Farmers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions Regarding Carcinogenic Pesticides in Fez Meknes Region (Morocco).

Zineb Ben Khadda,Imane Berni,Mustapha Fagroud,Marc De Broe,Tarik Sqalli Houssaini,Yahya El Karmoudi,Said Ezrari,Simona Gabriela Bungau,Tapan Behl

doi:10.3390/ijerph182010879

Abstract

Pesticides play an important role in the improvement of agricultural production, but their use may result in adverse effects on the environment, consumers, and farmers’ health. As there are limited data focusing on the factors influencing safety behavior toward pesticide use in Morocco, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in 15 rural communities of Morocco’s Fes Meknes region to assess the attitudes, knowledge, and practices regarding pesticide use. A structured questionnaire was completed, containing the data of the interviewed farmers, their behavior towards safety measures, the type of active ingredient used, as well as the perception of risks to their own health following exposure to pesticides by the existence of chronic, self-perceived symptoms. Non-probability (empirical) sampling with the quota method was carried out, which consists of constructing the sample. Results showed that most respondents have not been trained in the application of pesticides, with almost half of the farmers using a category of pesticides which are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as probable human carcinogenic (i.e., Glyphosate, Malathion). In terms of pesticide storage, 40% of farmers said that they did not store pesticides in a separate room after purchasing or using them. The empty containers were buried or burnt by half of the responders, while the remainder were thrown at the edge of fields or in public dumps. Although the participants were aware of the negative effects on their own health and on the environment caused by the application of pesticides in use, the protection measures by individual equipment were insufficient. A canonical analysis indicates that these behaviors were influenced by the farming experience, the benefit of the agricultural council services, the follow-up of training, and the education level. These variables are important factors in explaining and understanding the dangers to both the environment and health caused by pesticides. The most recorded likely consequences of pesticide exposure were visual impairment (46%), followed by dizziness (44.3%), headache (39.4%), and excessive sweating (34.4%), and 30.2% of participants identified consequent respiratory problems. Extension services targeted at safety and protection measures should be developed and accompanied by educational programs to put farmers’ perceptions into practice and encourage them to adopt healthy and environmentally friendly behaviors.

Highlights

Pesticides are widely used in agricultural production to boost productivity and quality, as well as to reduce losses caused by the attacks of different biotic factors, pests, and crop diseases [1]
80.6% of the respondents had not benefited from agricultural advisory services concerning pesticide use practices and management
There is a growing body of evidence in research that suggests that pesticide abuse and management, as well as poor knowledge and awareness of the dangers of chemicals among farmers, has become a major issue, especially in developing countries including Morocco, which threatens the health of farmers in several ways, they can be associated with the development of several serious diseases including chronic kidney disease, cancer, respiratory diseases and infertility [47,48,49]

Summary

Introduction

Pesticides are widely used in agricultural production to boost productivity and quality, as well as to reduce losses caused by the attacks of different biotic factors, pests, and crop diseases [1]. The excessive use of these chemicals affects the entire ecosystem by influencing food chain actors and polluting soil, groundwater, and surface water [2,3,4,5,6,7]. Humans are exposed to pesticides through various routes such as inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact. Exposure to these harmful substances which are present in almost all environmental media (soil, water, and air) [8,9,10,11] and in the majority of food [12] can cause acute and chronic health problems. Among the many diseases that can occur, they can be listed certain cancers [13,14,15], endocrine disorders [16], abnormal reproduction [17], reduced mental capacity [18], neurodegenerative diseases [19], and modification of DNA [20]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion