90% of synthetic pesticide fatalities come from developing countries

WFPC, World Food Preservation Center, and IITA, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, organize the I All-Africa Congress on Synthetic Pesticides, Environment, Human & Animal Health, Conference Center International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Old Oyo Road, Ibadan, Oyo State (Nigeria), 18-20th June 2019.Worldwide, an estimated 3.5 billion kilograms of pesticides are applied to crops each year, and that number is steadily increasing as developing nations are steadily transitioning over to chemical-based agriculture in a misguided and misinformed effort to increase yield and lower cost.According to the UN, 90% of synthetic pesticide fatalities come from developing countries and estimated costs from synthetic pesticide poisonings in sub-Saharan Africa now exceeds the total annual overseas development aid given to the African region for basic health services. By 2020, if not curbed, the accumulated cost of illness and injury linked to pesticides in small-scale farming in sub-Saharan Africa could reach US$90 billion. To reduce the deadly impact of synthetic pesticides through food and environmental contamination in Africa, the “All-Africa Congress on Synthetic Pesticides, Environment, Human and Animal Health” is organized—the first of its kind, to bring experts in agriculture, environment, and health sectors on board to strategically and effectively tackle the problem.The congress considers for the first time the total impact of synthetic pesticides on African populations, their animals, their living environment, and government/household economies. The most effective technologies and strategies to mitigate the negative impact of synthetic pesticide contaminations will be explored and recommendations made.