CS Sen. Mutahi Kagwe, has called for urgent global action to eliminate hazardous agricultural chemicals and end what he described as a double standard that exposes farmers in developing countries to substances banned elsewhere due to health and environmental risks.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) General Assembly, CS Kagwe urged governments, regulators, manufacturers and international organisations to harmonise global standards on agricultural chemicals and place farmers’ welfare at the centre of agricultural policy and investment.
\”The world cannot continue operating under a double standard when it comes to agricultural chemicals,\” CS Kagwe said, arguing that products deemed unsafe in one country should not be sold in another simply because regulations are weaker.
Addressing delegates from across the world, including farmers’ organisations, development partners, agribusiness leaders and policymakers, he stressed that the lives and health of farmers in developing countries must be valued equally.
CS Kagwe warned that unsafe agricultural chemicals and counterfeit farm inputs continue to threaten food safety, public health, environmental sustainability and export markets.
He called for stronger collaboration to combat the illegal trafficking, counterfeiting and misuse of agricultural inputs. He emphasized that protecting farmers must go beyond increasing productivity and market access to include safeguarding their health and wellbeing.
The CS also urged the international community to place farmers, not merely on food systems, but at the centre of global agricultural policy discussions, noting that insufficient attention has been paid to farmers’ welfare, dignity and prosperity.
He challenged long-standing inequalities in global agriculture, arguing that investment in farmers should be viewed as a strategic investment in economic growth, food security and national stability.
CS Kagwe further called for reforms in agricultural financing and highlighted Kenya’s efforts to modernise agriculture through technology and data-driven systems, including the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management Information System (KIAMIS).
As delegates begin deliberations at the World Farmers’ Organisation General Assembly, Kagwe urged global leaders to ensure that every policy, investment and recommendation emerging from the conference is guided by one principle: putting farmers first.
