40 phytosanitary inspectors received a training on pesticides inspections thanks to the technical support of FAO Cameroun and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding. Held in Douala in March 2019, this training brought together customs agents, quality control inspectors, as well as agents from the Ministry of Heart, Ministry Agriculture and Rural Development and the
Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, all involved in the process of pesticide inspectors.

Aimed to equipped control officers with procedures and good practices for the post-approval inspection and control of pesticides, the methodology used during the workshop consisted of presentations and group works. In the course of this, learners were educated on sampling methods and mastering the technics of import control, requiring the use of safety equipment for handling, transportation and storage of pesticides. Practical works brought the trainees at the heart of real working situations during a visit at pesticide warehouse of the SOLEVO Company, located in the Bonaberi district, and at the Douala Phytosanitary Police Station. In the course of this workshop, the phytosanitary agents became more familiar to pesticide inventory management. A system that indicates a careful inspection of the storage site at the end of which a report of the premises is issue. This is to evaluate pesticides risk as well as risk to human health and the environment in order to better prevent and manage intoxication situations. In order to perform the activity correctly, the room must be well ventilated, the floor must be watertight, the products must be well organized and ordered some elements must be present such as an anti-leakage device, adsorbent materials, device to fight against fire, good quality storage materials, storage space for personal protective equipment and a place for bundling empty packaging. It is important to note, however that proper management of pesticide stocks requires checking the soil condition every six months.

With the aim of remedying this state of emergency, FAO, with the financial support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), has been implementing since 2015 the project "Disposal of POPs and obsolete pesticides and strengthening sound pesticide management in Cameroon”.  Agriculture is consider as the engine of Cameroon's economy thanks to a significant contribution to the gross domestic product. The cultivation of food, fruit and vegetable products leads to a proliferation of pests and diseases before and after harvest. The need to use pesticide products then becomes indispensable. However, the management of the pesticide lifecycle so far is very poor in Cameroon, resulting in the accumulation of obsolete stocks and significant soil contamination at many sites.