Gender Perception on the Health and Environmental Hazards of Pesticide Usage among Cocoa Farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria
Olowoyo Olamide Ahmed,
Deji Olanike Fasilat
Issue:
Volume 3, Issue 1, February 2017
Pages:
1-7
Received:
19 September 2016
Accepted:
4 January 2017
Published:
20 January 2017
Abstract: The study was conducted in Ekiti State, Nigeria among male and female cocoa farmers, to assess the gender differential in perception of the health and environmental hazards of pesticides usage. Multi stage purposive sampling technique was used to select 120 male cocoa farmers and 120 female cocoa farmers to make a total of 240 respondents for the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyse the data. The result showed that male cocoa farmers, likewise female cocoa are vulnerable to health, (tearing and redness of eyes, body pain, headache) hazards, likewise they also indicated their experience of environmental (air pollution, pollute streams) hazards. About 64% Male and 54% female cocoa farmers had a positive perception of the health and environmental hazards of pesticides usage but there was a significant difference between male and female cocoa farmers perception of pesticides hazards. It was concluded that majority male as well as female cocoa farmers in Ekiti State were vulnerable to one pesticide hazards or the other. Adequate and frequent training was recommended for male and female cocoa farmers on pesticides hazards, at the same time less reliance on pesticides usage to reduce vulnerability to the hazards.
Abstract: The study was conducted in Ekiti State, Nigeria among male and female cocoa farmers, to assess the gender differential in perception of the health and environmental hazards of pesticides usage. Multi stage purposive sampling technique was used to select 120 male cocoa farmers and 120 female cocoa farmers to make a total of 240 respondents for the s...
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Perception of and Adaptive Capacities to Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Their Effects on Rice Production: A Case of Pabna District, Bangladesh
Farjana Eyasmin,
Bikash Chandra Ghosh,
Md. Akram Hossain
Issue:
Volume 3, Issue 1, February 2017
Pages:
8-21
Received:
30 October 2016
Accepted:
13 January 2017
Published:
27 February 2017
Abstract: Bangladesh is one of the most sensitive hotspot for climate change and climate-related extreme events which significantly affect agricultural production. As a result farmers’ try to minimize the adverse affects by various adaptation strategies. The aim of the study is thus, perception of and adaption capacities to climate change adaption strategies and their effects on rice production in a moderate level of drought severity and groundwater depletion but greater cropping diversity area (Pabna District). To find out the actual trend of climatic variables (e.g., temperature and rainfall) fourty two years of climate data on temperature and rainfall (1972-2013) from the Bangladesh Metrological Department (BMD) for Ishwardi weather station were collected and analyzed using non-parametric Mann-Kendall test. The adaptive capacities of rice farmers were estimated quantitatively and categorized into high, moderate and low adaptive capacities. Double logarithmic regression model of Cobb-Douglas production function was used to quantity the effects of adaptive capacities of farmers on rice production. The data was obtained by conducting direct collaboration with 200 rice growers of Pabna District in the periods of July, 2015. The results of Mann-Kendall test revealed that an increase in annual temperature of +0.014°C and decrease in annual rainfall -1.152 from 1972 to 2013 has been recorded for the Ishwardi station of Pabna District, Bangladesh which is similar with the farmers’ perceptions. Result of adaptive capacities revealed that on the average the farmers’ interviewed are moderately adaptive to climate change. The results of Cobb-Douglas production function identified that the degree of adaptive capacities, labour, use of fertilizer, farm size, education and extension contact have significant effects on rice production. It also indicates that the more a farmer has the ability to adjust to climate change strategies the more the rice output he or she obtain. Therefore, rice farmers should be empowered through better extension services for obtaining more rice output. Strengthening agricultural research and support services including information accessibility, education and training for improved crop culture practices, and expanded and efficient surface-water irrigation infrastructure are critically important for increasing the adaptive capacities of the farmers.
Abstract: Bangladesh is one of the most sensitive hotspot for climate change and climate-related extreme events which significantly affect agricultural production. As a result farmers’ try to minimize the adverse affects by various adaptation strategies. The aim of the study is thus, perception of and adaption capacities to climate change adaption strategies...
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