How Africa’s mining sector can help end the toxic pesticide crisis

By Bryan Bwana

At first glance, mining and pesticides might seem like unrelated issues. But in Africa’s rapidly transforming landscape, they’re increasingly connected. Toxic pesticides (many of which are banned in the EU) are devastating pollinator populations across East Africa. Meanwhile, the mining sector, with its vast land footprint and growing influence, can no longer afford to look the other way.

Protecting pollinators like bees is much more than an agricultural concern, it’s an ecological, economic and moral imperative. The mining industry, as a major land user and community influencer, has both the opportunity and the responsibility to lead change.

The pesticide crisis in brief

In 2022, EU countries exported over 81,000 tonnes of pesticides banned in Europe to African nations (ECHA).

In Rwanda, 72 percent of farmers use Rocket—a pesticide containing highly bee-toxic profenofos.

Malathion, banned in the EU since 2007, is still used in Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Rwanda has seen a 40 percent drop in honey production, with some areas reporting up to 60 percent bee colony losses.

Bees pollinate up to 70 percent of key crops in East Africa, supporting rural livelihoods and export agriculture.

Why mining must act now

1. Mining and ecosystem interdependence: Mining operations often overlap with agricultural zones and natural ecosystems. Both share water sources, land corridors and community boundaries. The loss of pollinators affects not only farmers but the very ecosystems that ensure water quality and soil health in mining areas.

2. Expanding mining footprint: With over 1.5 million artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs) in East Africa alone, many operating in agro-ecological zones, the industry must embrace broader ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) responsibilities, including pesticide-related biodiversity risks.

3. Strategic Opportunity for Leadership: Mining companies can invest in sustainable land management—such as bee-friendly mine rehabilitation, pesticide-free buffer zones and support for organic farming—to show environmental leadership and boost local economies.

Steps the mining sector can take

Immediate (0–6 months)

Adopt a pollinator-safe mining policy: Recognise pesticide-related biodiversity loss as a material ESG risk.

Launch beekeeping programs: Co-fund hives, equipment and organic certification in ASM areas.

Ban EU-Banned pesticides in mining zones: Work with authorities to enforce pesticide bans and promote organic alternatives.

Eco-rehabilitation of mine sites: Replant native flowering species and create pollinator habitats, engaging youth and women.

Short-term (6–24 months)

Create a mining for pollinators fund: Allocate 1–2 percent of CSR budgets to pesticide-free zones and ecological restoration.

Install bee toxicity monitoring stations: Monitor chemical residues in soils and waters near mine sites.

Promote safe resettlements: Ensure that relocated communities live in areas free from chemical exposure and are trained in agroecology.

Run public awareness campaigns: Use SMS, local radio and beekeepers’ networks to educate about pesticide risks and pollinator protection.

Long-term (2–10 years)

Establish a green minerals–pollinator pact: With AU, EAC and SADC, embed pollinator protection into regional mining frameworks.

Support biopesticide innovation: Invest in university research and SMEs producing natural pesticides like neem and pyrethrum.

Launch a pollinator mining Index: Rank companies on restoration practices and pollinator protections and use it as an investment benchmark.

Green the supply chain: Promote “pollinator-safe” and “eco-verified” African minerals in global green technologies.

• Seventy-six percent of global food crops depend on pollinators (UNEP/IUCN)

• Africa’s pollinator-dependent agricultural exports are worth more than $20 billion/year

• Bee-related pollination accounts for over 70 percent of crop yields in sub-Saharan Africa (FAO)

• Natural capital loss, including pollinator decline costs Africa up to 9 percent of GDP annually (World Bank)

• Supporting pollinator health is not just environmental—it’s economic. It helps mining companies earn a Social License to Operate (SLO), build community trust and safeguard long-term value.

Policy and partnership alignment

Africa Mining Vision (AMV): Include pollinator biodiversity in ESG frameworks.

AU green minerals strategy: Link mineral sustainability with ecosystem protection.

Global biodiversity framework: Align mining action with the 30x30 global conservation goal.

UNDP biodiversity toolkit for mining: Customise for Africa with a pollinator focus.

Mining as a force for regeneration

Africa’s mining industry stands at a pivotal moment. It can either remain a bystander or emerge as a leader in restoring balance between industry, environment and community.

Bees are essential to our survival. If they vanish, so too will the ecosystems, farms and communities that depend on them. The mining sector can help reverse this trajectory through various initiatives like large-scale tree growing for carbon sinks, planting native flowers within mining communities, banning harmful chemicals, funding bio-mining and bio-pesticides alternatives and ensuring nature-positive mining methods.

The bees are dying, but mining can help bring life back.

Bryan Toshi Bwana is a Founding Trustee, Umoja Conservation Trust. www.umojaconservation.org