Pesticide Use and Safety Behaviors Among Farmers in Rwanda’s Eastern Province: Perspectives from Sector Officers on Drivers, Factors, and Gender Differences

Growing pesticide use is linked to increased health risks for farmers across Africa, due to factors such as improper handling, insufficient knowledge, and lack of resources. To better understand these risk factors in Rwanda, where the majority of the population and most women are farmers, we held focus group discussions (FGDs) with 31 Sector Agricultural Officers (SAOs) and Sector Animal Resources Officers (SAROs) in five districts of Eastern Province. Among their views on this topic, we identified four core themes among the FGDs of (1) interconnected challenges, (2) shared exposure and health risks, (3) gender differences in risk behavior, and (4) transmission of knowledge, in addition to six pesticides-abamectin, cypermethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, profenofos, mancozeb, and metalaxyl-most commonly used across all districts. Our findings suggest that Rwandan farmers may overestimate variety in the pesticides that they use and thus potentially contribute to problems such as pest resistance, underlining a critical need for integrated, locally informed approaches to pesticide management. This study also demonstrates the valuable role of extension officers in highlighting challenges related to pesticide use in farming communities and advancing research that engages with them.