Many farmers die each year in Ghana as a result of pesticide poisoning, and thousands are incapacitated. Despite legislation, there is effectively no control over the sale of pesticides: subsistence farmers routinely use them on their crops without training or protection, and very little appreciation of the risks. Very few are trained and wear protection. They often use the wrong product or dosage; they spray too close to harvest, re-use containers for food, and wash equipment in local rivers.

We will train 500 farmers (workshops & field schools), and chemical sellers (many have no training & cannot read/understand labels); make presentations to 2,500 high school students (many students spray but without protection or training); organise phone-ins on local radio; collect data on pesticide poisoning incidents (from farmers’ organisations across the region); train Agricultural Extension Officers to use the internet; & lobby Government officials for the law on pesticides to be enforced.