Pesticide Import Controls in the Cilss Area

The intensification of agriculture in the Sahel, necessary to ensure food security, has been accompanied by increased use of pesticides. These toxic products must be used rationally. To this end, CILSS member states have adopted common regulations on pesticide approval, establishing a system to control the importation of these products. This is to ensure that the products are effective and safe for humans, animals, plants and the environment. This system is therefore based on the protection of human rights and ecological balance. Thus, a pesticide should only be marketed in the region after registration or provisional authorisation has been issued by the Sahelian Pesticide Committee (CSP). However, the widespread presence of unauthorised pesticides on Sahelian markets highlights the limitations of the system. For the system to be effective, control measures need to be strengthened, sustainable alternatives to chemical pesticides promoted, and the principles of prevention, precaution, information and access to justice applied.