Photo credit: ACI Africa – http://www.aciafrica.org
African faith leaders, farmers, and European civil society organizations are calling for an end to harmful trade practices between Africa and Europe. The appeal follows a one-day convention held in Rome on June 26, co-organized by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and its partners, as reported by ACI Africa’s Silas Isenjia.
In a joint statement titled “Stop the poison, support the seed,” the participants condemned the export of banned pesticides from Europe to Africa and urged the African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) to support farmer-led seed systems.
“Europe is exporting poison that it doesn’t want to use on its fields,” said Suzy Serneels of Broederlijk Delen, calling the practice a dangerous double standard. Medius Bihunirwa of PELUM Association highlighted the rise in pesticide use in Africa, often without safety training or protective gear. “These toxins are in our food, water, and bodies,” she said, noting that women and children are most at risk. Fr. Richard Rwiza of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa added, “If these pesticides are too dangerous for Europeans, they are too dangerous for Africans.”
The group urged the EU to ban exports of harmful pesticides and ensure food imports comply with EU safety standards. AU governments were called to protect traditional seed systems and enforce the Bamako Convention to restrict hazardous imports.
The Rome conference marks a growing movement for food sovereignty and agricultural justice, rooted in faith, ethics, and community resilience.
This article was inspired by a report originally published by ACI Africa and written by Silas Isenjia.