Improving Pesticide Safety and Regulation in Malawi’s Agriculture

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is implementing initiatives across Africa and Asia to assist farmers in managing pesticide use and mitigating associated environmental and health risks.

Reporting from Lilongwe, Malawi and Vientiane, Laos, on May 7, 2026, indicates that while pesticides have served as a pillar for agricultural productivity and livelihoods for decades, they have also introduced significant systemic challenges.

In Malawi, the use of pesticides has been instrumental in guarding crops against pests and improving yields, which has sustained millions of livelihoods. However, this success has been accompanied by a troubling reality involving weak regulation and unsafe handling practices.

These regulatory gaps and safety failures have created growing threats to both human health and the environment. The GEF’s efforts are focused on helping farmers in these regions rewrite their pesticide story by addressing these vulnerabilities.

The scope of the project extends across the Africa and Asia-Pacific regions, integrating goals related to biodiversity, the green economy, and the development of cooperatives. The initiative aims to balance the economic needs of food and agriculture with the necessity of environmental protection and trade and investment sustainability.

The program is part of a broader effort to align agricultural practices with environmental safety and biodiversity conservation, ensuring that the pursuit of crop yields does not come at the expense of long-term ecological health.