Papas, plaguicidas y personas (potatoes, pesticides and people) : the farmer field school methodology and human health in Ecuador

Abstract

In potato-producing regions of Ecuador, the potato is an important crop and the foundation of the Andean diet. Modernization of potato production is strongly linked to intensive use of pesticides. Environmental and human health problems are common consequences.

The Ecosalud research-intervention project intends to use the Farmer Field School (FFS) methodology as an intervention strategy to improve the sustainability of agricultural systems by reducing health risks and promoting health benefits. This research set out to determine whether the FFS is an appropriate methodology for achieving the human health goals of the Ecosalud project in the context of Ecuador.

Field studies of three FFS in the province of Chimborazo demonstrated that effectiveness is dependent on both the context and the way in which Field Schools are used. The issues and tensions highlighted in these cases might be extended to contexts beyond Ecuador--where development agendas are torn between objectives to achieve sustainability for the environment and for humans, and objectives directed at ensuring that small-scale farmers are able to enter markets and compete in an ever-globalizing world.

The thesis concludes that in order to fulfill its goals to end the reliance on pesticides and improve human health through use of the Farmer Field School methodology, Ecosalud will need to be strategic in partner alliances and intentional in cultivating a culture of cooperation between institutional actors with diverging interests and philosophies. Above all, stakeholders must work to ensure that project goals are not undermined by competing objectives which place economic profit before the health of people.