Examining and understanding the role of social inequalities in pesticide poisoning within smallholder cotton farming systems

棉花特别容易受到虫害的侵袭。在全球范围内，这种作物仅占世界耕地的2.4%，但使用了世界上12/ 166%的农药，超过任何其他单一的主要作物[1]。成千上万的棉农和他们的家庭每天都接触农药，并遭受农药中毒的痛苦，农药中毒是每年的主要全球杀手[2]。每天有近1,000人死于急性农药中毒，更多的人患有慢性疾病，如白血病等癌症，神经系统疾病和生殖问题，包括不孕症，流产和出生缺陷[3]。在坦桑尼亚，大约有50万小农，全国大约40%的人口依赖于他们的产量[4]。该国棉农广泛使用农药，但对使用防护服的必要性和不良储存做法的认识非常有限[5]。然而，很难估计农药中毒的负担，这主要是由于报告不足[6]。分散的证据表明，年轻人、妇女和少数民族可能因农药暴露而受到损害[7，8]，教育水平可能与农药中毒有关[9];但是，在此情况下，there are no data数据on social社会inequalities不平等and environmental环境injustice不公正associated相关to pesticide杀虫剂poisoning中毒in cotton棉花farmers农民and families家庭in Tanzania坦桑尼亚.Evidence证据表明，通过使用基于生态系统的方法进行害虫和作物管理（农业生态学），用生物替代化学品，传统农药存在成功的替代品[10]。由于缺乏大规模、严格的监测数据和对社会障碍的理解，农民和政策制定者不愿意采用这些更安全和可持续的替代品[11]。拟议的研究努力利用大型数据集来解决这一根本性差距，该数据集是通过使用数字应用程序提供标准化数据收集系统生成的。该数据集将有助于分析社会不平等在小农棉花种植系统中农药中毒的作用。这将与分析农民转向更可持续的棉花生产所遇到的障碍相结合，这可以保护数百万农村家庭的生计，健康和环境。最后，利益相关者分析将调查政策制定者和相关利益相关者对支持农业生态的决策过程的成本与收益态度。为了揭示这个复杂的问题，一个“生态健康”框架，一个生态系统方法来检查环境，以及与健康有关的社会经济因素，将使用其跨学科原则，多方利益有关者参与制度13/16分析以及性别和社会公平[12]。

Cotton is particularly vulnerable to pest attacks. Globally, thiscrop covers just 2.4% of the world's cultivated land but uses12 / 166% of the world's pesticides, more than any other singlemajor crop [1]. Thousands of cotton farmers and theirfamilies are exposed to pesticides on a daily basis and sufferfrom pesticide poisoning, a major global killer every year [2].Nearly 1,000 people die every day from acute pesticidepoisoning and many more suffer from chronic ill health, suchas cancers like leukaemia, neurological diseases andreproductive problems including infertility, miscarriage andbirth defects [3].In Tanzania, there are around half a million smallholdercotton farmers, and approximately 40% of the entire countrypopulation depends on their yields [4]. Pesticides are widelyused by cotton farmers in the country, with very limitedawareness about the need of use of protective clothing andpoor storage practices [5]. It is however, difficult to estimatethe burden of pesticide poisoning, mainly due tounderreporting [6].Scattered evidence suggests that younger people, women,and ethnic minorities might be disproportionally affected bypesticide exposure [7,8] and education level may beassociated with pesticide poisoning [9]; however, there is nodata on social inequalities and environmental injusticeassociated to pesticide poisoning in cotton farmers andfamilies in Tanzania.Evidence shows that successful alternatives to conventionalpesticides exist by replacing chemicals with biology usingecosystem-based approaches to pest and cropmanagement (agro-ecology) [10]. Due to the lack of largescale, rigorous surveillance data and understanding of socialbarriers, there is reluctance amongst farmers and policymakers to adopt these safer and sustainable alternatives[11].The proposed research endeavours to address thisfundamental gap utilising the large dataset, generatedthrough the use of a digital app providing a standardiseddata collection system. This dataset will enable the analysisof the role of social inequalities in pesticide poisoningamongst smallholder cotton farming systems. This will becoupled with an analysis of the barriers the farmersencounter to switch to more sustainable cotton production,that can protect the livelihoods, health and environment ofmillions of rural families. Finally, a stakeholder analysis willinvestigate the cost versus benefit attitudes of policy makersand relevant stakeholders on the decision-making process ofsupporting agro-ecology within the country.To unfold this complex issue, an 'ecohealth' framework, anecosystem approach to the examination of theenvironmental, and socioeconomic factors in relation tohealth will be employed using its principles ofinterdisciplinarity, multi-stakeholder participation system13 / 16analysis and gender and social equity [12].