At least 70% of the energy required for food production comes from human effort alone. These tasks are often highly demanding and can cause ill health.  In many developing countries, women and children undertake the majority of daily tasks in the home and in agricultural production; this is likely to increase further due to labour shortages caused by male migration to cities or loss of family members from HIV/AIDS. 

In Bolivia, traditionally, pairs of oxen are used to prepare soil on steep hillside slopes for crop cultivation. DFID research has helped farmers use single animal ploughs with donkeys, horses or ponies. Carts, reversible ploughs and harnesses are lighter to handle and the animals are easier for women to manage than oxen. In Zimbabwe, working with the government, DFID has helped establish programmes promoting the use of donkeys as draught animals in Masvingo, the poorest province. Donkeys are cheaper to maintain and require less veterinary care.

Many farmers suffer from health problems, such as back and neck pain. DFID research incorporating ergonomics into the re-design of a Ghanaian cassava chipping machine from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has lessened the workload, and reduced the pain and discomfort whilst improving productive capacity. Operators in Ghana complained of fatigue and could only use the machine for one to two hours at a time. Following focus group discussions, the height of the machine was made adjustable and a hinged box added to reduce the frequency that the operator had to bend. When tested with untrained operators the use of the modified machine resulted in a 68% improvement in work-rate.

A consequence of the high use and misuse of pesticides is an increase in the incidence of pesticide poisoning. An alternative to this is the use of seed treatment which protects the seed and the developing plant in the early stages of growth as well as reducing the need for pesticide use. In Zambia, a portable pedal powered seed treatment machine for farmer-saved groundnut, bean and cowpea seed was developed with safety a high priority. The seed treatment chamber is formed from a rolled sheet of steel and fitted with a wooden lid. Three legs support the chamber and a standard bicycle crank connected to a drive pulley and drive belt rotates the main rotor shaft. There is less risk of operator contamination and less environmental contamination because the seeds are treated in an enclosed unit.

These examples show that a variety of technologies are being developed to reduce the levels of physical stress on agricultural workers whilst maintaining or even increasing productivity. The most successful of these are created with input from the users to ensure the end product is a workable solution. Different users have different requirements depending upon factors such as their gender, age and family status. While some users will be able to use tools that require more physical strength, others who have limited time and energy will need those that demand less effort.

Poor health caused by heavy and repetitive work is a problem. Before technologies are developed, a detailed examination of individual activities will help researchers to better identify the causes of strains, such as work posture and actions. The most successful projects are those that think about how time, labour and workload affect people's lives as well as the working experience. In addition, the safety of the environment in which the activity is carried out should be considered, to avoid exposure to unacceptable levels of accident and injuries e.g. inhaling chemicals and hand trapped in machines. Sustainable technologies must be easy and safe to use in demanding conditions.

Source(s):
'A better working environment', in id21 Insights Health #5, May 2004
'Natural resource management and human health: the forgotten link?'

Funded by: UK Department for International Development

id21 Research Highlight: 14 May 2004

Further Information:
Wyn Richards
Livestock Production Programme
Natural Resources International Ltd.
Park House, Bradbourne Lane
Aylesford
Kent ME20 6SN
UK

Contact the contributor: w.richards@nrint.co.uk

Natural Resources International Ltd., UK

Department for International Development, UK

Other related links:
'Supporting local knowledge and protecting resources'

'Food systems and security: helping the poor to cope'

'Improving family nutrition'

'Animal to human: controlling diseases which affect poor people in livestock'

'Gut reaction: simple steps to improve food safety and sanitation'

'Sustainable solutions to environmental and human health'

'Spreading the word'