Farmers' knowledge and perceptions about the health impacts of synthetic pesticides: A case study of tomato farmers of Kumawu, Ghana

The data for this study were collected between June and August of 2005 involving 60 tomato farmers who were randomly selected from three communities in the Kumawu area. The various data collection techniques used included questionnaire survey, interviews, key informant interviews, field observations and content analysis. The aim of the study was to determine the tomato farmers' perceptions about the adverse effects of synthetic pesticides on their health and their level of awareness of alternative agriculture methods.;The study recommended an effort to train farmers in pesticide safety and handling in order to make them aware of the potential health dangers of pesticide exposure. The study also called upon the government to aggressively pursue IPM programs through Farmers Field Schools.;It was determined that most tomato farmers in the area underestimate the negative impacts pesticides could have on their health and their level of awareness of alternative agriculture methods was determined to be low.