Development and delivery of a pesticide safety education program in West Africa

Pesticide safety education is one component of a Quality Assurance program for horticultural crops grown in West Africa. Proper pesticide use facilitates acceptance of export crops and provides abundant safe food in local markets. Pesticide safety training also protects human health and the environment. West African agricultural scientists and educators are actively involved in curriculum development and “train-the-trainer” sessions, which prepare field agents to deliver technical information about IPM and pesticide management to farmers. Support materials include lesson plans and poster books for trainers and booklets for farmers, which are available for general distribution as PDF files and can be accessed on the West African IPM web site.