Fall armyworms attacking a maize plant.
Campaigners are rooting for biological methods of controlling crop pest and diseases by African small-holders farmers.
They said this would help minimise the negative impacts of conventional pesticides on the environment and human health.
Million Belay, coordinator of Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa said harnessing biological resources to fight crop pests has economic, health and ecological benefits to small-scale farmers.
“The use of natural repellents to fight crop pests should be given consideration by our farmers since it will cut down on the cost of purchasing synthetic pesticides whose residue is harmful to soils and water,” said Belay at an organic farming conference in Nairobi last week.
He said research has proposed adoption of biological pest control methods that impact positively on soil fertility.
“Recently, we conducted 50 case studies in 22 African countries which revealed that small-holder farmers are keen to use organic fertilisers and pesticides as opposed to agro-chemicals,” said Belay.
