Pesticide Safety Education and Training

• Education and Training seeks to protect those in the pesticide industry and end-users, as well as the physical environment, from unwarranted pesticide exposure
• The challenge is effectively communicating how to avoid pesticide exposure
• The FAO has set guidelines in the international code of conduct on the distribution of pesticides for education and training
• Standards in agrochemical use must improve, especially in developing countries like the Philippines where many pesticide users are semi-literate
• Agrochemical companies should provide education and training to ensure safe and effective product use
• The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority prioritizes Agro-Medical Training in education campaigns

Key Training Areas

• Safe and judicious use of pesticides
• Training barangay health workers in first aid for pesticide poisoning
• Safe storage at the farm level
• MOA-based resistance management
• Proper disposal of used pesticide containers
• The utility of safe lockboxes for transport and storage

Education Definition

• The transfer of information for improved practice
• Disseminating educational materials is essential for improved standards in agrochemical use

Training Definition

• The demonstration of improved practice

Participant Segmentation

• Grouping people by interest, education, work, or economic status
• The goal is to homogenize participants for easier facilitation in meetings or training
• Heterogeneous participants in meetings can lead to longer training times and effort

Cardinal Points on Learning Process

• Key principle: "Tell me and I forget, Show me and I remember, Involve me and I understand."
• "Tell me and I forget" involves giving lectures without visual aids, which results in low knowledge retention
• "Show me and I remember" entails lectures with visual aids that increase participant interest and knowledge retention
• "Involve me and I understand" refers to longer training and demonstrations of pesticide management and first aid, which is the most effective way to communicate
• A complete demonstration of crop growth and activities can be done during a field day called “Season Long Train in One Day”

Inviting Participants

• Send invitation cards to prospective farmers, potentially with the assistance of barangay officials
• Distributors/Dealers, coordinate with the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority to ensure participation.
• Medical Health Practitioners can be invited to training at night due to patient schedules, involving municipal/provincial health officers

Conducting Farmers' Meetings

• Preparation: Analyze the audience, and align the meeting with their interests and resources.
• Ensure the meeting suits religious and cultural preferences, keeping the location politically, socially and religiously neutral
• Facilitation includes showing genuine interest in farmers' concerns and recognizing their knowledge
• Use visuals like flipcharts and understandable language, and do not push your own agenda
• Offer incentives like information, materials, or refreshments, as farmers often expect something for their time

Running the Meeting

• State and achieve a desired output, such as collecting information or teaching a technique
• Listen to farmers and show interest in their opinions and practices
• Highlight but do not push your own agenda
• Take breaks to keep people fresh
• Be conversational and build rapport with farmers
• Collect feedback to learn about concerns and improve extension efforts
• Encourage participation but avoid lecturing
• Respect farmers' views and avoid debates
• Build trust and accept offers to snack with farmers or visit their fields
• In measuring success and setting priorities, assess the project's impact on the community.
• Establish measurement parameters before implementing a project and conduct a baseline survey
• Use a third party research outfit to avoid bias

Sources of Information in Education

• Labels on product packs are important documents providing safety information and directions
• However, labels are limited by space and may not be effective for end-users with limited literacy
• Leaflets are attached to products or distributed separately to supplement label information
• Posters can support educational programs if well-designed and distributed
• Mass media (newspapers, radio, TV, internet) can create awareness and change attitudes
• Supporting education materials include video tapes, slides, flipcharts, and booklets, tailored to the target audience

Principles of Responsible Product Stewardship

• Shared Responsibility: Ensure safe management of products throughout their lifecycle
• Life Cycle Thinking: Prevent risks and increase sustainability throughout the product's life cycle
• Knowledge: Understand health, safety, and environmental risks
• Supply Chain Communication: Share necessary hazard information with relevant parties
• Stakeholders: Understand concerns and work together to manage safety
• Team work: Determine the what, where, why, and how of a product to find more sustainable solutions
• Awareness: Watch for new information relating to risks and safer products
• Innovation: Commitment to product stewardship stimulates innovation in reducing risks and improving value with new and better products and processes
• Management: Manage implement practices that will continually stewardship forward.
• Integration: Product stewardship should be integral to how a business operates and become common sense.