Knowledge, perception, and pesticide application practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in four Ghanaian cocoa-growing regions
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' pes...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Toxicology Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750022002335 |
| _version_ | 1797798907184414720 |
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| author | Kwame Osei Boateng Enock Dankyi Isaac Kingsley Amponsah Godfred Kweku Awudzi Emmanuel Amponsah Godfred Darko |
| author_facet | Kwame Osei Boateng Enock Dankyi Isaac Kingsley Amponsah Godfred Kweku Awudzi Emmanuel Amponsah Godfred Darko |
| author_sort | Kwame Osei Boateng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:11:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d12b72fd7e524a3c987766c3bdd28f4c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2214-7500 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:11:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxicology Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-d12b72fd7e524a3c987766c3bdd28f4c2023-06-21T06:55:00ZengElsevierToxicology Reports2214-75002023-01-01104655Knowledge, perception, and pesticide application practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in four Ghanaian cocoa-growing regionsKwame Osei Boateng0Enock Dankyi1Isaac Kingsley Amponsah2Godfred Kweku Awudzi3Emmanuel Amponsah4Godfred Darko5Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, GhanaDepartment of Chemistry, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, GhanaCocoa Research Institute of Ghana, Akyem Tafo, GhanaDepartment of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, GhanaDepartment of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana; Corresponding author.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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750022002335Pesticides overusePesticides hazardsRisk exposureCocoa production |
| spellingShingle | Kwame Osei Boateng Enock Dankyi Isaac Kingsley Amponsah Godfred Kweku Awudzi Emmanuel Amponsah Godfred Darko Knowledge, perception, and pesticide application practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in four Ghanaian cocoa-growing regions Toxicology Reports Pesticides overuse Pesticides hazards Risk exposure Cocoa production |
| title | Knowledge, perception, and pesticide application practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in four Ghanaian cocoa-growing regions |
| title_full | Knowledge, perception, and pesticide application practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in four Ghanaian cocoa-growing regions |
| title_fullStr | Knowledge, perception, and pesticide application practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in four Ghanaian cocoa-growing regions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Knowledge, perception, and pesticide application practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in four Ghanaian cocoa-growing regions |
| title_short | Knowledge, perception, and pesticide application practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in four Ghanaian cocoa-growing regions |
| title_sort | knowledge perception and pesticide application practices among smallholder cocoa farmers in four ghanaian cocoa growing regions |
| topic | Pesticides overuse Pesticides hazards Risk exposure Cocoa production |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750022002335 |
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