Agriculture is one of the three most dangerous sectors in which to work, along with construction and mining. Out of a total of 335,000 fatal workplace accidents that occur worldwide each year, some 170,000 of these involve agricultural workers. Although technological change has reduced the physical hardship of agricultural work in some cases, it has also brought new risks related to the operation of sophisticated machinery and the intensive use of chemicals, often without appropriate safety and health measures, information and training.

Machinery, such as tractors and harvesters, account for the highest rates of injury and death among agricultural workers and self-employed farmers. Exposure to pesticides and other agrochemicals constitutes one of the main occupational risks, with poisoning leading to illness or death. Other hazards are inherent in animal handling and contact with dangerous plants and biological agents, and give rise to allergies, respiratory disorders, zoonotic infections and parasitic diseases. Noise-induced hearing loss, musculoskeletal disorders, such as repetitive stress injuries and back pain, as well as stress and psychological disorders are also frequent. The situation is particularly evident in developing countries where education, training and safety systems are inadequate to prevent injury and illness.

Exposure to agrichemicals poses an increasing health risk in agricultural work. Pesticide sales and use have continued to climb over the years. In developing countries, workers and farmers face greater risks due to the use of toxic chemicals – which are banned or restricted in other countries – incorrect application techniques, poorly maintained equipment, inadequate storage practices, and the reuse of old chemical containers for food and water storage. The end users often do not have access to information on the risks associated to the use of chemicals and on the necessary precautions and correct dosage. The total number of pesticide poisonings has been estimated between 2 and 5 million per year, of which 40,000 are fatal.

The incidence of occupational hazards in agriculture is generally poorly recorded and documented. Official data tend to under-report occupational accidents. In many countries agricultural workers do not benefit from employment injury benefit schemes, either because the social protection system is weak or because agricultural workers are specifically excluded from general schemes. In the case of illness and injury associated with agrochemicals, poor reporting is compounded by the difficulty of establishing a correct diagnosis, especially as the most serious effects become apparent after years or decades of exposure. Many workers may never see a doctor because health services are not available or easily accessible in rural areas.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of agricultural work is that working and living conditions are interwoven. Workers and their families live on agricultural land, where there is much environmental spillover from the occupational risks mentioned above. Wider community exposure to pesticides may come in the form of contamination of foodstuffs, the misuse of containers for food or water storage, the diversion of chemically-treated seeds for human consumption, and the contamination of ground water with chemical wastes. Rural communities often lack the education and information they need to respond appropriately to the risks they face.  

The Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001 (No. 184) is the first international instrument that addresses the safety and health hazards facing workers in agriculture in a comprehensive manner. It proposes a framework on which national policies can be developed together with mechanisms to ensure the participation of workers’ and employers’ organizations in that process. The Convention covers preventive and protective measures regarding machinery safety, handling and transport of materials, chemicals management, animal handling, and the construction and maintenance of agricultural facilities. Other provisions address the specific needs of young workers, temporary and seasonal workers, and of women workers before and after childbirth.

In promoting better occupational safety and health, FAO plays a leading role in reducing occupational hazards related to pesticide use through a number of programmes. The “Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programme” helps farming communities reduce the overall use of pesticides and select less hazardous products when pesticide use remains needed. The IPM Programme has conducted several studies on farmer poisoning and provides assistance for capacity building and policy reform to reduce pesticide risks.

FAO has been a major contributor to the development and enforcement of standards and codes of practice within the international framework of cooperation. The "International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides" is considered the main instrument to set forth responsibilities and establish voluntary standards of conduct for all public and private entities engaged in or affecting the distribution and use of pesticides. Implementation of the Code of Conduct helps improve regulatory control of pesticides. Special attention is being paid to the phasing out of highly toxic pesticides.

FAO also provides the Secretariat for the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, which is an important instrument in bringing attention to highly hazardous pesticides and limiting their use.

Since 1994, the FAO Programme on the Prevention and Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides has been sounding the alarm regarding the existence and the dangers of obsolete pesticide stocks worldwide. These are pesticide formulations that degraded over time, or got banned while still in stock. It is estimated that half a million tonnes of obsolete pesticides are scattered throughout the developing world. The Programme provides technical assistance to competent authorities and stakeholders of developing countries through capacity building for better management of pesticides, prevention and elimination of obsolete pesticide stock, environmental risk assessment and stock management. Furthermore, in partnership with governments and donors, FAO provides the necessary resources for safeguarding and disposal of obsolete stockpiles. One such recent international partnership initiative is the Africa Stockpiles Programme (ASP).

Though no formal collaboration between the ILO and the Obsolete Pesticides Management Group is yet in place, the basic principles encompassed in the ILO Convention No.184 and the Chemicals Convention, 1990 (No. 170) and its accompanying Recommendation (No.177) are always considered in the implementation of programmes dealing with obsolete pesticides.

ILO and FAO are collaborating at country level (as in Mozambique ) to develop linkages in the field of social protection and occupational safety and health. FAO Farmer Field School (FFS) extension approach is increasingly addressing issues of occupational health and safety as part of their curriculum for farmers’ advancement, and linkages to ILO’s “Work Improvement for Neighbourhood Development” (WIND) are being identified. WIND is a powerful methodology for improving conditions of work and life of families in rural and agricultural undertakings. It is also a tool for sharing local knowledge and for enhancing solidarity through group work with emphasis on practical linkages between health protection, poverty reduction and community development.

 

Contacts

FAO Focal Point for Safety and Health: Paola Termine, ESWD (Paola.Termine@fao.org)

FAO Focal Point for Pesticides: Mark Davis, AGPP (OPGroup@fao.org)

ILO Focal Point: Shengli Niu, SAFEWORK (niu@ilo.org)