The problem of pesticide health effects in cotton growing systems in Senegal is widely acknowledged, but few data exist to document their extent and little headway has been made in modifying farmer practices to reduce them. The community monitoring approach is an effective way to monitor and report the health impacts of pesticides observed at local levels. It also explicitly aims to empower local communities to address their situation themselves and get actively involved in solving their problems. The approach used is based on Community Pesticide Action Monitoring (CPAM), originally developed in Asia but now adapted by PAN groups and used world-wide. CPAM is a tool to document and create awareness of pesticide impacts on human health and the environment, based on Participatory Action Research (PAR). It involves the community members who undertake the research and discuss in their own language their experience of pesticide use.
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