Use of pesticides is rapidly rising in many parts of Africa. While farmers cheer them as powerful substitutes for manual weed and pest control, the precarious institutional environment has been resulting in the uncontrolled use of these inputs, frequently with alarming consequences for the environment and health. An exploratory study in cooperation between Germany’s University of Hohenheim and the Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) in Zambia looks for ways to address the underlying governance challenges.

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