Abstract
A survey was conducted in urban horticultural setting in Gaborone City, Botswana from 4th to 31st March 2010 by interviewing 56 farmworkers on their perception and knowledge of risks and hazards associated with exposure to pesticides. The study showed that most farmers relied heavily on pesticides and applied them without considering economic damage to crop. Most pesticides used are classified as extremely hazardous by the World Health Organisatopn (WHO). Majority of farmworkers were aware of health risks and environmental contamination associated with pesticides. The awareness of pesticide harm was significantly influenced by educational background, training on pesticide use and experience on vegetable production. While the percentage of educated and experienced workers was higher (> 50%), training from extension services was only 14% indicating the need for more training to maintain the awareness standard. The study needs to be done in other urban centres of Botswana to get countrywide information on farmworkers awareness of pesticide harm.
Highlights
The United Nations (UN) population fund (2007) reported that more than 50% of the world's population was living in urban areas
The perception of farmworkers who had gone for training on the use of pesticides was significantly associated with the belief that children born to them will be affected by pesticides (Table 3)
The results from this study showed that tomatoes, Swiss chard, sweet pepper, cabbage and rape were the most commonly grown vegetables in the peri-urban areas of Gaborone in Botswana
Summary
The United Nations (UN) population fund (2007) reported that more than 50% of the world's population was living in urban areas. Introduction of urban horticulture to increase horticultural productivity requires inputs that include pesticides to control pests and diseases (Obopile et al, 2008; Madisa et al, 2010). Studies on risks associated with pesticides, farmer practices and behavior when handling chemicals is crucial in making efforts to reduce the dangers associated with pesticides use in horticulture. Limited information is available on pesticide knowledge and risk perceptions of agricultural farmworkers in Botswana. Obopile et al (2008) studied farmers’ knowledge, perceptions and management of vegetable pests and diseases in Botswana but did not consider risks and hazards associated with farmworkers’ practices and behaviors when handling pesticides. In this study we evaluated work practices, pesticide risks, beliefs, knowledge of pesticide and hazards among vegetable farmworkers in peri-urban areas of Botswana. We examined the influence of pesticide knowledge and health beliefs on work practices such as wearing protective clothing when handling pesticides
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
