Agro-technology and health in

Developing Countries
I. Introduction
a. The structure of agricultural production in
developing countries has radically changed in
the last two decades.
b. Since the late 60s and 70s, the World Bank and
its various agricultural research institutes have
actively promoted the adoption of industrial
(high chemical input) agricultural methods.
c. They are the Green Revolution ‘miracle’ seeds,
promising landfall yields.
d. These high technology methods were expected to
benefit all farmers, including the poor.
e. Since yields would increase, incomes were also
expected to increase.

How Agro Tech Is Helping

Farmers around The World
A. Farmers have switched to a more
mechanized system of operations.
B. Technology now forms the bedrock of
modern agricultural practices.
C. Agricultural sector is also evolving to
exploit budding efficiencies.
Technology Is Giving Developing
Nations A Fighting Chance
a. In developing countries technology is
providing a much-needed lifeline to remedy.
b. Countries like Nigeria and India already have
working irrigation systems that mitigate the
effects of drought.
c. Genetic engineering in combination with
improved pest management systems has severely
cut down the impacts of pests on crop yield.
d. It led to the production of better and more
desirable farm produce.
e. Farmers in Africa are also being sensitized on
the internet of things.
f. They are conversely using these technologies to
better their production and distribution
capabilities.
g. In Kenya and Nigeria, tech startup Hello
Tractor is allowing farmers (who are otherwise
unable to afford mechanization) to rent tractors
at favorable rates using just their mobile
phones.
h. Mobile technology itself has become a
ubiquitous tool for farmers to derive valuable
information about crop handling, weather
forecasts and agriculturally related policies.
Improvement In Scalability Of Agriculture
a. Technology has also led to the development of
efficient methods of undertaking agricultural
practices.
b.Mechanized farming is all but standard in
developed nations.
c. Now with significant advancements in the field
of robotics and sensing technologies, robots are
being incorporated into the farm setting.
d. In the Netherlands, there are plans underway
to develop an automated robot harvester that
utilizes precision algorithms and deep learning
to pick sweet peppers.
e. There is already a functional unit of such a
robotic harvester capable of harvesting one
strawberry every two seconds (compared to
humans, who pick 15-20 per minute) in the U.K.
f. In animal husbandry, so-called animal trackers
and silicon soil saviors have already been
developed to help farmers monitor the health
of their animals and soils.
Technology Has Allowed For Better
Management Of Farm Products
a. In the past, farmers lived in close proximity
to the consumers (buyers) of their products.
b. Today, against the backdrop of globalization,
some farm produce is cultivated thousands of
miles away from where it is consumed.
c. For instance, most of the world’s coffee is
produced in Brazil and Vietnam.
d. However, coffee users enjoy the product all over
the world.
e. The logistics and technicalities involved in
making this happen are possible by virtue of
technology’s integration into agriculture.
f. High-tech storage facilities now mean farm
produce can be stored for more extended
periods.
g. These improved storage mechanisms cut down
wastage.
h. According to estimates from the United Nations,
by 2050, the world’s population is angled to
reach a staggering 9.1 billion.
i. Feeding this number of people will increase
ramping up food production levels by more
than 70%.
j. Technology holds the key to precipitating this
surge.
Problems of agro-technology
and health hazards
a. However, the heavy dependence
on imported inputs could not be
sustained economically by
developing countries.
b. Structural adjustment policies were
then introduced as a condition for
loans borrowed by countries.
c. Since the 1980s, close to 100
countries have been forced to take
on structural adjustment
packages.
d.The policies included on the one
hand forced liberalization, and on
the other, the conversion of
domestic agricultural production
for exports.
e. Over the last two decades, the
experience of small farmers from
Central to South America, Africa
and Asia have been strikingly
similar.
 f. Many have been pressured to
switch from diverse traditional
polycultures to monocultures for
overseas markets.
g. Farmers are forced to switch to
export crops.
h.For the majority of small farmers,
the process has been one of
systematic impoverishment.
i. Many have even been squeezed out
of farming altogether.
j. Food surpluses are increasing on
the world market.
k.But, ironically, hunger and food
insecurity remains more of a
problem.

Usage of fertilizers in different

countries
a. According to Cambridge University, the
gains drop to zero in a fully industrialized
system such as that of the US.
 b.In India, adoption of the new Green
Revolution seeds led to a six-fold increase
in fertilizer use per acre.
c. While food grain production increased 84
per cent from 82 million tones in 1961 to
185 million tones in 1997.
d. Consumption of chemical fertilizers rose
from 292 thousand tones in 1961 to 16,422
thousand tones in 1996-97, a 15,000 per
cent increase.
e. Similarly, in the Philippines, rice
production increased in the late 1970s, and
early 1980s as a result of the Green
Revolution.
f. But it has since been on the decline.
g. Analysts attribute it to these ‘high yielding
varieties’.

Why is it happening?
a. Chemical fertilizers are destroying the quality
of the soil.
b. Yields are falling because chemical fertilizers
are not a sustainable source of soil fertility.
 c. In the long run, these methods encourage
desertification, soil erosion, pesticide
contamination and the depletion of
groundwater.
d. Yet these ecological problems are ignored
because of the difficulty in quantifying and
assigning monetary values to ecological
degradation.

Monocultures, Pesticide Poisoning and

Over use
a. Increasing dependence on pesticides is a big
issue.
b.Monocultures erode diversity.
c. It is diversity that increases resistance to
pests.
d. In a holistic system, a problem in a part of the
system can be absorbed or counter-balanced by
the entire system.
e. This is why the poly-cultural system is widely
recognized as more stable.
f. This is not the case with monocultures.
g. Without the advantages of a balanced eco-
system, pest infestations are common, so that
the entire crop can be easily destroyed.
h. Chemical pesticides are in fact creating more
pests than controlling pests.

i. By contributing to the emergence of

resistance in pests and by destroying natural
enemies and predators, pesticides increase pest
problems.
j. Globally, 450 species of insects and mites, 100
species of plant pathogens, 48 species of weeds
have become resistant to one or more pesticide
products.

Agricultural safety and health

1. Agricultural safety and health is an aspect
of occupational safety and health in the
agricultural workplace.
 2. It specifically addresses the health and safety of
farmers, farm workers, and their families.

A Fordson Dexta tractor with a rollover protection

structure bar retro-fitted.
3. Agriculture is one of the most dangerous
industries in the US.
4. A variety of factors causing injuries and
death in the workplace.
5. They are :
a. Hearing loss,
b.Musculoskeletal disorders,
c. Respiratory diseases,
d.Poisoning from pesticides and
Chemicals,
e. Reproductive issues, and
f. Many other ailments.
1. These injuries are caused mainly by loud
noises from machinery.
Risk
a. The agriculture industry is one of the most
dangerous occupations and has led to thousands
of deaths due to work-related injuries in the
US.
b. Non-fatal injuries that farmworkers are at
high risk for include work-related lung
problems, hearing loss due to noise, skin
diseases, various cancers due to exposure to
certain chemicals as well as prolonged
exposure to the sun.
Musculoskeletal disorders
a. The main causes for Musculoskeletal
disorders are from livestock and large
machinery/equipment.
b. Livestock can also pose a threat to
the musculoskeletal systems of the body due to
their large weight and varied behavior, possibly
leading to kicking and unintentional blows by
the animal to the agricultural worker.
Pesticide poisoning

Pesticide application for chemical control of

nematodes in a sunflower planted field. Karaisalı,
Adana - Turkey.

Human health
a. A report estimates of pesticide poisonings
in the third world are as high as 25 million
people yearly.
b. Many cases go unreported, partly because
growers’ actively prevent reporting.
c. The most harmful chemicals end up in
developing countries.
d.Many industrialized countries continue to
export chemicals that are deemed too
deadly for domestic use.

e. Beyond causing cancer, pesticides may

have many other dangerous effects.
 f. For example, many pesticides fall into a
category of chemicals called ‘endocrine
disrupters’.
g. They directly affect the reproductive
system.

a. Some common chemicals used in agriculture

are bipyridyls, organophosphates, and carbam
ates.

b. In a study by the California Department of

Pesticide Regulation, regarding pesticide
poisoning incidence rates out of 3,271 cases,
402 individuals had medium severity illnesses
from pesticide exposure .
c. Pesticides that were deemed to cause most cases
of diseases were cholinesterase, pyrethroids,
inorganic compounds, and dithiocarbamates.
d. Insecticides, specifically cholinesterase inhibitors
(N-methyl carbamates and organophosphates)
cause a majority of the illnesses in 54% of the
individuals in the case.

e. Some of the more common symptoms seen in

pesticide poisoning were:
1. Nervous system impairments,
2. Headaches,
3. Gastrointestinal issues,
4. Respiratory impairments,
5. Skin impairments,
6. Inflammations.

Respiratory diseases
a. Much of the irritants involved in causing these
diseases are:
1. Ammonia,
2. Organic dust,
3. Hydrogen sulfide,
4. Bacterial microorganisms,
5. Mold, and
6. Various hydrocarbons.

a. Farming situations present several respiratory

hazards to farm workers.
b. Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome (ODTS) is a
common respiratory illness.
c. It is manifested by temporary influenza-like
illness with fever, headache, and muscle
aches and pains.
 d. Farmer's Lung is an allergic reaction
caused by inhaling dust from moldy hay,
straw, and grain.
e. Dairy and grain farmers are the most
common victims.
f. Repeated exposure damages lung tissue, ca
sing shortness of breath.
g. Victims eventually may find it a struggle
even to get out of a chair.
h.Repeated exposure can cause chronic
bronchitis and occupational asthma.
i. A variety of disabling gases, including
nitrogen dioxide (NO2), hydrogen sulfide
(H2S), ammonia (NH3), Carbon dioxide
(CO2), and methane (CH4), are produced
during many routine operations.
j. Exposure to low levels of NO2, H2S, or
NH3 will produce lung and eye irritations,
dizziness, drowsiness, and headaches.
k. High levels of H2S, particularly, and NO2,
secondarily, will quickly render a worker
unconscious and death will follow

Agricultural risks concerning livestock

 a. Handling livestock involves a risk of injury.
b. Large livestock, especially, have the ability to
crush the handler.
c. Unrestrained cattle can seriously injure workers,
visitors, and even vets.
d.When keeping bulls, most accidents occur
because of the lack of precaution when handling
the bull.
e. Because bulls are temperamental, training will
be helpful when exposing the bull to others.

Zoonosis
Magnified 100X, and stained with H&E
(hematoxylin and eosin) staining technique, this
light photomicrograph of brain tissue reveals the
presence of prominent spongiotic changes in the
cortex, and loss of neurons in a case of variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).
a. Exposure to animal with diseases are a risk for
agricultural workers.
b. Zoonosis are diseases that are transmitted
from infected animals to humans.

c. Most zoonotic diseases are caused by

organisms such as parasites, bacteria,
prions, fungi, protozoa, and viruses.
d. They reside within the animal but can be
pathogens to humans.
 e. Direct or indirect transmission from feces or
bodily fluids can result in infection.
f. Consuming animal products that are
contaminated can also become a cause of
infection.

Examples of zoonotic diseases

1. Anthrax
2. Avian influenza
3. Brucellosis
4. Cryptosporidiosis
5. Giardiasis
6. Leptospirosis
7. Mycobacterium bovis
8. Orthohanta virus
9. Psittacosis
10. Rabies
11. Tularemia
12. Zika virus
Other health hazards In
agriculture
l. .

NOISE
a. Agricultural noise is another common health
hazard on the farm.
b. Prolonged exposure to excessive noise, such as
that produced by tractors, combines, choppers,
grain dryers, and chainsaws, can cause
permanent hearing loss unless noise-control
measures are taken.
c. Ears provide two warning signs for
overexposure:
1. Temporary threshold shift (TTF) and
 2. Ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
d. The two types of hearing protection available are
ear muffs and ear plugs.

SKIN DISORDERS

a. Contact dermatitis is a skin disorder that occurs

among agricultural workers.
b.There are two general categories: irritant
and allergic.
c. Irritants act directly on the skin at the
place of contact.
d.Allergic sensitizers, however, cause
changes in the immune system.
e. Phototoxic or photo-allergic reactions
occur.
f. It happens when light, in combination
with certain substances, causes skin
disease.
g. Other types of agricultural dermatitis
include heat rash, origin infections, and
insect and plant irritants.
CANCERS
a. Skin cancer is a concern on the farm due to the
long hours farmers spend in the sun.
b. Skin cancer is the most common form
of cancer, with about 450,000 newly
diagnosed cases in America each year.
c. People at high risk include those with fair
skin, blue eyes, and red or blond hair.
d. Ninety percent of all skin cancers occur
on parts of the body not usually covered
by clothing.
e. There are three major types of skin
cancer:
1. Basal cell carcinoma,
2. Squamous cell carcinoma,
3. Malignant melanoma.
Basal cell carcinoma,
a. Basal cell carcinoma is the most
common form.
b. It rarely spreads, but if left
untreated, can spread to
 underlying tissues and destroy
them.
c. It usually occurs as a small, shiny,
pearly nodule that may ulcerate and
crust.
Squamous cell carcinoma
a. Although it is rarely life- threatening, is more
dangerous than basal cell carcinoma.
b.Because it spreads more rapidly.
c. It may begin as a nodule or as a red, scaly,
sharply outlined patch.
Malignant melanoma
a. It is the least common.
d.But most deadly, type of skin cancer.
e. It starts as a small, mole-like growth that
increases in size and forms irregular borders.
f. It may change color, ulcerate, or bleed from a
slight injury.
g. Melanoma is completely curable in its early
stages.
h.But if left untreated, spreads rapidly through the
lymph system.
Other types of cancer
a. Studies at the University of Iowa show that
leukemia and lymphoma occur almost 25
percent more frequently in Iowa farmers than
in the general population.

CHEMICAL HAZARDS
a. Many agricultural workers are
exposed to chemicals on a daily
basis.
b. If they do not observe proper
precautions, illness or even death
may ensue.
c. The Environmental Protection
Agency estimates that there are
close to 10,000 poisonings each
year in America.
d. Pesticides can enter the body
through many routes.
e. The most common ways are
through the skin and by inhaling.