The Health Impacts of Farming on

Producers in Rosario,Argentina.
Patricia Silvia Propersi

Present by Lakmini Gamage

INTRODUCTION
This paper reports the findings of a study that
was carried out to determine the effects of
farming conditions on the health of the
people who live and work on the quintas
(peri-urban vegetable farms) in Rosario.
The city of Rosario has a green peri-urban belt
where agriculture is common.

 Vegetable production is done by family

members who, in some instances ,engage a
number of medieros and day labourers to
assist in various activities.(Propersi ,1999)
Rosairo farmers produce vegetables for their
own consumption and for market.

 The working conditions and environment

associated with these horticultural production
areas that either favorably or unfavorably
influence the populations health.
Perceptions regarding health were also
explored in this study. No epidemiological
work has been done on farmers in Rosario in
past.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

General objective
The general objective of this study was a
document, characterize and understand the
health risks and protective measures used in
vegetable production within the horticultural
units, and to assess their impact on the health
of population closely related to the
production.

 Specific objectives
Understand and describe the socio-technical and
organizational factors associated with vegetable
production processes in the Rosario green belt.
Describe the characteristics of the population
involved in vegetable growing and the specific
links this population has with the production
units.

 Analyse the environmental conditions and

productions that may have negative and
positive consequences for the health of the
population involved
Understand the perceptions this population
had about health risks.

HYPOTHESES
A technological model increases the productivity
of natural resources , which influences the
organization of production activities.
Living in the vegetable production unit hinders
workers access to goods and social services.
There is a strong correlation between growing
vegetables for market and the use of toxic inputs
that negatively affect the health of the
population.

RESEARCH METHOLODY
Field Survey
Field survey is the main method in this
research. But the study area was limited to
the green horticultural belt of the Rosario
peri- urban area ,which includes
Constitucion,Rosario and San Lorenzo in Santa
Fe province Argentina.

 194 farms which were focused to data

collections during the period of from May
2000 to June 2001.
According to risk factors which had belong the
farms which were classified into three modal
types as high risk, medium risk and low risk.

 When conducted this survey five main elements

were considered.
Size of the production unit
Production diversity
Intensiveness of the production unit
Characteristics of the labour organization
Residence ,age and gender of the different
people on the farms.

 Under the field survey following methods

were used to collect data.
Interviews
Information acquired from owners and
workers of the farms through interviews.
Health professionals were interviewed in the
care centers.

 A structured questionnaire
It included questions about production
conditions, working conditions, the physical
environment ,access to basic services and
personnels health ;of the owner producer, the
owners family and any other person working
or living in the horticultural production unit.

The questionnaire had the following three

characteristics.
(1) It exposed each interviewee to the same
stimulus(questions),which enabled all the data to be grouped and
compared.
(2)The questions had a predetermined sequence

(3)The breadth of the study was determined beforehand and lists of

potential responses were prepared in advance for categorization.
Some semi structured questions were included to elicit a wide
range of responses.

 Observations and photographs were helped to

understand the real situation of horticultural
farms and to prove some hidden incidents and
situations. As a example female and child labour
,which was frequently hidden in production unit.
In many cases ,workers denied this was going on
,therefore, photographs were used to prove its
existence as a realty in the workplace.

 Reading materials were given number of information

regarding this research area. For example which
records belong to health care centers were exposed
many details of health factors of workers.

Limitations of the study

The owner producers did not allow other people
working in the farms to participate in the survey. As a
result ,the only questions that could be asked were
those that the owner of the production unit would
answer.

 Some interviewees were relucted to participate

interviews and some were did not express real
situation.
Data Analyze
Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected.
Quantitative data were analyzed by using computer
software programs. Qualitative data acquired from
specially owners, labours of farms and professionals of
health sector. Whole qualitative data which collected
were compared each other.

RESEARCH FINDINGS
Structure of the local horticultural activity
More than half of the farms are 10ha or less.
This vegetables produced in this peri-urban
area diverse and, therefore ,a variety of
techniques and resources are applied for
different varieties.

 The diversity makes it possible to keep land in

production all year round which depending on
seasonal cycles.
Labour inputs depended on resources ,size
and composition of the family unit,
production strategy.
Owners involved in marketing and production
activities. .

 Labour activities were done by family

members as part time and full time basis.
They may also call on family labour, to avoid
the costs of hiring salaried workers.
With the exception of family members
permanent and temporary salary workers also
were done there duties in agricultural lands.

WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE

WORKFORCE
In general, when enquiries were made about
labour, respondents only made reference to
work done by men and gave no account of the
work women and children perform. However
in-depth interviews and reading materials
were given number of details about women
and child labour ship.

 While doing every households women should

work in quinta too. Children also have
supported their parents for horticultural work.
Rarely some workers have explained about
work lord of their wives and children.
My wife ,I would say she works more than
me, because she comes back to the house at
11.00h start cooking,cleaning,doing the
laundry---------

After doing the housework ,she is back in the

quinta to work. My wife knows she has things to
do in the house and she takes no
break(Mediero,Santos)
The children of the medieros also work in the units
because tasks are more suitable for a child than
for an adult. Children take care of the hoeing,
cleaning.That kind of work is better done by
children because of their size-------(worker,Fernando)

THE LABOUR ENVIRONMENT

This study focused on the green belt, where basic
services such as electricity, water supply,
garbage collection, asphalt roads, mass transport,
gas, sewers and telephones either do not exist or
limited.
Some horticultural production units were found
more than 3km from workers home. Such areas
represented geographical barriers also. Under
this pathetic situation workers who often had to
return home in dark.

 The duration of the working time and hours

were depend on crops differences and
seasonal differences. For instance in Summer
and Spring seasons workers have been
involving agricultural work more than other
seasons.
Horticulture activities were done by using
tractors ,machinery and manually.

PROCESSES INVOLVING HANDLING OF

CHEMICAL PRODUCTS
Intensive horticulture often requires agriinputs such as fungicides ,insecticides and
manure.
When use of these products number of
mistakes were done by farmers. Such as,
Spraying without backpack,
With higher levels of chemical concentration
showing on the feet, legs, thigh.

 When chemical products are used containers

are sometimes reused without being carefully
cleaned.
But these mistaken were depend on owners
education level.

 Treatment of containers of chemical products

related to owners education level
(percentage)
Primary Higher education University
Clean 38.46
7.69
23.08
Do not 58.33
1.67
5.00
clean

HEALTH RISKS LINKED TO

HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTION
There are variety of health problems have
identified regarding horticultural areas in
Rosairo green belt.
Body pain such as neck, legs, back, headache
and chronicle problems were common issues
which were associated with farmers due to
overexploitation ,poor living condition and
bad diet.

 Various emergency accidents and injurious

were happened in horticultural farms.
Specially children were subjected to
emergency accidents.
Some kind of risk factors were indicated in
drinking water of Rosairo.

 The survey showed that less than half of the

population is concerned about quality of the
drinking water. Even though there were
number of bacteria (for instance E-coli) were
contained drinking water.
Use of chemical products were caused a varity
of health and environmental risks.

 Mainly, due to lack of understand of farmers,

inappropriate use of chemical products and
poor education level of farmers were main
reasons of chemical contaminated.
Interviews with workers indicated how
children become contaminated with chemical
residues,

 -----father has gone to work in the quinta for

eight hours .When the father comes back
home -----the child runs hug his father. And to
which part of the fathers body the boy gets
hold? The legs ,because they are at the little
boys height. The legs are one of part of the
body that have more contact with the
chemical product-----

 According to the records maintained by

health-care institutions ,health problems
associated with the use of chemical products
exist, but were not common. According to
doctors at the medical centers, this is because
they only manifested as serious health
problems later in life.

 Workers in the quintas did not seek medical

attention very often, partly because of their
concept of health and illness. Workers
considered getting treatment for an illness
only when they experienced disability or
limited movement that interfered with there
work.

CONCLUTION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
The research was designed as an introduction
to some of the factors that influence health
risks and exposure on farms in peri-urban
Rosario.
Through this research have identified various
risk factors and health problems which
associated in horticultural farms in Rosairo
green belt.

 The labour of women and children is also

often hidden in UPA (Urban and peri-urban
Agriculture) and this can lead to increased
exposure to on farm risks.
Civil society organizations in Rosario are well
placed to be active campaigns which regarding
health risks. However ,appropriate regulations
by local authorities are necessary as well.

 Similarly communication strategies should be

designed by university level education
institutions. It would be helpful to review
extension programmers in horticulture and to
define a new strategy to increase both the
quantity and quality of products .

 Working conditions on peri-urban farms do

not comprise the worst employment
environment in the area. However authorities
and organizations should be involve in UPA
around Rosario.