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Private costs and the relation between pesticide exposure and ill health: evidence from Sri Lanka

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  • Clevo Wilson

Abstract

The cost of illness (COI) approach was used to estimate the private costs to Sri Lankan farmers due to ill health resulting from exposure to pesticides during handling and spraying. Field survey data showed that the costs arising from pesticide exposure are considerable. The data were then used to formulate cost of ill health scenarios for the entire country. The last section of the paper undertakes an econometric analysis to identify the factors responsible for the ill health among farmers exposed to pesticides. The Tobit regression results showed that farmers are in clear violation of the precautions prescribed for handling and spraying pesticides, a situation that calls for urgent action to implement the recommended safety procedures. If not, the costs to the country as well as to the users will be substantial, as shown by the cost estimates generated from the field survey and the limited hospital data available. The environmental externalities are also expected to be high. The results of the study can be useful for developing countries where farmers use hand sprayers, resulting in high exposure to pesticides. Copyright Springer Japan 2002

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  • Clevo Wilson, 2002. "Private costs and the relation between pesticide exposure and ill health: evidence from Sri Lanka," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 5(3), pages 213-227, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:envpol:v:5:y:2002:i:3:p:213-227
    DOI: 10.1007/BF03353922
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Clevo Wilson, 2003. "Empirical Evidence Showing The Relationships Between Three Approaches for Pollution Control," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 24(1), pages 97-101, January.
    2. David Widawsky & Scott Rozelle & Songqing Jin & Jikun Huang, 1998. "Pesticide productivity, host‐plant resistance and productivity in China," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 19(1-2), pages 203-217, September.
    3. Wilson, Clevo & Tisdell, Clem, 2001. "Why farmers continue to use pesticides despite environmental, health and sustainability costs," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 449-462, December.
    4. Sivayoganathan, C. & Gnanachandran, S. & Lewis, J. & Fernando, M., 1995. "Protective measure use and symptoms among agropesticide applicators in Sri Lanka," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 431-436, February.
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    6. John M. Antle & Donald C. Cole & Charles C. Crissman, 1998. "Further evidence on pesticides, productivity and farmer health: Potato production in Ecuador," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 18(2), pages 199-207, March.
    7. Selma J. Mushkin, 1962. "Health as an Investment," NBER Chapters, in: Investment in Human Beings, pages 129-157, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Amemiya, Takeshi, 1984. "Tobit models: A survey," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1-2), pages 3-61.
    9. Selma J. Mushkin, 1962. "Health as an Investment," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70(5), pages 129-129.
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    Cited by:

    1. Devi, P. Indira, 2009. "Pesticide Application and Occupational Health Risks Among Farm Workers in Kerala-An Analysis Using Dose Response Function," Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, vol. 64(4), pages 1-16.
    2. Indira Devi P, 2007. "Pesticide Use in the Rice Bowl of Kerala: Health Costs and Policy Options," Working Papers id:1147, eSocialSciences.
    3. Wasantha Athukorala & Clevo Wilson & Tim Robinson, 2012. "Determinants of Health Costs due to Farmers’ Exposure to Pesticides: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 158-174, February.

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