Boateng Kwame Osei, Dankyi Enock, Amponsah Isaac Kingsley, Awudzi Godfred Kweku, Amponsah Emmanuel, Darko Godfred
Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.
Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Toxicol Rep. 2022 Dec 16;10:46-55. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.12.008. eCollection 2023.
Pesticides are widely used in Ghana, especially in cocoa farming. However, the practice is suboptimal and unsupervised. Incorrect use of these chemicals can seriously harm human health, the environment, and economies that rely on these farmers' output. The study assessed cocoa farmers' pesticide knowledge, practices, and risk perception. Four hundred and four cocoa farmers were chosen randomly from 26 communities in four cocoa-growing regions of Ghana to answer questions about their risk knowledge, awareness, and practices, including personal protective equipment, storage and disposal of leftover pesticides, and used containers. The study revealed that 87% of the respondents belonged to cooperatives and certification groups. There was a significant positive relationship between group membership and benefits derived from inputs and training in pesticide use. About 70% of insecticides used were approved by the Ghana Cocoa Board, with neonicotinoids and pyrethroids being the most highly used insecticide classes in cocoa farms. Although farmers claimed adequate pesticide knowledge, this did not translate into practice, with the majority exhibiting improper pesticide storage, application, and disposal practices. Farmers appeared to know a lot but lacked the skills and attitude to put their knowledge to use. The improper practices appear to manifest in a variety of health symptoms experienced by farmers as a result of chemical exposure. The findings from this study suggest that cocoa farmers in Ghana require adequate practical training and support on pesticide use to reduce their associated health risks, protect the environment and ensure sustainable cocoa production in the world's second-largest cocoa bean exporter.
农药在加纳被广泛使用，尤其是在可可种植中。然而，这种做法并不理想且缺乏监管。这些化学物质的不当使用会严重损害人类健康、环境以及依赖这些农民产出的经济。该研究评估了可可种植农民的农药知识、使用习惯及风险认知。从加纳四个可可种植区的26个社区中随机挑选了404名可可种植农民，以回答有关他们的风险知识、意识和使用习惯的问题，包括个人防护装备、剩余农药的储存和处置以及用过的容器。研究显示，87%的受访者属于合作社和认证团体。团体成员身份与农药使用投入和培训所带来的益处之间存在显著的正相关关系。约70%使用的杀虫剂得到了加纳可可委员会的批准，新烟碱类和拟除虫菊酯类是可可农场中使用最多的杀虫剂类别。尽管农民声称具备足够的农药知识，但这并未转化为实际行动，大多数人在农药储存、施用和处置方面存在不当做法。农民似乎知道很多，但缺乏将知识付诸实践的技能和态度。这些不当做法似乎表现为农民因接触化学品而出现的各种健康症状。该研究的结果表明，加纳的可可种植农民需要在农药使用方面获得充分的实践培训和支持，以降低相关健康风险、保护环境并确保这个世界第二大可可豆出口国实现可持续的可可生产。
