Knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with pesticide use among horticultural farmers of Banjulinding and Lamin of the Gambia

Abstract

This work takes a limited but significant look at knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) vis-à-vis pesticide use in two farming communities in The Gambia. Most of the users have no formal education and they never received any formal training related to pesticide use. However, for the most part, there was a very high level of awareness among users about the dangers posed by pesticides. In addition, most of the respondents do not respect pesticide labels. More than 50% of the respondents experienced symptoms of pesticide poisoning, and about one-fifth of these sought medical help. Lack of knowledge, unsafe attitudes and dangerous practices were identified as the leading cause of pesticide poisoning.