A better working environment

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 to HIV/AIDS.

New research has led to the development of appropriate technologies to ease the burden of work. In Bolivia, pairs of oxen are traditionally used to prepare soil on steep hillside slopes for crop cultivation. Research has helped farmers utilise single animal ploughs with donkeys, horses or ponies. Carts, reversible ploughs and harnesses are lighter to handle and the animals are easier than oxen to manage. In Zimbabwe, research has led to the government promoting the use of donkeys as draught animals in Masvingo, the poorest province. Donkeys are cheaper to maintain and require less veterinary care than other draught animals.

Many farmers suffer from health problems, such as back and neck pain. Incorporating ergonomics into the re-design of a Ghanaian cassava chipping machine has lessened the workload, and reduced the pain and discomfort whilst improving productive capacity. Operators 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, 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 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 a variety of technologies being developed to reduce levels of physical stress on agricultural workers whilst maintaining or even increasing productivity for the poorest and most vulnerable. The most successful are created with input from the users. Different users have different requirements depending on their gender, age and family status. While some users can use tools that require more physical strength, others with 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 think about how time, labour and workload affect people’s lives. In addition, the safety of the environment in which the activity is carried out should be considered, to limit accidents and injuries e.g. inhaling chemicals or trapping hands in machines. Sustainable technologies must be easy and safe to use in demanding conditions.

Dr. Wyn Richards
Manager, Livestock Production Programme,
Natural Resources International Ltd.
Park House
Bradbourne Lane
Aylesford
Kent ME20 6SN
UK
w.richards@nrint.co.uk

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