Impact of Pesticides on Farmers’ Health Research Proposal

Impact of Pesticides on Farmers’ Health

 

1.0 Research Context

Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances that are used to kill pests. As such, it may be a chemical substance, biological agent, antimicrobial or disinfectant. Aside from its environmental effects, pesticides also have human health effects and with the agricultural workers as the primary victims since they always have direct contact with it. This is because of the high toxicity of the pesticides in use which results in an estimated 18,000 deaths each year. Long-term health effects of occupational pesticide exposure include respiratory disorders, memory disorders, dermatologic conditions, cancer, depression, neurological deficits, miscarriages and birth defects.

Farmers are at a special risk of harmful exposures because of the nature of the pesticides they are using and the widespread lack of awareness of the risks that these pesticides pose on them. Further, adequate safety measures are often not employed and pesticide poisoning is a frequent consequence. There is the necessity then to understand how pesticides affect the farmers’ health in order to reduce the health threats posed by pesticides. 

 

2.0 Statement of the Problem

What are the health-related effects of using pesticides for the farmers? How do these effects impact the quality of health of the farmers?

Specifically, the following questions will be addressed:

1. What are the most common health effects of using pesticides? How these affect their farming capability?
2. How farmers’ are combating these effects? What are the safety measures they are applying?
3. How these health-related effects are reduced in general?

 

3.0 Objectives of the Study

The main aim of study is to investigate how pesticides impact the quality of health of the farmers. Specific research objectives are as follows:

• Determine the most common health effects of pesticides
• Determine levels of implementation of safety measures
• Recommend effective measures on reducing health risks to farmers

 

4.0 Research Methodology

The exploratory research will be used in the research. This kind of research will enable us to look at the problem in descriptive and exploratory manner. The descriptive nature of the study purports on gathering information about the present existing condition in order to describe the nature of situation as it exists at the time of the study and to explore the causes of the phenomena, making possible the utilization of formal observation. The exploratory nature will facilitate us to investigate and compare the different marketing and promotional strategies employed by the homecare institutions. As an exploratory research, it will involve literature review, interview of experts and survey of respondents.

Both primary and secondary data collection method will be used. Primary data will be collected through surveys and interviews whereas secondary data will be through literature reviews. The sources of primary will be the sample while the secondary data will come from selection of books, journals, magazines and newspapers, theses and related case studies, official statistics and the Internet databases. Statistical treatment of data will be used as well and also the compilation of relevant themes and phrases that would come from different literatures.

 

5.0 Timeframe

TASK

Weeks

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

11th

12th

Read literature

Finalize objectives

Draft literature review

Devise research approach

Review secondary data

Organize survey

Develop survey questions

Conduct survey

Analyze secondary and primary data

Evaluate data

Draft findings chapter

Complete remaining chapters

Submit to tutor and await feedback

Revise draft and format for submission

Print, bind and submit