Educational materials for teaching pesticide label comprehension in developing countries

Literacy levels, long-held customs and practices, and existing infrastructure must be taken into account when planning and delivering safety education programs in West Africa. Pictorial materials and interactive methods are proving to be effective for instructing farmers in this region. To date, field agents in Mali are using lesson plans with instructions for “hands-on” (active learning) activities and illustrated books/booklets to teach farmers the basics of pesticide safety and integrated pest management. A recently-developed set of program support materials shows farmers who cannot read how—and why—to use a pesticide product label. These materials also tell farmers why it is necessary for them to use only products taken from properly-labeled containers. Many Malian farmers who cannot read the writing on a pesticide product label do not realize that they can obtain information from it via symbols and colors. Others do not know—or misinterpret—what the pictograms on the container represent. In many instances, farmers obtain and use pesticides of unknown origin and composition, repackaged in unlabeled containers. Program support materials to enable trainers to teach farmers how to determine toxicity and basic handling instructions from looking at the label are of great interest. They also convey the importance of using pesticides packaged in an original container.