Final evaluation of “Disposal of persistent organic pollutants and obsolete pesticides in Mozambique”

Pesticides have long helped to control disease and increase crop production in Mozambique. However, poor management of pesticides has had negative impacts on human health and the environment, including death and disability among users. In 2011, FAO implemented a project in Mozambique to safeguard and dispose of existing stocks of obsolete pesticides and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), as well as work to reduce risk across the pesticide lifecycle at the policy level. The evaluation explores the results of the project and the difficulties it faced, such as dealing with a much larger quantity of contaminated soil and obsolete pesticides than initially planned. The evaluation used a cluster approach, with two similar projects in Eritrea (GCP/ERI/014/GFF) and Botswana (GCP/BOT/011/GFF), to allow for cross-project comparisons and learning.