Determinants of perceived agricultural chemical risk in three watersheds in the Midwestern United States

Abstract

Recent epidemiologic research on the relationship between agricultural chemical use and human health has focused on possible risks to both farmers and nonfarm publics through such avenues as airborne chemical drift and contamination of drinking water. While agricultural chemical use has been defined as a public health issue, decisions about applying chemicals are made primarily by individual farmers who consider not only highly publicized health and environmental risks but also potentially severe economic risks of not using chemicals for production of food and fiber. The critical decision-making role played by farmers relative to agricultural chemical use creates a need for accurate information on their perceptions of various chemical-related hazards and the factors that may influence such judgments. Understanding farmers’ perceptions toward agricultural chemical risk is essential to formulate effective risk-mitigation programs and policies and to target educational and technical assistance programs that encourage sound chemical practices at the farm level. This paper reports findings from a study of 1011 farm operators in three Midwestern watersheds in Ohio, Iowa, and Minnesota to assess their perceptions of risk associated with use of agricultural chemicals. A theoretical model developed from components of social learning, risk perception, and farm structure theories is used to identify predictors of agricultural chemical risk. Findings show that farmers in the three watersheds do not view agricultural chemical use as a serious health or environmental hazard. Regression findings provide partial support for the theoretical model. The statistical models explained from 30 to 37% of the variance in farmers’ risk perceptions in the three study watersheds. Findings are discussed in the context of developing future education/information programs in the three watersheds.