By: Gloria Anderson
When Anastasia Ngarama , a retired financial manager turned farmer, attended a workshop organized by Crop life Kenya on the Sustainable Pesticide Management Framework last year, she did not expect that a single idea would completely reshape the way she farms.
That day, she was introduced to a system that promised to make farming not only more productive but also safer for farmers, consumers, and the environment, the Spray Service Provider (SSP) model under the Sustainable Pesticide Management Framework.launched in 2021, the SPMF is a proactive five initiative across nine low and middle income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Its goal is to strengthen local capacity to implement the International crop protection practices.
The initiative, introduced by CropLife, a global voice and leading advocate for the plant science industry was inspired by a successful program in Ghana, where trained professionals help cocoa farmers apply pesticides safely and dispose of chemical containers responsibly. Today, that same idea is transforming Kenya’s vegetable and horticultural sector.
A Safer Way to Farm
At a visit to her farm, the Ngarama Farms located in Mirera, Naivasha in Kenya by a section of Journalists attending the IFAJ World Congress of Aguricultural Journalists, Mrs Ngarama introducing her farm said the Ngarama frams is a 12 acre mixed agricultural enterprise that operates both livestock and crop production units. The farms serve local and export markets as an out grower. She told Gloria Anderson that meeting was a game changer for her, especially as she was looking for ways to improve her work.
“I took it very seriously because that was exactly what I was looking for,” Mrs Ngarama recalls. “I wanted to farm in a way that ensured everything I produced was safe, not just what I eat at home, but also what I can sell at the market.”
After the training, she went back home determined to implement what she had learned. “The first thing I did was to educate my workers,” she says. “Then I engaged the Spray Service Providers so they could help identify pests and diseases and advise on how to handle them. I also started practicing biological control and integrated pest management.”
According to Crop life, the SSP model places pesticide application in the hands of trained professionals equipped with protective gear and environmental safety knowledge. Each applicator follows a strict process triple-rinsing, puncturing, and returning empty pesticide containers to collection centres for safe disposal.
Borrowing Success from Ghana
According to Benson Ify, Manager at CropLife Kenya, the SSP concept was adapted from Ghana, where it has been used for years in the cocoa industry.
“Kenyan farmers were facing similar problems such as the lack of protective equipment, unsafe handling of pesticides, and improper disposal of containers,” he explains. “We saw how successful Ghana’s model was and decided to replicate it here. The Spray Service Providers undergo intensive training and are certified by the Pest Control Products Board and Workplace Kenya before offering services to farmers.”
The model has since become a win-win reducing pesticide misuse, protecting farmers’ health, and creating jobs for rural youth. “One trained SSP can serve up to 30 farmers,” Ify notes. “It’s sustainable and provides a steady income for young people while promoting safer farming.”
For Mrs Ngarama, the benefits came faster than she expected.
“At first, it was a bit expensive,” she admits, “but it has really paid off. People now come directly to me asking for my cabbages and tomatoes because they trust how I grow them. The demand in the market is high because people prefer safe and quality food.”
Her workers are reaping the benefits too. She tells me that “They no longer spray with their bare hands,” she says proudly. “They now use protective equipment and follow all safety procedures. That has made a big difference and they are healthier and more confident.”
EMPOWERING WOMEN, PROTECTING COMMUNITIES
Mrs Ngarama represents a growing wave of female farmers in Kenya who are embracing agribusiness with the purpose not only to earn income but also to safeguard the health of their families and communities.
“Women approach farming with a nurturing mindset,” she says. “We want to make sure our families don’t go hungry or fall sick from unsafe food.”
The SSP program has empowered women like her to lead by example, bridging the gap between traditional farming and modern, sustainable agriculture.
BEYOND PESTICIDES: BUILDING A SAFER FUTURE
The initiative is also teaching farmers that pest control does not always mean chemical use. Through integrated pest management (IPM), they combine biological controls, repellent plants, sticky traps, and pheromone traps to maintain crop health.
“There are simple, locally available solutions,” says Ify. “For example, blue water traps attract thrips, yellow ones attract whiteflies, and light traps at night can catch moths. These methods reduce pesticide use while keeping crops healthy.”
This approach not only cuts costs but also protects biodiversity and soil health critical ingredients for long-term agricultural sustainability.
AN AFRICAN MODEL OF COLLABORATION
The success of Kenya’s SSP program highlights the power of African-to-African learning and how one country’s innovation can inspire another’s progress.
What began in Ghana’s cocoa farms is now improving food safety, environmental health, and livelihoods in Kenya’s vegetable-growing regions. And with growing interest from other African countries, the model could soon become a continental standard for safe and sustainable agriculture.
As Mrs Ngarama puts it “Farming should be about feeding people, not harming them. If every farmer adopts safe practices, we can change our communities’ one farm at a time.”
So from Ghana’s cocoa fields to Kenya’s greenhouses, the Spray Service Provider initiative shows how collaboration and innovation can redefine farming in Africa by combining local knowledge with proven regional models, farmers like Mrs Ngarama are not just producing food, they are cultivating a safer, healthier future for their families and communities.
Gloria Anderson attended the IFAJ World Congress of Agricultural Journalists with sponsorship from OFAB a project of AATF
