Erick Uwayo Muhumuza is the Founder and President of Global Action for Agrochemical Safety (GAFAS), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting farmers, agricultural workers, pesticide applicators, and their families across the globe from pesticide poisoning and exposure through personal protective equipment (PPE), education, and sustainable agricultural practices. GAFAS was established in response to a critical global public health challenge: millions of people are poisoned by pesticides every year, with the overwhelming burden falling on low-income farming communities.

Erick brings more than a decade of international experience managing some of the world’s most hazardous chemicals and high-risk industrial operations. Throughout his career, he has specialized in the assessment, characterization, neutralization, transportation, and decommissioning of compressed gas cylinders containing highly toxic, reactive, and unstable substances. His work has required an unwavering commitment to safety, risk mitigation, environmental protection, and the safeguarding of human health.

Over the course of his career, Erick has safely led and supported projects across the United States, Belgium, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Oman, Australia, New Zealand, Cyprus, and Hong Kong. These assignments have involved complex chemical remediation operations, hazardous materials management, environmental protection initiatives, and specialized training programs for emergency responders and industrial personnel.

His technical expertise includes work with some of the most dangerous chemicals used in various industries, including Fluorine, Hydrogen Fluoride, Chlorine Trifluoride, Hydrogen Cyanide, Bromine Trifluoride, Phosphine, Pentaborane, and Tetrafluorohydrazine. He has also played a key role in large-scale hydrocarbon recovery and recycling projects, helping organizations reduce environmental waste and greenhouse gas emissions through the safe recovery and reuse of hazardous materials.

Throughout these international assignments, Erick witnessed a recurring truth: whether in advanced industrial facilities or remote agricultural communities, chemical exposure can have devastating consequences when workers lack the knowledge, resources, and protective equipment necessary to protect themselves.

This realization became the foundation for GAFAS.

While working around highly hazardous chemicals, Erick observed that strict safety protocols, proper training, and effective personal protective equipment dramatically reduced risk. Yet millions of farmers around the world—many of whom regularly handle pesticides classified as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs)—often lack access to even the most basic protective equipment. The contrast was striking. Workers in industrial environments are protected by extensive safety systems, while many farmers who feed the world remain exposed to toxic chemicals with little protection.

Determined to address this disparity, Erick founded GAFAS to bring proven chemical safety principles from high-hazard industries into the agricultural sector. The organization’s mission is rooted in the belief that every farmer, regardless of geography or income level, deserves access to the knowledge, equipment, and resources necessary to work safely and protect their health.

Under Erick’s leadership, GAFAS is building partnerships with governments, agricultural cooperatives, universities, public health institutions, international organizations, and private-sector stakeholders to reduce pesticide-related illnesses and improve occupational health outcomes in farming communities worldwide.

In addition to his field experience, Erick holds professional training in hazardous materials operations, radiological safety, environmental management, and pesticide safety. He has completed specialized coursework in Global Environmental Management through the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and advanced training on Highly Hazardous Pesticides and pesticide management through the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Erick’s vision for GAFAS is simple but ambitious: to create a world where no farmer becomes ill, disabled, or loses their life because they lacked the protective equipment, training, or support needed to safely use agricultural chemicals.

His work is guided by a commitment to public health, environmental stewardship, and the belief that protecting those who feed the world is both a moral responsibility and a global necessity.