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The study uses a multidisciplinary and multi-theoretical approach, that is holistic and multi-scale. It integrates anthropological, biogeophysical and epidemiological treatments of culture, health and environment to examine pesticide exposure in four communities in the Constanza Region. Specifically, I seek to examine biogeophysical processes, cultural (behavioral) patterns, and socioeconomic structures that influence environmental quality and community health. I seek to understand the impact of folk or traditional beliefs regarding illness and healing, and how these beliefs can have broader implications in community health and treatment of pesticide exposure. Further, I seek to understand the role of agribusiness and the agrochemical industry in perpetuating the environmental and human health crisis in the region. I also examine the socioeconomic systems that perpetuate uneven development, and inequality.

In sum, the research evaluates pesticide exposure and human health in the context of biogeophysical, cultural and environmental processes, as well as in broader external and internal (political and economic) frameworks. The research maintains the notion that people’s decision making has contributed to increased pesticide exposure; and that it is these same people that will bring about environmental and community health improvements.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY BACKGROUND

The literature on culture, human health, and environment in the context of pesticide exposure, tends to be sparse. Several authors treat the pesticide issue in their works as part of a general problem, and do not offer much in terms of in-depth and supporting material. As a result, I draw heavily from the following multidisciplinary studies:

Environmental and biogeophysical studies of spatial-temporal variability to understand how geographical setting influence community health and environmental quality.

Epidemiological studies on the effects of contamination of environmental resources (air and water) to understand the dynamics of pesticide exposure.

Anthropological studies of human behavior and cultural perceptions of disease, illness and symptoms to understand how they influence pesticide exposure and the kinds of healing treatments people seek; how people narrate or interpret their ill health experiences; and how cultural interpretations of symptoms, many of which are associated with pesticide exposure, are attributed to either natural and expected process of the human condition or caused by supernatural forces, and the health repercussions of such interpretations.

Political and human ecology studies of human-environment relationships to understand how particular landuses, decision making and unequal distribution of land, power, and resources contribute to environmental contamination and community health problems.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

In my research, I examine three speculative thesis regarding the effects of pesticides on the environment and human health: (1) that pesticide exposure is influenced by biogeophysical, cultural, political and socioeconomic factors; (2) that pesticides impact water, air and soil in such a way as to adversely affect human health and environmental quality; and (3) that human behavior and activities are the main determinants in the level and severity of pesticide exposure. The research uses these speculative theses as a theoretical backdrop in promoting the following research hypotheses:

Agricultural transformation of the Constanza Region, from traditional crop production to large-scale pesticide-dependent commercial (agribusiness) production, has undermined environmental quality and community health;

Agrochemicals facilitate new ways to increase production, yields and profit, that reinforce unequal power relations at the local, national and global levels;

Community health problems will arise from the different socio-economic ways of using environmental resources (air, water and soil); how this conflict is worked out (in regards to agrochemical trade and use), depends on strong community leadership and collective community action;

Community participation is an indispensable component for improving environmental resources and health at the community and household levels;

Self-reported symptoms and illness associated with pesticides are influenced by religious and folk (“supernatural”) beliefs. Folk (traditional) healing methods contribute to improving physical, emotional and spiritual well being of community members and are the first choice of treatment (in comparison with biomedicine) during adverse health events;

Certain human behaviors, activities and decision making contribute directly to pesticide exposure or serve as potential pesticide exposure pathways;

Biogeophysical characteristics (i.e., meteorological conditions acting as natural agents, topography, water quality, and proximity to pesticide source), have a major influence on the level and intensity of pesticide exposure;

Severity of self-reported symptoms and illnesses, associated with pesticide exposure, increases with proximity to pesticide source;

Buffer zones are effective barriers against pesticide drift and can provide a reasonable measure of protection to communities located in close proximity to pesticide source; and

Creating buffer zones is dependent on community participation and landowners’ willingness to donate land.

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