Keypoints:
- Swedwatch uncovers EU’s banned pesticide exports
- Kenyan workers, ecosystems face severe health risks
- NGO urges total EU ban on toxic trade
A NEW report by Swedish watchdog Swedwatch has revealed that European companies continue to export pesticides banned within the European Union to countries such as Kenya, where they harm farm workers and ecosystems. The study, conducted in partnership with the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), exposes what it calls Europe’s ‘toxic double standards’.
According to the report, titled Poison for Profit – The cost of EU double standards on biodiversity, human health and livelihoods, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of pesticides are shipped from the EU to markets abroad every year. Many of these chemicals are prohibited for use within Europe because of their risks to human health and the environment — yet EU laws still permit their production and export.
‘It is deeply troubling that chemicals considered too dangerous for Europeans are still being exported from Europe to the rest of the world,’ said Olof Björnsson, the report’s author at Swedwatch. ‘This practice undermines human rights and risks disastrous impacts on the environment.’
Kenyan farmers paying the price
In Kenya, the effects of these toxic imports are being felt daily. The report documents health complaints among farm workers ranging from skin irritation and eye problems to respiratory issues and even fatal poisonings. Medical workers in agricultural regions are reporting rising cancer cases, while farmers have observed a collapse in pollinator populations, including bees, and widespread contamination of water sources.
‘The influx of pesticides banned in the EU directly undermines the health of Kenyans and damages the environment,’ said Eustace Gacanja, chief executive of KOAN. ‘It also exposes a critical failure in regulatory bodies that should be protecting public safety.’
The report finds that these hazardous pesticides are used not only on crops for domestic consumption but also on fruits and vegetables destined for export to European markets — creating a circular irony in which European consumers may still encounter residues of chemicals their own regulators have banned.
A global pattern of harm
The Kenyan case, Swedwatch warns, reflects a global pattern affecting low- and middle-income countries where EU-manufactured pesticides are widely sold. Despite voluntary corporate pledges and due diligence frameworks, neither pesticide manufacturers nor food retailers have effectively addressed the human and environmental toll of this trade.
‘Pesticide manufacturing companies must end their complicity,’ said Gacanja. ‘They should accept full responsibility for the harm their products cause instead of offloading it onto farmers, and commit to a rapid, responsible phase-out of toxic chemicals.’
Kenya’s bold action
In June 2025, the Kenyan government banned 77 highly hazardous pesticides and restricted more than 200 others — a landmark step hailed by campaigners as a major advance for public health and biodiversity protection. However, Swedwatch argues that the burden of reform must not rest solely on importing nations.
‘Kenya’s decision shows real leadership, but it also highlights Europe’s failure,’ said Alice Blondel, director of Swedwatch. ‘It should never be up to affected countries to clean up the consequences of Europe’s harmful exports. EU-based companies and policymakers must ensure that no banned pesticides are produced or exported anywhere.’
Costs of a toxic trade
Beyond its ethical implications, Swedwatch says the trade in banned pesticides is economically irrational. EU border controls frequently reject shipments from Kenya for containing excessive pesticide residues — leaving farmers to shoulder the costs of destroyed produce.
‘Such an arrangement is unjust and flawed,’ said Björnsson. ‘If Europe can farm successfully without these chemicals, so can the rest of the world.’
Calls for decisive EU action
Swedwatch’s report concludes with a set of urgent recommendations for policymakers and industry leaders. It calls for an immediate EU-wide ban on the export of pesticides prohibited within the Union, and for strengthened Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) laws that cover entire supply chains. It also urges investment in sustainable, agroecological farming methods.
‘The solution is straightforward: stop exporting substances that the EU itself has deemed too dangerous,’ said Blondel. ‘Protecting people and the planet must come before profit.’
The organisation further recommends that EU governments support research into agroecology and organic farming, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to promote sustainable pest management alternatives.
As Europe debates new corporate sustainability rules, Swedwatch insists that true leadership lies in ending the hypocrisy of exporting banned toxins abroad. The group’s message is clear: Europe cannot claim to champion human rights and environmental protection while profiting from practices it forbids at home.
