Pesticide use in commercial potato production : reflections on research and intervention efforts towards greater ecosystems health in Northern Ecuador

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dc.contributor.authorYanggen, David
dc.contributor.authorCole, Donald C.
dc.contributor.authorCrissman, Charles
dc.contributor.authorSherwood, Stephen
dc.date.accessioned2011-03-04T14:22:51Z
dc.date.available2011-03-04T14:22:51Z
dc.date.issued2004
dc.description.abstractSince 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.en
dc.formatTexten
dc.format.extent1 digital file (p. 72-83)en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10625/45831
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/227173861_Pesticide_Use_in_Commercial_Potato_Production_Reflections_on_Research_and_Intervention_Efforts_towards_Greater_Ecosystems_Health_in_Northern_Ecuador
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherEcoHealth Journal Consortium, Springer, New York, NY, USen
dc.relation.ispartofEcoHealth, no. 1, suppl. 2, November 2004en
dc.subjectPESTICIDESen
dc.subjectAGRICULTUREen
dc.subjectNERVOUS SYSTEMen
dc.subjectECONOMICSen
dc.subjectECUADORen
dc.subjectPOISONINGen
dc.titlePesticide use in commercial potato production : reflections on research and intervention efforts towards greater ecosystems health in Northern Ecuadoren
dc.title.alternativeEcoHealth journal special supplement November 2004en
dc.typeJournal Article (peer-reviewed)en
idrc.dspace.accessIDRC Onlyen
idrc.noaccessDue to copyright restrictions the full text of this research output is not available in the IDRC Digital Library or by request from the IDRC Library. / Compte tenu des restrictions relatives au droit d'auteur, le texte intégral de cet extrant de recherche n'est pas accessible dans la Bibliothèque numérique du CRDI, et il n'est pas possible d'en faire la demande à la Bibliothéque du CRDI.en
idrc.project.componentnumber100840015
idrc.project.number101810
idrc.project.number101818
idrc.project.number004321
idrc.project.number100840
idrc.project.titleHuman Health and Changes in Potato Production Technology (Ecuador) - Phase IIen
idrc.project.titleCommunity of Practice in Ecohealth (COPEH): Consolidation - Phase Ien
idrc.project.titleHuman Health and Changes in Potato Production Technology in the Highland Ecuadorian Agro-ecosystemen
idrc.project.titleInternational Forum on Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health (Year 2003)en
idrc.rims.adhocgroupIDRC SUPPORTEDen

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Research Results (Ecohealth) / Résultats de recherches (Écosanté)