THE ECONOMIC VALUATION AND STRATEGIC REPOSITIONING OF BIOPESTICIDES IN AFRICAN AGRICULTURE: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MARKET POTENTIAL, ADOPTION BARRIERS, AND POLICY IMPERATIVES

Abstract

Biopesticides are naturally occurring substances derived from biological sources present a compelling alternative to synthetic chemical pesticides, offering biodegradability, low non-target toxicity, and alignment with sustainable agricultural principles. Despite demonstrated efficacy and economic viability across multiple African contexts, biopesticides remain significantly underexploited, with the Africa and Middle East region accounting for less than 4% of the global bio-pesticides market. This paper undertakes a critical examination of the economic valuation of biopesticides in Africa, interrogating the structural, cognitive, and institutional factors perpetuating their systematic undervaluation. Through a comprehensive synthesis of empirical evidence from Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Benin, South Africa, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia, the analysis reveals a consistent disjuncture between demonstrated cost-effectiveness and actual adoption rates. The findings indicate that farmers demonstrate significant willingness to pay for biopesticides, with premiums ranging from 9.6% above chemical pesticide expenditures in Kenya to substantial amounts in West African contexts, suggesting latent demand that current market and institutional arrangements fail to activate. The paper argues that the undervaluation of biopesticides constitutes not merely a market anomaly but a manifestation of deeper systemic failures requiring comprehensive remedial action. Strategic interventions identified include enhanced farmer education, financial incentives, regulatory harmonisation, and the integration of ecosystem service valuations into economic assessments. The analysis contributes to scholarship on sustainable agricultural transitions in Africa by reframing biopesticides as strategic assets for food security, environmental stewardship, and economic development, and provides evidence-based policy guidance for redressing their persistent undervaluation.