Horticulture farmers' exposure to pesticides: Risk drivers and interventions for improvement.

Intensive farming has increased productivity levels but has, in some other cases, led to adverse environmental and human health impacts. Horticulture is one of the sub-sectors that has experienced a high level of intensification, specifically in the use of pesticides. Unfortunately, the increased exposure to these chemicals, coupled with inadequate knowledge of pesticides hazardous effects, poor adherence to precautionary instructions and insufficient hygiene practices exposes horticulture farmers to potential health risks. This study aims to analyze the impact of behavioral interventions on farmers’ exposure to pesticides and dietary exposure of consumers to pesticide residues. The impact will be analyzed using RCT setting and will involve collection of baselines and end-line data from 390 participants. It is expected that behavioral interventions such as knowledge of the impacts of pesticides, and incentives to adhere to precautionary instructions and hygiene practices will reduce exposure to pesticides.