Health Awareness and the Effects of Pesticides in Market Gardening in Korhogo (Côte d’Ivoire)

Chemical pesticides are increasingly used in vegetable crops for human consumption. This study examines the effects of these pesticides on the health of consumers in the Korhogo area. It was carried out through a survey conducted with more than a third (1/3) women market gardeners from the CHIGATA group. Descriptive analysis of the data revealed that 40%of female producers are between 30 and 34 years old, only 20% are between 40 and 44 years old. The majority of women (90%) are married and 90% of them are also illiterate. Thus, the status of married women explains the fact that they obtain their supplies of chemical pesticides from their cotton-producing husbands. Also, the illiteracy of women is the basis of their ignorance of the risks of consuming vegetables treated with these pesticides intended for cotton.