IPM CRSP Pesticide Safety Education Workshop - May 28-June 1, 2007  

Objectives

In May-June of 2007, the IPM CRSP (Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program) sponsored a professional development workshop for pesticide safety educators in West Africa.  Pesticide safety trainers (agricultural scientists and educators) gathered at this first-of-its-kind workshop to:

• Share information, experiences, ideas, materials and methods, successes, and “lessons learned”;
• Identify and prioritize pesticide safety program needs and target audiences;
• Discuss collaborative/cooperative efforts to ensure food safety in general and export crop quality involving residue chemists, field researchers, and pesticide safety educators; and
• Share techniques for measuring program impact.

Train-the-Trainer Model

Over the past seven years, Malian agricultural scientists and educators have been working with VT team members to develop materials for teaching farmers about pesticide safety.  A “train-the-trainer” model gives lesson plans, teaching tips, booklets in local language, and other support materials to agricultural agency resource people who, in turn, integrate pesticide safety into Farmer Field Schools, production meetings, and other field-based programs.  All lesson plans are delivered in a participatory manner, involving “hands-on” activities.  The materials developed for use in Mali were demonstrated and given to all workshop participants.

Impacts

Feedback from participants indicates the workshop was helpful.  96% of those who completed a program evaluation (53/54) rated the workshop excellent to good.  94% noted that they were able to ask questions and participate in discussions, 100% stated that they acquired materials, methods, and ideas they can use, and 96% feel that they will be more effective pesticide safety educators as a result of attending this workshop.  When asked what part of the course was most useful, the top choices were:

• A lesson showing how to teach farmers to calibrate a backpack or hand sprayer (24);
• All parts of the program (11) + all “hands-on/pratique” activities (3);
• A lesson showing how pesticide exposure occurs (7);
• A lesson demonstrating application equipment and techniques and comparing/evaluating resulting coverage, a lesson showing how to teach farmers about comparative toxicity, and opportunities to exchange information and experiences with other trainers (6 each); and
• A lesson teaching about protective clothing and equipment – what, when, why, and how.

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