PT12 Methods in Risk Assessment
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Tuesday, 11 November 2003
(PT202) Do farmers understand information on product labels? A keystone to reduce poisoning risk and exposition to pesticides in Brazilian Amazon.
waichman, A1, Nina, N.1, 1 Universidade Federal do Amazonas - Centro de Ciências do Ambiente, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
ABSTRACT- In Brazilian Amazon several industrial projects were implemented in the region in the last 30 years, creating a great migratory flux into urban areas. The increase in urban population introduced the need for food production and the increase and improvement of agricultural production. Several non-traditional crops were introduced in the region, most of them not well adapted to tropical conditions, especially to pests attack, forcing farmers to use pesticides intensively. Illiteracy and poor school instruction predominate among Amazonian farmers, making information on product labels difficult to understand and contributing to the poor knowledge of pesticide toxicity and hazard, and careless handling during preparation, application and disposal of empty packages. We interviewed 76 farmers in the district of Manacapuru, Amazonas State, Brazil. Most of them (84.2%) have poor school instruction and 15.8% are illiterate. Only 22.4% of farmers informed that they read the product label, but without understanding the information due to the small font and the technical language used in labels. Farmers that do not read the product label (77.6%) obtained information about pesticide preparation, dosage, and time of application with retailers or other farmers, without any technical support from the government. When we presented 14 pictograms often used in pesticide labels to farmers, 100% misinterpreted at least 5 pictograms and more than 50% did so for all pictograms. Amazonian farmers are not adequately prepared for pesticide use and they ignore the risk of pesticides to health and environment. Since farmers do not adequately understand the risk to which are exposed, agrochemical companies need to replace product labels with more understandable ones, which effectively convey information and the correct understanding of warnings, protective measures and instruction on pesticide use. Even that, it is needed a training and information program, supported by industry, in order to build up and environmentally sustainable agriculture.
Key words: Amazon, pesticides, poisoning risk, communication