine disruption, carcinogenic effects, mutagenic effects, and neurotoxicity. The Harm Reduction Society of Kenya concentrates on mitigating harm linked to pesticides, alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. The organization has proposed embracing integrated pest management strategies, boosting research into biopesticides and biological control methods, and enhancing farmers' use of suitable personal protective equipment. AllAfrica aggregates news articles from over 90 news organizations and 500+ institutions, presenting a spectrum of viewpoints on every subject. AllAfrica does not possess the legal authority to modify or rectify the content published by the aforementioned outlets.",
  "summary": "[Capital FM] Nairobi -- The Harm Reduction Society of Kenya has called on the government to lower the cost of pesticides used by farmers and strengthen regulations to discourage the use of highly hazardous products.",
  "key_points": [
    "Harm Reduction Society urges policymakers to reduce pesticide costs and tighten regulations.",
    "Over 70% of pesticide applications involve harmful substances, raising food safety concerns."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The push for stricter pesticide regulations and promotion of safer alternatives aims to protect farmers' health and enhance food safety, shifting the focus from profit-driven practices to sustainable and health-conscious agriculture.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}