In the recent few days, fertilisers have dominated agricultural conversations in Kenya with President Ruto promising farmers 1.4 million bags of fertilisers at lower prices. The proponents of fertilisers view this as a significant step towards reducing the cost of food production in turn lowering the skyrocketing food prices.
But is the reduction in fertiliser prices the key to addressing Kenya’s rising cost of food production?
It is a short-term fix which opens the gateway for long term problems. Our soils have a problem; they are infertile, dying and fertilisers are partly responsible for the situation. As recent as 2020, nitrate-based fertilisers have been found to lead to the acidification of soils in Kenya. Pumping fertilisers into the already fragile soils is a recipe for lowered crop productivity and food scarcity.
Fertilisers also have long term implications on the environment and the health of Kenyans. Nitrogen fertilisers negatively impact terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Nitrogen from the synthetic fertilisers end up in lakes and rivers as run off or through leaching eventually contaminating these resources. In 2005, researchers found the highest nitrate-nitrogen levels in river Temochewa in Nandi South District after fertiliser applications in tea plantations. Lake Victoria, river Nyando, Sondu and Nzoia have also been found to be choking with high nitrate concentrations. These high nitrate concentrations in aquatic environments have caused excessive nutrients leading to dense growth of plants impacting fish populations and in turn the livelihoods of the communities dependent on these resources.
These risks also extend to humans where high nitrate concentrations in water pose health risks to young children such as blue baby syndrome, a condition characterised by oxygen debt in the blood. Animals too have been impacted by high nitrate concentrations in water. In 2019 and 2021, livestock in Marsabit county died as a result of high nitrate concentrations in water. It is important for President Ruto to realise that our water resources are choking with toxins, and the continued overreliance on chemical fertilisers is detrimental.
The available water resources are also becoming scarce as a result of the impacts of the climate crisis. This has left communities battling famine and hunger. Currently 4 million Kenyans are at risk of hunger according to the National Drought and Management Authority. It is imperative for President Ruto to realise that fertilisers are products of fossil fuels which cause greenhouse gas emissions exacerbating the climate crisis. If our president is indeed keen to end Kenya’s addiction to fossil fuels as alluded to in his inauguration speech, then he should be looking at environmentally friendly fertilisers that do not harm the soil or water resources. Healthy soils are the basis of improved agricultural productivity- and not chemical fertilisers.
What we need is regular monitoring of our water resources for nitrates or other other contaminants. Farmers will not be able to grow food if the water is contaminated with nitrates. There is also a need for adequate agricultural extension services that train and educate farmers on agronomic practices. Practices such as intercropping with nitrogen fixing legumes that enrich the soil, farm yard compost to increase soil organic matter and the use of lime to reduce acidity should be prioritised. The president should introduce subsidies for organic and biofertilisers such as Bokashi which currently exist in the Kenyan market. He should further ensure that Extension Officers train farmers in making these fertilisers so that they are self reliant in the long run.
For a good quality of life, Kenyans need access to clean water, safe food and clean air. Chemical fertilisers guarantee none of that. If we are to build from the bottom up as a country, it is imperative that we start by safeguarding the very basic resources that farmers depend on to feed our country.
This article was first published by Business Daily and Greenpeace Africa.
The Environment Enthusiast 