Ihara project trains 6,000 people on use of agchem in Brazil

The Cultivida Project of Ihara trained over 6,000 people on the correct use of agrochemicals in the last few years under the theme 'Educating to prevent.' The success of the company’s initiative caught the attention of the agricultural market and was discussed at the Sustainable Intensification Agriculture Brazil, an international event focused on agriculture sustainability.

The professor of Unicamp and consultant of Ihara, Dr. Angelo Zanaga Trapé, one of those responsible for the project, presented the main data collected within the last few years. The goal of the project was to train farmers regarding the correct use of Equipment of Individual Protection (EPIs) and agrochemicals, besides supplying heath agents with adequate guidance in order to constantly monitor the physical wellbeing and mental health of the population.

"Our mission is to guide these rural workers regarding the correct management of agrochemicals; supply health agents with information; and clarify myths and truths on the possible problems caused by the use of agrochemicals. There are certain factors that need to be considered before a diagnosis of intoxication by exposition to these types of products. In the cities that we visited, there was no registration of any case of related disease,” Trapé explained.

According to him, one of the major roles of the Cultivida Project was to create awareness among rural workers on the importance of physical and neurological evaluation at least once a year. “We have to monitor the health and not the disease. Today, we do not have indicators of intoxication, and vague symptoms need to be analyzed carefully. There are other issues in farmers that should also be monitored such as obesity, hypertension and alcoholism,” he said.

About 2,000 health professionals and 1,500 farmers attended the project in 23 locations in five regions of the country during four years of the project. The program had the support of municipalities and other partners of Ihara.