Table1: Allowed and Rejected Pesticide AIs, by country or registration system

Table1: Allowed and Rejected Pesticide AIs, by country or registration system

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  organochlorine insecticide endosulfan (banned internationally on the Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPs treaty list in 2011);
  
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  organophosphate insecticides containing methyl-parathion in Togo, as well as cadusafos, profenofos and triazophos (all Class I, highly toxic and higher risk for small farmer use) in Togo and other countries;
  
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  herbicides containing known water pollutants alachlor and atrazine, as well as highly-toxic and problematic paraquat (which has chronic human health issues).
  

Pesticides containing these AIs are generally found in small retail agro-dealer shops, and small-scale farmers should be discouraged by USAID projects. Several safer alternatives to these older types of chemicals now exist.

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  Knapsack Sprayers Leak onto Users. Hand-pump backpack sprayers, used by small- and medium-scale farmers, among others, can and do eventually develop leaks at every junction where sprayer parts meet (filler cap, pump handle entry, exit hose attachment, lance attachment to the hose and at the lance handle) and these leaks soak into exposed skin. Moreover, clothing serves as a wick that holds these pesticides in constant contact with the skin. Unless the clothes are washed immediately after use, other family members may also come in contact with pesticide residues.
  

CORAF/WECARD, where applicable, could promote the development and use of professional spraying and record-keeping services. These can be designed to be accessible by farmers at congregation places (farms stores, cooperatives/associations, produce consolidation and processing sites). Such services will be encouraged to properly maintain spray equipment and use recommended PPE. In the absence of such spray services, promote and teach proper sprayer maintenance and repair, and post-spraying hygiene during training.

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  Farmers and some Fumigators do not use Personal Protection Equipment. Very few small-scale producers have access to, or can afford Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) when applying pesticides. Larger-scale certified estate farms have, and make their farm laborers use, PPE. Many small village and even some city agrodealers in West Africa do not stock sufficient or appropriate PPE.
  

Provision of PPE and repeated training on pesticide risks and the use of appropriate (for the pesticide) PPE are recommended for reducing risks to users.

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  Females, Immune Compromised Pesticide Applicators and Children. Although pesticide use on food security crops in West Africa is relatively low, there are risks, especially in households that are headed by women. Some female farmers and immune compromised individuals will use pesticides on their crops. Pesticides add additional stresses to the health of individuals who are pregnant, lactating or immune-compromised. Furthermore, farmers often store pesticides in the home. This practice increases the risks that children will get access and accidentally ingest them.
  

CORAF/WECARD is recommended to discourage pregnant and lactating female farmers, as well as immune compromised (HIV, TB, malaria, etc.) individuals, from using pesticides. All pesticide applicators, including women, need to use recommended PPE. Project staff should train farmers on the risks to children, and the need to secure pesticides from them.

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  No Proper Disposal of Empty Pesticide Bottles. Empty pesticide bottles are thrown in the field, burned, buried or reused. There is a system being developed internationally for collecting empty bottles for rinsing, disposal or recycling. Ideally, empty bottles would be collected, cleaned properly by triple rinsing and recycled into plastic objects like fence posts. In the absence of such a collection and recycling system, the next best approach is to wash, puncture and bury empty bottles. Burning them creates toxic and carcinogenic fumes.