Botanical pesticides : a part of sustainable agriculture in Babati District Tanzania

Botanical pesticides are agricultural pest management agents which are based on plant extracts. In modern times these have been used as alternatives to synthetic chemicals in organic pest management. The practice of using plant materials against field and storage pests however has a long history in many indigenous and traditional farming communities across the world. During February and March 2009 a field study was conducted in Babati district in Manyara region, Tanzania to investigate the local use of botanical pesticides. The results from the field study were subsequently analyzed and contextualized in Nicanor Perlas model The Seven Dimensions of Sustainable Agriculture which was used as a framework theory. The analysis indicates that there are a variety of thresholds for the use of botanical pesticides in sustainable agriculture in Babati district besides the more obvious practical aspects. The latter parts of the paper discuss the differences between reductionist and holistic, indigenous and scientific ways of achieving knowledge with regard to plant based pesticides. The study concludes that ecological pest management is a holistic method based on the synergy of a variety of farming practices. Indigenous knowledge which is holistic, site-specific and experience based has therefore much to offer modern endeavours to practice a more sustainable agriculture and pest management strategies which consider the welfare of both humanity and the environment