Charles C. Crissman

Economic, environmental, and health tradeoffs in agriculture: pesticides and the sustainability of Andean potato production.

List of Figures. List of Maps. List of Tables. Preface. 1. Introduction and Overview C.C. Crissman, et al. Part One: Conceptual and Methodological Foundations. 2. Tradeoffs in Policy Analysis: Conceptual Foundations and Disciplinary Integration J.M. Antle, et al. 3. Conceptual and Methodological Aspects of Assessing Pesticide Environmental Impact in Developing Areas R.J. Wagenet, et al. 4. Conceptual and Methodological Aspects of Investigating the Health Impacts of Agricultural Pesticide Use in Developing Countries D.C. Cole, et al. Part Two: An Introduction to Pesticide Policies in the Andean Region and to the Carchi Case Study Site. 5. The Case Study Site: Physical, Health, and Potato Farming Systems in Carchi Province C.C. Crissman, et al. 6. Economic Reforms and Changing Pesticide Policies in Ecuador and Colombia D.R. Lee, P. Espinosa. Part Three: Model Development and Analysis. 7. Econometric and Simulation Modeling of the Carchi Potato Production System J.M. Antle, et al. 8. Describing Pesticide Movement in Potato Production on Carchi Soils C.E.H. Ducrot, et al. 9. Health Impacts of Pesticide Use in Carchi Farm Populations D.C. Cole, et al. 10. The Role of Pesticides in Farm Productivity and Farmer Health J.M. Antle, et al. 11. Integrated Simulation Model and Analysis of Economic, Environmental, and Health Tradeoffs in the Carchi Potato-Pasture Production System J.M. Antle, et al. About the Mathematical Symbols Used in this Book. Acronyms. Subject Index.

Pesticide Use and Farm Worker Health in Ecuadorian Potato Production

Potatoes are a dietary staple in Ecuador as they have been for thousands of years. In 1992, about 50,000 hectares of potatoes were grown in Ecuador, mostly by small farmers. Almost all potato farmers in Ecuador rely on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase yields. Potato farmers are perceived as overusing pesticides, both in quantity and quality, with mixtures of chemicals, known locally as cocktails, being the favored form of application. As in many other countries, there is growing popular concern about the environmental and health impacts of agricultural chemical use. Residue testing on fresh vegetables in Ecuador found levels above those recommended by the FAO-WHO food safety guide, Codex Alimentarius. Human poisoning data were slowly accumulated during the 1980s after pesticide poisoning became a notifiable illness under the public health surveillance system. Focused surveys found widespread ignorance of the symptoms of pesticide poisoning and little use of personal protective equipment among farmers and farmworkers. With the widespread use of backpack sprayers (versus tractor or aerial application in developed countries), these groups are most likely to be at risk of excessive exposure. The research results presented here are from a case study to assess impacts of pesticide use in potato production. This case study follows methodological guidelines laid out by Antle and Capalbo to quantify the interaction between production technology, environmental quality, and human health. Two adjacent watersheds totaling about 150 kilometers in Montufar Canton in Carchi Province in a cool moist highland zone in northern Ecuador served as the case

Pesticides and health in highland Ecuadorian potato production: assessing impacts and developing responses

Abstract Pesticide use in highland Ecuador is concentrated in the high-risk, commercial production of potatoes. Small farm families experience considerable exposure and adverse health consequences. The authors describe a three pronged strategy to reduce health impacts: 1) a community based process of education and provision of personal protective equipment to reduce exposure; 2) farmer field schools to increase agro-ecosystem understanding and to reduce pesticide use; and 3) policy interventions to restructure incentives and to reduce availability of highly toxic insecticides. They discuss the challenges faced by each and the ongoing need for integrated interventions both to reduce adverse pesticide health impacts in the developing world and to promote sustainability of agricultural production in highland ecosystems.

Inducing the adoption of conservation technologies: lessons from the Ecuadorian Andes

Programs that provide incentives to induce conservation are often ineffective, leading farmers to abandon conservation once assistance is withdrawn. An alternative to incentives is to offer conservation technologies in conjunction with measures that enhance the short-term profitability of agriculture. Our results indicate that CARE, an international non-governmental organization, has used this approach successfully to promote resource conservation in the Ecuadorian Andes. In particular, the adoption of terraces was found to increase significantly when accompanied by alterations to the agricultural system, such as new crops, biological barriers, and improved agricultural production.

Pesticide Use in Commercial Potato Production: Reflections on Research and Intervention Efforts towards Greater Ecosystems Health in Northern Ecuador

Since 1990, an interdisciplinary and interinstitutional team of scientists has led a research-intervention initiative examining pesticide impacts on agricultural production, human health, and the environment in the highly commercial potato growing province of Carchi, Ecuador. This article synthesizes the key results of that initiative, analyzes the lessons concerning the process of transdisciplinary ecosystems health research from a methodological perspective, and identifies priority future research opportunities. Research on this initiative has covered a broad range of activities with a full spectrum of rural stakeholders. These have included: health studies of the incidence of pesticide poisonings and the neurological impacts of pesticide exposure on farmers and their families; environmental and personal exposure studies; economic studies on the role of pesticides in agricultural production; sociological studies of farmers attitudes, knowledge, and practices related to pesticide use; and participatory interventions to reduce pesticide-related impacts. Research results have shown that pesticide poisoning incidence in the potato growing zones of Carchi, Ecuador match the highest reported rates in the world. A majority of farm household members suffer significant neurological impairment. Economic and participatory research has shown that there are viable alternatives to the use of Class 1 highly toxic pesticides in the zone. Nevertheless, cultural and political factors are impeding substantial changes in current practices. Future research-intervention activities include longitudinal analyses of the health, environmental, and production impacts of participatory interventions, and a scaling up of analyses to encompass other regions in the Andean mountain ecosystem with more limited indicators of key constructs.

Cultural encounters: learning from cross-disciplinary science and development practice in ecosystem health

Overcoming challenges to ecosystem health calls for breaking down disciplinary and professional barriers. Through reflection on a research and development project to address pesticide-related concerns in northern Ecuador, this article presents challenges encountered and accommodations made, ranging from staff recruitment, through baseline assessments and community education activities, to mobilising for policy change. In so doing, it exposes underlying problems of paradigm and process inherent in bringing researchers and development practitioners together, in addition to the problematic role of advocacy that is associated with joint research and development initiatives in the fields of agriculture and health.