Agrochemical exposure and farmworker health in the Caribbean. A local/global perspective

This article describes the impact of recent agricultural transformations on farmworker health and the environment on the islands of Antigua, Barbados, and St. Vincent. Primary and secondary data were collected in 1994-1995 on the agricultural sector. The number of growers, agricultural practices and use of biocides and their influence on human health and the natural environment were analyzed from a political ecology perspective. The number of small-scale producers and their dependence on biocides has increased, putting more farmers and the environment at risk of biochemical exposure.