ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED BT COTTON COMMERCIALIZATION IN WESTERN/NYANZA, CENTRAL/EASTERN, COASTAL, NORTH EASTERN AND RIFT VALLEY REGIONS OF KENYA PROJECT PROPONENT BAYER EAST AFRICA LIMITED||P. O. BOX 47686 - 00100 NAIROBI TEL: (+254) 758 537 658/0730 705000 CONSULTING FIRM BAYPAL CONSULTANCY FIRM||NEMA REGISTRATION NO. 7496 JOMO KENYATTA GROUNDS ||ROOM 08 TEL: (+254) 724 242 338/0737 046 895 August 2020 CERTIFICATION This Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Study Report (ESIA) for the proposed Bt. Cotton Commercialization Project in Western/Nyanza, Rift Valley, Coastal, North Eastern and Central/Eastern Regions of Kenya has been prepared in accordance with the Environmental Management and Coordination (Amendment) Act (EMCA) 2015 and the Environmental (Impact Assessment and Audit) (Amendment) regulations 2019 for submission to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). CONSULTANTS NEMA REGISTRATION NO. 7496 JOMO KENYATTA GROUNDS ||ROOM 08, P.O.BOX 7937 – 40100, KISUMU TEL: (+254) 724 242 338/0737 046 895 www.baypalconsultancy.com NAME OF EXPERT DESIGNATION SIGNATURE / DATE Mr. Paul Nicholas Otieno Lead Expert NEMA Reg. No 2921 Dr. John Muriuki Lead Expert NEMA Reg. No 0050 SIGNED BY AND ON BEHALF OF THE PROPONENT: BAYER EAST AFRICA LIMITED, P. O. BOX 47686 – 00100, NAIROBI, KENYA. Name …………………………………………………….. Designation ………………………………………… Signature:…………………………………………....... Date/ Stamp ……………………………………….. Disclaimer The Information contained in this report is true and correct to the best knowledge of the experts at the time of the assessment and based on the information provided by the proponent. Changes in conditions after the time of publication of the report may impact on the accuracy of this information and the ESIA experts therefore give no assurance of any information or advice contained. It is however, subject to conditions spelt out in the Environmental Management and Coordination (Amendment) Act, 2015 and the Environmental (Impact Assessment and Audit) (Amendment) regulations 2019. Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Study Report August, 2020 PLANNING AND PARTICIPATING CONSULTANTS The ESIA team for this study was composed of: Table 1: ESIA study team Name Profession 1 Paul Nicholas Otieno Environmentalist & Lead expert (NEMA Reg. No. 2921) 2 Dr. John Muriuki Environmentalist Lead Expert (NEMA Reg. No. 050) 3 Dr. Charles Waturu Nderito Agriculturalist (Crop Protection Specialist) &Project M&E 4 Aron Kecha Spatial Planner / Policy Expert & ESIA Lead Expert (NEMA Reg. No. 8763) 5 Apiyo Christine Awuor Sociologist 6 Jane Otadoh Biotechnologist 7 Caleb Obonyo Environmentalist (Associate Expert NEMA reg. No. 6162) 8 John Wycliffe Biotechnologist 9 Tonny Agutu Environmentalist 10 Rebecca Otieno Administrator Proposed Bt. Cotton Commercialization project in Kenya – by Bayer East Africa Limited & MoALF&C Page ii Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Study Report August, 2020 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT As the team of experts, we would like to express our appreciation to Bayer East Africa Limited and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries & Cooperatives for making available the opportunity to undertake the ESIA study and their overwhelming support in the journey that led to the successful development of this Study report that will contribute to the licensing of the proposed Bt. Cotton Commercialization project in Western/Nyanza, Rift Valley, Coastal, North Eastern and Eastern/Central Regions of Kenya. The task of gathering data for the project report was much eased by the following departments/Institutions. 1. National Biosafety Authority 2. Alupe University 3. Lake Basin Development Authority 4. Kerio Valley Development Authority 5. Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service 6. Rivatex E.A Ltd 7. Ministry of Interior and Coordination of Government 8. Agriculture & Food Authority –Directorate of Fiber Crop 9. Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organization 10. Various County Departments of Agriculture, Environment 11. Cotton Farmers Cooperative Societies in Various Counties We highly appreciate the cooperation accorded us by other stakeholders/ opinion leaders and the general public. The information they availed to us contributed enormously towards the success of this exercise. The final report is the result of a collaborative process which drew on the effort, knowledge, expertise and patience of the ESIA Study team. To all the others that have not been mentioned here, we earnestly recognize their efforts. Thank you all Paul Nicholas - Lead Consultant Proposed Bt. Cotton Commercialization project in Kenya – by Bayer East Africa Limited & MoALF&C Page iii Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Study Report August, 2020 LIST OF ACRONYMS AFA - Agriculture & Food Authority BOD - Biological Oxygen Demand CO - Carbon Monoxide CO2 - Carbon Dioxide. COD - Chemical Oxygen Demand DOSHSS - Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services EHS - Environmental, Health and Safety EMCA - Environmental Management & Coordination Act ESIA - Environmental & Social Impact Assessment GMO Genetically Modified Organisms GoK - Government of Kenya ISO - International Standard Organization IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature KALRO - Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization KEBS - Kenya Bureau of Standard KEPHIS - Kenya Plants, Health Inspectorate Service KWS - Kenya Wildlife Service MAHYCO - Maharashtoa Hybrid Seed Company Masl - Meters above Sea Level MOH - Ministry of Health NBA - National Biosafety Authority NEMA - National Environmental Management Authority NGOs - Non-Governmental Organization NOx - Nitrogen Oxide PPEs - Personal Protective Equipment RFCS - Respective farmer Cooperative Societies SERC - Standards and Enforcement Review Committee VOC - Volatile Organic Compounds WRA - Water Resources Authority MoALF&C - Ministry of Agriculture Livestock, Fisheries & Cooperatives STIs - Sexually Transmitted Infections AIDS - Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome KALRO Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization Proposed Bt. Cotton Commercialization project in Kenya – by Bayer East Africa Limited & MoALF&C Page iv Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Study Report August, 2020 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background information Cotton is one of the most important natural sources for fiber, oil, and seeds for livestock feeding. All the cotton produced in the world is obtained from four domesticated species of the Gossypium genus of the Malvaceae family. In most parts of the world where it is grown, cultivation of cotton has been characterized by application of large quantities of chemical insecticides. These chemical insecticides are applied from the plant emergence to harvest, since cotton plants must be protected from insect attack when the plant emerges, until the profitable bolls opens in a period that lasts about 5 months or more. Cotton is largely drought tolerant and in Kenya it can potentially be grown in 24 counties which fall under arid and semi-arid areas. In the 1970’s, Kenya was a major East African producer of seed-cotton for both local consumption and export. However, over the year’s production levels fell drastically due to a number of factors, key among the high production costs and the resultant low returns or earning. The current situation is such that while the annual domestic market demand is 140,000 bales with a potential to grow to 260,000, the industry is only producing a meager 10,000 bales or in 2018 or less to date. Furthermore, only about 13,000 ha of land is was utilized under cotton compared to the potential of 400,000 ha. The current yield for the local varieties HART 89M and KSA 81M is about 572 kg/ha against a potential of 2500 kg/ha with only about 20,000 farmers engaging with cotton production even when the industry can be able to support over 200,000 growers. The combined outcome is that Kenya has become an importer of cotton rather than being an exporter. The bulk of cotton and cotton products imported include Bt-Cotton, which Kenya can easily grow, creating incomes for our local farmers, create more employment in the cotton industry value chain, and safe and additionally generate more foreign exchange. It is in this context that Kenya has taken bold steps to address the problem of low yields from the local varieties caused by the African bollworm, which a key demotivating factor in cotton growing in Kenya, and join other global countries in the introduction of Bt-Cotton on farms. A good example of on the potentiality of Bt-Cotton in re-igniting cotton growing in Kenya can be taken from Mexico (In 1996, the introduction of Bt-Cotton Mexico made it possible to reactivate this crop, which in previous years was greatly reduced due to pest problems, and production costs, to a level where today Mexico is a major global cotton producer). A similar scenario is envisaged for Kenya, where farmers are usually devoted to crops that will always bring meaningful returns. Bt-Cotton is widely accepted globally by both consumers and producers. To the producers it has proven to be very efficient in the control of lepidopteran pests, leading to very high productions. In efforts by Kenya towards commercialization of Bt-Cotton, the necessary protocols including local research alongside international research have been undertaken over time both in the laboratory and field. The natural environment and socio-economic growth are inter-related. An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) is an assessment of the possible positive
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