Why don't smallholder farmers in Kenya use more biopesticides?

Abstract

Background: Although Kenya has a relatively high number of registered biopesticide products, little is known about biopesticide use by smallholders. This paper documents farmers' current use and perception of chemical pesticides and biopesticides, their willingness to pay for biopesticides, and the key challenges to biopesticide uptake. Results: A survey found that chemical pesticides are used widely by smallholders despite awareness of the risks to human health and the environment. Almost half of respondents showed awareness of biopesticides, but current use in the survey localities was low (10%). Key reasons for the low use of biopesticides by smallholders in this study are: perceptions of effectiveness, primarily speed of action and spectrum of activity, availability and affordability. Smallholders who used biopesticides cited effectiveness, recommendation by advisory services and perception of safety as key reasons for their choice. Although farmers viewed both pesticides and biopesticides as costly, they invested in the former due to their perceived effectiveness. Average willingness to pay, above current chemical pesticide expenditures per cropping season was 9.6% (US$5.7). Willingness to pay differed significantly between counties, and was higher among farmers with more education or greater awareness of the health risks associated with pesticide use. Conclusion: This study confirms the low use of biopesticide products in the survey areas, alongside high use of conventional chemical pesticides. In order to promote greater uptake of biopesticides, addressing farmers' awareness and their perceptions of effectiveness is important, as well as increasing the knowledge of those providing advice and ensuring registered products are available locally at competitive prices.

Potential of Cucurbitacin B and Epigallocatechin Gallate as Biopesticides against Aphis gossypii

“…The development of insecticide resistance is rapid and widespread and threatens crop productivity. In contrast, biopesticides (e.g., fungus and plant extracts) have therefore emerged as a better alternative for pest control [8][9][10]. They can potentially reduce the use of chemical pesticides and provide new ideas for the synthesis of novel biopesticides for pest control [8,9,11].…”

“…In contrast, biopesticides (e.g., fungus and plant extracts) have therefore emerged as a better alternative for pest control [8][9][10]. They can potentially reduce the use of chemical pesticides and provide new ideas for the synthesis of novel biopesticides for pest control [8,9,11]. Some plant extracts are being used for the management of insect pests such as Plutella xylostella, and Drosophila suzukii, and their application is becoming an integral part of ecological conservation programs [12,13].…”

The Asian Citrus Greening Disease (Huanglongbing): Evidence Note on Invasiveness and Potential Economic Impacts for East Africa

“…A baseline survey of farmers in major citrus-producing counties of Kenya by Gitahi et al (2019) highlighted the lack of knowledge on alternative pest management practices other than pesticides. A study by Constantine et al (2020) also confirmed the low use of biopesticide products in Kenya, alongside high use of conventional chemical pesticides. In Africa, most farmers depend solely on the use of synthetic pesticides to minimize damage and output losses due to the citrus greening pest complex.…”

Potential Use of Beneficial Microorganisms for Soil Amelioration, Phytopathogen Biocontrol, and Sustainable Crop Production in Smallholder Agroecosystems

“…Notwithstanding the injurious effects, the development of synthetic pesticides is a complex process and requires rigorous regulatory approval demands. Besides, they are often costly and beyond the reach of the resource-strained smallholder farmers that contribute immensely to global food security (Mburu et al, 2016;Constantine et al, 2020). In smallholder agroecosystems, pests and diseases cause agricultural losses ranging from 45 to 100% (McDonald and Stukenbrock, 2016), depending on the infestation level.…”