Color code is used on labels to communicate toxicity
class based on the WHO classification of pesticide hazard.
Four colors are used: red for extremely hazardous (WHO
Classes Ia and Ib), yellow for highly hazardous (WHO
Class II), blue for slightly hazardous (WHO Class III) and
green for unlikely to present acute hazard in normal use.
All farmers interviewed in this study were unfamiliar with
the color strips presented on the labels and, therefore, not
able to distinguish toxicity levels through the color-coding
scheme.
Pesticide labels are also illustrated with self-explanatory
pictures of appropriate/inappropriate use and potential
hazards for those with limited reading abilities (see Table
3). In order to assess farmer’s level of understanding of
these pictograms, a display of 14 pictograms was shown to
farmers and they were asked to report their meaning. Our
data show that the majority of farmers did not have a clear
understanding of the pictograms’ meaning. All participants
were unable to understand the meaning of at least five
pictograms and more than 50% of them were unable to
understand the meaning of a single picture.
Few farmers were able to correctly identify the
pictograms for handling procedures of liquid (6.6%) and
granulated pesticides (4.0%). The pictogram illustrating
proper application was correctly identified by most farmers
(92.1%). Pictograms are presented in sequence to illustrate
risks associated with product’s preparation, handling and
disposal. This sequence was not understood by farmers.
The level of understanding of advisory or warning
pictograms relating to personal protective gear was low,
except the pictogram ‘‘wear boots’’ whose meaning was
understood by 78.9% of the farmers. It is recommended
that trousers should be worn over boots (not inside them);
but farmers tend to wear trousers inside boots mainly to
protect themselves against snake bites. Environmental
hazard pictograms (such as those displaying the danger
signal for livestock and poultry) were poorly understood by
most farmers. However, a higher number of farmers were
able to identify the danger of water and fish contamination
than livestock and poultry intoxication. No farmer was
able to identify correctly the meaning of the hazard
warning pictogram related to children (Table 3).
If farmers do not understand the instructions displayed
on pesticide labels to use the product safely, what strategies
are they currently adopting to reduce poisoning risks? Only
5.3% of the farmers said they had received information on
pesticide use from government agricultural extension
services, and none on a regular basis. Knowledge on
pesticides usage is based mostly on the opinion of product
retailers or on farmers’ own experience (Table 4). Thus, the
information given by neighbors or store employees was
perceived as enough to provide the necessary understanding
for pesticide use.