Switzerland Commits to Eliminating Stockpiles of Obsolete Pesticides in Africa

World Bank:  Kristyn Ebro (202) 458-2736

kebro@worldbank.org

The pledge of support from Switzerland brings the total amount committed to the ASP to over $50 million. The pledged support includes $25 million from the Global Environment Facility, $1.5 million from the World Bank, 1 million EUROS from the European Union, over $15 million from bi-lateral donors, and $8 million from the plant sciences industry trade association CropLife International (as part of a commitment of up to $30 million during the life of the program).

The ASP is an unprecedented partnership between industry, participating countries, private foundations, non-profit organizations, and multi-lateral funds, who have agreed to pool resources and expertise in a collaborative, comprehensive effort to rid Africa of polluting stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and prevent their recurrence.  An estimated 50,000 tons of obsolete pesticides, as well as tens of thousands of tons of contaminated soil and associated wastes, have accumulated in stockpiles throughout the African continent.

“We warmly welcome Switzerland’s support of the ASP,” said Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez, Acting Environment Director for the World Bank. “I commend the leadership demonstrated by the Swiss and our other bi-lateral partners to helping ensure the successful launch of the Africa Stockpiles Programme later this year.”

The objective of the Africa Stockpiles Programme is to clear all obsolete pesticide stocks from Africa in an environmentally sound manner and to put in place measures to prevent their recurrence.  It will cost an estimated $46 million to prepare projects and clean-up seven African countries (Ethiopia, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Tunisia), and prepare nine more.

“The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation is proud to support this worthy program in its efforts to dispose of obsolete pesticides in Africa,” said Jean-Bernard DuBois, Deputy Head of Natural Resources and Environment for Switzerland’s Agency for Development and Cooperation.  “This program concerns the environment, public health, and Africa—all three areas that are of priority interest to the Switzerland. We are pleased to help Africa rid itself of this deplorable threat.”  

“We are hoping the ASP will become the model for how all stakeholders can come together to cooperate on a major initiative to the benefit of not just poor people in Africa, but to the global environmental advantage of everyone,” said Ijjasz-Vasquez.

For more information, please see the website:  www.africastockpiles.org

Africa Stockpiles Programme      

1818 H Street, NW

Washington, DC 20433

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ASP partners include:

The African Development Bank, the African Union, the Secretariat of the Basel Convention, Canada, CropLife International, the European Union, the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO), the Ford Foundation, the French Republic, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Japan, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the Pesticides Action Network-Africa (PAN-Africa), the Pesticides Action Network-UK (PAN-UK), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the World Bank, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

For more information, please see the website:  www.africastockpiles.org