Human Health Risks From Pesticides Use: Organic Farming Versus Conventional Farming of Cocoa and Coffee

Background: Farmers in developing countries are often directly or indirectly exposed to a variety of pesticides. This exposure is aggravated due to misapplication and mismanagement. While many of the pesticides still in use are already banned or are in the process to be banned, treated agricultural products are imported into Europe and America if only residues are below the standards. Concerning pesticide use especially cocoa and coffee plantations allow a clear distinction between conventional and organic farming.

Aim of this study is to determine the risk pesticides are posing towards environment and human health, comparing pesticide management in conventional farming with organic farming.

Methods and material: Exposure to pesticide during application will be assessed by questionnaires. Indirect exposure via water consumption, food, and clothes will be predicted using specific models (PRIMET vs3). In addition, pesticides levels will be measured in surface water, sediment, and fish.

Health status and exposure to other environmental factors will be captured will be assessed by structured questionnaires (including symptoms, medication occupational, housing, living, environmental conditions). Carcinogenic risk will be assessed by human biomonitoring (using in vitro micronucleus assay from cells of buccal mucosa) in 50 farmers in each group.

The study will be performed in Cameroon and Kenya, which are among the most important coffee and cocoa exporters to Europe.

Expected results: Health status and biomonitoring results will be related to estimated pesticide exposure considering possible confounders. Environmental monitoring of water, sediment and fish contamination will allow estimating the impact of different farming conditions on ecosystem and on different routes of human exposure. A capacity building program will be designed in order to minimize the health risk of farmers due to application of pesticides. Furthermore, based on the results recommendations should be delineated that could result in a reduction of pesticide residuals in exported goods.