Horticulture stakeholders in the country have been urged to adapt the country’s standard 1758 (KS1758:2016) code of practice which is anchored on four pillars of food safety, plant health, worker’s health and environmental sustainability to assist in the production of safe food for consumption by the general public.
The KS1758 is a code of practice for the country’s horticulture industry, outlining the sanitary and safety criteria for the production, handling, and sale of flowers, ornamentals, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices.
Speaking at a Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya FPC and BUREAU VERITAS forum graced by the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Production Mithika Linturi, FPC Kenya Chief Executive Officer Okisegere Ojepat said that the horticulture industry kept the country going when the world came to a standstill because of the Covid 19 pandemic.
He said that the country supplied food to its trading partners, neighboring countries and its people.
“It is very important for us to know that the world speaks about compliance in certain standards as a measure. For you to trade in that market you can only demonstrate that by showing that you comply to the set rules,” said Ojepat.
The FPC CEO highlighted the need for a consumer to be certain of the food they eat and be able to know the origin of the produce just like it is in the European countries.
“When we go to the super market, groceries or to a hotel, they must be able to show where the food comes from, what traceably they have, what form of certification they have so that we can start appreciating. We cannot be healthy unless the food we eat is assured,” he added.
This comes just a little over two weeks after Pesticide Atlas Kenya Edition was launched, Indicating Sales data showing that 76 per cent of the total volume of pesticides used in the country contain one or more active ingredients that are categorised as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs).
Nairobi county women representative Esther Pasaris who Is also a food safety ambassador, said that the pesticide that Kenyan farmers use are banned in European countries noting most produce are handled badly in the market giving reference to Mkulima market in Nairobi, blaming the county government for not putting up enough money to improve the market.
“We are what we eat, we are not building health centers to fill with patients due to bad food. We consume 80 per cent of our local produce but we don’t know where it comes from, we are investing so much in other markets but not the local market,” Pasaris said.
On his part, Linturi flanked by his principal secretary Harry Kuntai noted that it is important to educate the farmers on handling of pesticides adding that the implementation of the KS1758 standards is a big mile stone and the biggest assignment for the government is to ensure its enforcement.
“There must be a co-relation between the high prevalence of cancer and the food we eat in this county …the war on food security can’t be won without contribution from all the stakeholders,” Linturi said.
PS Kuntai on the other hand announced that the ministry had already begun issuing KS1758 certificates to companies buying and selling produce from farmers.
