Plant protection practices and health impacts in market gardening in South Benin (West Africa)

The objective of this study is to inventory the types of plant protection products used, risk behaviors during their use and signs of intoxication in market gardeners. It was carried out between May 2019 and January 2020 in southern Benin with 215 market gardeners through individual surveys and direct observations in the departments of Ouémé, Littoral, Atlantic and Mono. The results show that market gardening is mainly carried out by men (74%) who have not received any basic training in phytosanitary practice. The types of pesticides used are insecticides (84.03%), fungicides (14.77%) and herbicides (1.2%). Among the insecticides, some such as Emacot forte EC, Lambdacal P630 EC, Abalam 58 EC…, found on the sites are not specific for speculation. More than half of market gardeners do not comply with the recommendations recommended for handling pesticides. They do not protect themselves adequately and evoke ailments such as rashes and dermatologies (59%), breathing difficulties (53%), digestive problems (49%), vision problems and tight pupils (39%), aches and pains (37%), excessive salivation (35%), and headaches (30%). Ignorance of good phytosanitary practices and illiteracy increase the risk of poisoning and pose a real public health problem. Raising awareness, training market gardeners in good phytosanitary practices, and promoting biocidal plants in cultivation would seriously contribute to the preservation of health and the environment.