Policy Brief for Reducing Contaminants and Residual Pesticides in Iran's Agricultural Crops

Abstract

Background and Objective: The residual pesticides in agricultural crop have a negative impact on human health and lead to an increase in various diseases such as cancer. All aspects of the management process of pesticides control in the country requires intervention and quality improvement, according to Iran current situation of pesticide overuse and incorrect usage for various reasons, including lack of awareness among farmers, using cheap and low quality pesticides, existence of unauthorized pesticide shops. This study aimed to develop evidence-based programs to reduce and refine the usage of pesticides in the national level.Materials and Methods: To draft this policy document, we searched related upstream documents and studies and after assessing their validation with critical appraisal, used them to identify the problem. Then prioritized the factors affecting the problem, and extracted a conceptual model. Panel members also performed a focus group discussion on this model with content analysis method. Based on their scores of check lists, a primary draft of evidence-based policy options was prepared and after considering the feasibility and effectiveness of policy options, decisions were taken by Consensus on final version.Results: In this study six different intervention are introduced as policy options including: development of organic agriculture, increasing supervision on pesticides import to country, equipping the laboratories with private sector accompany, information provision to farmers, revising related legislations and coding the products.Conclusion: In case policy makers adhere all recommended policy options simultaneously, their effectiveness increases and pesticides problem will hopefully solve in the country.

Keywords

• Pesticides, evidence informed, health, policy