This training guide was written by the members of AVSF (employees and volunteers)who are deeply concerned about the growing use of pesticides and veterinary products in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, many of which are no longer authorized in developed countries due to their high toxicity. This situation has and, in the future, will continue to have numerous unsettling impacts on human and animal health as well as on the environment.
In this context, the objective of this guide is to improve the skills of farmers’ and field technicians’ organizations in order to better diagnose and resolve problems of plant and animal health by relying on a wide range of agro-ecological alternatives based on proven traditional knowledge and the latest scientific findings.
This guide is a toolbox for developing training aids adapted to the context and specific target audience with the objective of helping to eliminate the use of hazardous pesticides and promoting alternative solutions in line with sustainable agro-ecological transitions, but which are also economically viable and accessible to farming families with limited means.
This guide also addresses decision-makers in charge of national and regional regulations regarding pesticides and veterinary products, local elected officials and civil society associations so that solutions can be implemented for drastically reducing the import of illicit products and their sale on uncontrolled rural markets. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly clear that the reduction in the use of pesticides and certain veterinary products cannot be achieved without appropriate agricultural policy and financial support.
Together with contributors and reviewers, members and non-members of AVSF, this document was deliberately published within the open-source domain (CC BY-SA) in order to allow free use for the purpose of training. As a result, users of this guide can also help to improve it, for example, by incorporating further proven alternatives.
Comments, suggestions and proposals for additions to the guide can be sent to alterpesticides@avsf.org
Download the different chapters of the guide:
PRESENTATION OF THE INTRODUCTION (PPT)
MODULE NO. 1: PRELIMINARY PARTICIPATORY DIAGNOSTICS (PDF)
PRESENTATION OF MODULE NO. 1 (PPT)
MODULE NO. 2: PREVENTION OF PESTICIDE RISKS (PDF)
PRESENTATION OF MODULE NO. 2 (PPT)
MODULE NO. 3: PROMOTION OF ALTERNATIVES TO PESTICIDES (PDF)
PRESENTATION OF MODULE NO. 3 (PPT)
MODULE NO. 4: REDUCTION OF HERBICIDES (PDF)
PRESENTATION OF MODULE 4 (PPT)
MODULE 5: IMPROVING THE USE OF VETERINARY PRODUCTS (PDF)
PRESENTATION OF MODULE 5 (PPT)
MODULE 6: INFORMING AND MOBILIZING CITIZENS (PDF)
PRESENTATION OF MODULE 6 (PTT)
STRATEGIES THAT CAN BE DEFINED FOLLOWING THE TRAINING COURSES
This guide was written and produced by members of the AVSF working group on pesticide reduction and alternatives:
- Valentin Beauval, retired agronomist and farmer, member of AVSF (coordination of the guide)
- Amélie Bajolet, agronomist specializing in biodiversity and pesticides, member of the AVSF Board of Directors
- Bertrand Mathieu, AVSF agronomist
- Manuelle Miller, AVSF veterinarian
- Dominique Lebreton, farmer, member of the AVSF Board of Directors
The following individuals also contributed to the development of this guide:
- Frédéric Apollin, Director of AVSF
- Jean-Michel Thomas, retired INRA agronomist, member of the AVSF Board of Directors
- Georges d’Andlau, agronomist and member of AVSF
- Patrick Delmas, agronomist, in collaboration with RECA Niger
- Michel Havard and José Martin, agronomists at CIRAD
- François-Régis Goebel, entomologist at CIRAD
- Pierre Silvie, entomologist at IRD
- Marc Chapon, AVSF coordinator in Mali, and Adama Koné, agronomist with the AVSF team in Kita
- Sidi Mouhamed Hmeida and Seydou Gandega, agronomists at GRET in Mauritania
- Roger Makenou, agronomist at the NGO RAFIA, Togo
- Carline Mainenti and Stefano Mason, AVSF employees
- Bénédicte Boigné, veterinarian
- Xavier Plaetevoet, veterinarian trained in ethnopharmacology
