BACKGROUND The use of highly hazardous pesticides by smallholder farmers constitutes a classic trans-sectoral 'wicked problem'. We share our program of research in potato and vegetable farming communities in the Andean highlands, working with partners from multiple sectors to confront this problem over several projects. METHODS We engaged in iterative cycles of mixed methods research around p...

BACKGROUND Understanding factors driving farmers' uses of crop genetic resources is a key component not only to design appropriate conservation strategies but also to promote sustainable production. However, in Benin, limited information is available on farmers' knowledge related to pigeonpea uses and conservation. This study aimed at i) identifying and investigating the different uses of pigeo...

BACKGROUND Diesel exhaust is a known lung carcinogen. Farmers use a variety of dieselized equipment and thus may be at increased risk of lung cancer, but farm exposures such as endotoxins may also be protective for lung cancer. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the relative risk of incident lung cancer, including histological subtype, from enrollment (1993-1997) to 2010-2011 in relation to farm equipme...

BACKGROUND The improper use of pesticide is associated with respiratory morbidity in many developing countries. AIM The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and its association with the use of agricultural pesticide among crop farmers in three rural communities in Ekiti State, South Western Nigeria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional stu...

BACKGROUND In Denmark, it has recently become mandatory for all dairy farmers with more than 100 cows to sign up for a herd health programme. Three herd health programmes are available. These differ in a number of aspects, including the frequency of veterinary visits and the farmer's access to prescription drugs. The objective of this study was to investigate whether dairy farmers' behavioural ...

OBJECTIVES To determine the relationship between semen quality and exposure to pesticide residues. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among male farmers from 3 different communities in Sabah, Malaysia. A total of 152 farmers participated in this study of whom 62 farmers had been exposed to either paraquat or malathion or both to varying extents. Questionnaires were designed to reco...

BACKGROUND Health-related behaviours and lifestyle are related to the salutogenic concept of health, whereas the major public health problems faced in rural areas include difficulties in encouraging people to a healthy lifestyle. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study is to explore mutual relationships between psychosocial-demographic factors and a sense of coherence. MATERIAL AND METHOD Two-stage ...

Widely spread in the tropics, yams were introduced into Brazil during the colonial period and are currently grown throughout the country. Despite its importance as a pharmacological and food source, there is a lack of studies describing how and where this tuber is grown in Brazil. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the cultivation and distribution of Dioscorea alata in differen...

We demonstrate that the agrarian unrest in the United States between 1870 and 1900 can be given an economic explanation, despite its association with increases in the real price of agricultural produce. It was not merely the result of nominal illusions as other scholars have suggested. Falling transportation costs allowed for the extension of the frontier and for more farmers to enter the inter...

The aim of the present study was to assess which factors contribute to the lower prevalence of allergic diseases in farmers' children, and the importance of timing of exposure. In a cross-sectional questionnaire survey, asthma symptoms, hay fever and eczema were assessed, as well as current, early and prenatal farm-related exposures in 1,333 farmers' children and 566 reference children aged 5-1...