From Fertilizer Bags to Fishing Nets: Africa’s Path to Sustainable Agricultural Plastics

Nairobi: African experiences and the way forward, experts from across the continent shared practical solutions and emerging initiatives to reduce the environmental impacts of plastics while maintaining agricultural productivity. Plastics play a growing role in food production across the continent, yet inadequate waste management carries environmental and health risks. According to African Press Organization, FAO Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, Ayman Omer, highlighted FAO's Provisional Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Sustainable Use and Management of Plastics in Agriculture (VCoC) as a framework for country action. Omer emphasized that the VCoC provides practical guidance to support countries in developing policies and strategies for agricultural plastics throughout their life cycle, enabling a transition towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. Country experiences across Africa demonstrated both the scale of the challenge and the opportunities for innovatio n. In Kenya, the FARM project is working to improve lifecycle management of agricultural plastic waste through collaboration among government agencies, producer responsibility organizations, and stakeholders across the agrifood value chain. Annastacia Vyalu, Senior Compliance Officer at the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), highlighted Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as a practical tool for reducing agriplastic pollution while promoting circularity and resource recovery. The FARM pilot, currently running in three Kenyan counties, aims to expand nationwide and eventually across East Africa. In terms of plastic packaging, specific attention is being paid to items such as fertilizer bags, which often go unmanaged after use. Killian Banda, Senior Specialist for Market Development and Intelligence at the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), presented findings from a multi-country study that revealed persistent challenges such as weak enforcement of regulations and limited recycling infrastructure. Recommended actions include promoting reusable packaging, strengthening recycling incentives, and exploring biodegradable alternatives. Innovative alternatives to conventional plastics were another highlight of the webinar. Results from field trials in pineapple production in Ghana demonstrated that coconut coir mulch can serve as an effective alternative to conventional plastic mulch. Dr Ebenezer Laryea, Associate Professor at Aston University in the United Kingdom, shared that biodegradable alternatives can deliver comparable agricultural performance while reducing plastic waste. With FAO's support, a new phase will test biodegradable seedling bags in cocoa nurseries through 2026. The webinar also explored innovation in fisheries. Emma Algotsson, CEO of South African company Catchgreen, presented results from three years of trials in Kenya, where biodegradable ropes, nets, and traps matched the performance of conventional gear. Algotsson stressed that the challenge is designing f ishing gear that performs reliably during use but does not remain in the environment for decades. The discussions underscored a shared message: recycling alone will not solve agricultural plastic pollution. Participants called for affordable alternatives, stronger policy frameworks, improved collection systems, and greater collaboration among public and private stakeholders. FAO will continue supporting countries in implementing the VCoC, including through FARM in Kenya and the next phase of the Ghana coconut-coir project, to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable agrifood systems across Africa.