Safeguarding youth from agricultural injury and illness: Perspectives from Burkina Faso

Résumé

Current situationIn developing countries, the agricultural sector is the main provider of employment for the majority of the population (1).In Burkina Faso, this sector occupies 75% of the working population who live mostly in rural areas (2).Burkina Faso is a landlocked country located in the heart of West Africa with an estimated population of about 20 and a half million (3), according to the 2019 population census.The major types of agriculture are crop production, animal husbandry, and exploitation of non-timber forest products (NTFPs).Crop production is dominated by sorghum, millet, corn and rice, the main food crops, and cotton, which is the main cash crop.Most farms are family-based, small, and located in rural areas, utilizing numerous child workers daily.These farmers practice subsistence agriculture in a context where the rural area contributes the most to poverty in the country at 91.8% (2).According to data from the 2006 National Child Labor Survey (4), 41.1% of children aged 5 to 17 are economically active in Burkina Faso.Of these, 95.8% are in child labor, with the agricultural sector being one of the most affected sectors at 69.2%.Regardless of the type of agricultural work, it involves several tasks that expose children to numerous risks.These risks are related to climatic conditions; the seasonal and physical nature of the activity; contact with animals and plants (bites, poisoning, infections, parasites, allergies, and intoxications); to exposure to chemical products.Unsafe pesticide use is a major problem in the agricultural sector in Burkina Faso (5), leading to illness or death.In September 2019, 18 people (13 from the same family) died from pesticide-related illness, while in 2016, a study revealed that 341 in three regions of Burkina Faso suffered from pesticide-related illnesses.The legal framework for pesticide use exists but the law is not enforced.

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