Solving Africa's Weed Problem: African Herbicide Project

About The Project:

Food production problems in Africa are once again front page news. However one of the most serious threats to African food production- the problem of weeds competing with crops-is not being addressed in the ongoing assessments. Currently, African farmers lose 20-100% of their potential crop production due to uncontrolled weeds. The primary method of weed control by smallholder farmers in Africa is hand weeding with short-handled tools; backbreaking work done primarily by women. Because of labor cost and shortage and other demands on farmers time, not enough weeding is being done or is being done too late to prevent serious yield losses. Farmers are reluctant to apply fertilizer because weeds would be further stimulated and even more hand weeding would be required. Research has shown that, if smallholders used herbicides, hand weeding time could be virtually eliminated. Farmers would have significant time availability to plant additional crops, apply fertilizers, and harvest more crops.

News Conference:

On Thursday December 10th the CropLife Foundation held a press conference to release a new report entitled, Africa's Weed Problem: Increasing Crop Production and Improving the Lives of Women." This report chronicles the drudgery African women have to endure every year in order to control weeds in smallholder farms. This backbreaking labor ruins women's spines and keeps children from receiving proper schooling. The Foundation hopes its report will raise awareness on this issue and will spur governments, NGOs, and internatonal development agencies to further investigate the issue of weed control in Africa. Dr Albert Ayeni of Rutgers University provided comments on the report. He is featured in the video highlights.

The materials given out at the press conference

You can download them individually:

Press Release
Report
Biographies
Slide Show shown at the News Conference
Summary of the Report

Press Conference Highlights

Images from the reports and trials (Click for larger version):

Additional Materials on the African Herbicide Project and Report

Leonard Gianessi has prepared a slide show overview of the weed control problem in Africa which he has presented to numerous audiences. For a list of these audiences and for information on how to schedule this presentation, view this flyer

Weeds in Human Affairs in Sub-Saharan Africa - Akobundo

Weed Science Society of America Press Release: Weeds Constrain the Quality of Life of African Women

African Executive Article: "Why Not Scale Up Enterprise in Third World Countries"

Columbia Daily Tribune Article: "Herbicides can help in Africa, Speaker says"

CropLife Foundation Press Release: CropLife Foundation to Demonstrate Value of Crop Protection Technology in Improving African Agriculture

Delta Farm Press Newspaper, October 31, 2008: Teaching Herbicide Use Could Expand African Food Output

Herbicide Demonstration Trials

In 2008, the CropLife Foundation in cooperation with CNFA and five CropLife member companies established a series of herbicide demonstration trials in Malawi and Kenya. Two newsletters and a progress report are available that summarize the first year of the project.

Demonstrating the Value of Herbicides for Small Holder Farmers: Summary of Year one Project Activities

Realizing Enhanced Agricultural Productivity (R.E.A.P.) Newsletter:

R.E.A.P. Volume 1 Issue 1: Giving African Agriculture a Boost

R.E.A.P. Volume 2 Issue 2

Video of a farmer's Field Day in Kenya in which farmers are being taught the potential benefits of herbicide use on their farms:

Part 1:

Part 2: