Environment Management and the use of Agricultural Chemicals: An Exploration of the Fruits and Vegetables Industry E-BOOK

The scale and volume of agro chemicals used in Africa is enormous to the extent that these products have reached almost each and every household in East Africa. The Africa Agro Chemical Market alone was expected to reach US$7.70 billion by the end of 2024 and grow at a CAGR of 4.5% to reach US$9.63 billion by 2029. However, it is believed by 2028 the global agro chemicals market is anticipated to have grown from US$ 235.2 billion in 2023 to over US$282.22 billion in with a compound annual growth of 6%. These figures are a warning to the world; it is an indication that agriculture is once again the dominant industry in the world economy. This is equally true as the global population is growing at a higher level than expected especially in the so-called developing countries particularly in Asia and Africa areas. East Africa's population is projected to reach 890 million by 2050, with an average growth rate of 2.5% p.a. Nevertheless, the agro chemicals market, size, trends industry is segmented into fertilizers, plant growth, regulation and other accounted for 66% of global revenue. This explains why each and every farmer in East Africa massively uses fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, rodent ides, larvicides and soil conditions etc. Considering the astonishing figures of agrochemical production, it is wise to compare this to the fruits and vegetable production industry for instance; Tanzania's Vegetable Export Market is expected to reach USD 3.17 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period (2025-2030). According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stat data, vegetable production in Tanzania was 2.77 million metric tons in 2020, though the area harvest showed a slight drop in recent years. In 2025, the Tanzania Fruits and Vegetables Market size is expected to reach USD 2.31 billion.  If this figure is factored across the economies of the 13 East African states, we would have a Market Net Worth of US$ 30 billion earned from the fruits and vegetables industry.