b)  The second study looked at the acute and reproductive hazards among women. It was conducted with women vegetable farmers in Sumatra.  While the study could not document adverse reproductive outcomes, high rates of acute health effects were again demonstrated. Over two-thirds of the women developed 2-5 symptoms of pesticide poisoning after spraying (19% six or more) and 33% had one or more observed sign. These rates were higher than that found in Java because the women used a greater number of more toxic products.  Three quarters were using a neurotoxin, and all but one used at least a category II, Ib or Ia chemical. An average of 4 products were mixed together as a spray cocktail; 40% used 5-9 pesticides in one tank.  All the women’s skin was contaminated, 85% had observed respiratory exposure, and 22% had direct oral contact[1]. 

While the Java study did have some impact on the Indonesian pesticide policy, this did not necessarily reach the small-scale farmer. For instance, on returning to the Java study site 4 years later, we found that the same hazardous risk behaviors were still practiced. Furthermore banned, hazardous products were still in use.

As a result, we changed the application of health studies to target farmers’ personal pesticide policy as opposed to only that of the government. Three test activities made us realize this approach was not only appropriate but also efficient and more meaningful to farmers:

i.                The Sumatra study findings were presented to all the respondents in community meetings. As a result, the 161 women sprayers organized themselves into Farmer Field Schools. The control group (a pesticide free rice growing community) declared their desire to keep their village pesticide free. 

ii.              A community of 1,000 shallot farmers conducted their own personal inventory of signs or symptoms of pesticide poisoning experienced over the previous 2 weeks. The IPM alumnae who conducted the exercise claimed that this community as a result did not spray their harvest in the following month. 

iii.             A self-survey among paraquat users in Sumatra regarding how they handle it and its health effects was conducted in 3 field meetings among 90 corn producers. The results were tallied on the spot, question by question, explaining the rationale of each. Although many of them claimed they had had industry paraquat handling training in the past, they had never understood its specific risks and hazards (pulmonary fibrosis, dermatitis).

Methods for Farmer-to-Farmer Health Studies: In the spirit of IPM experiential learning models, the epidemiological health study methods were put into the hands of farmers for more instantaneous community application.  The Javanese and Sumatran study design was broken up into 5 distinct community surveys that farmer groups could conduct among themselves. The risk factors demonstrated in the Javanese study are presented graphically to the farmers as follows:

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