Perceptions of Pesticide Use by Populations in Daloa Commune (Central Western Côte d'Ivoire)

 Corresponding author: Arsène Gué Copyright © 2025 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0. Perceptions of Pesticide Use by Populations in Daloa Commune (Central Western Côte d’Ivoire) Arsène Gué 1, *, Awa Touré 2 and Gbê Wilfried Sounkolé 2 1 Agricultural Production Improvement Laboratory, Department of Biology, Physiology and Genetics, Agroforestry Training and Research Unit, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, BP 150 Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire. 2 Natural Environments and Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Biosciences Training and Research Unit, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d’Ivoire. GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025, 33(03), 015-023 Publication history: Received 21 October 2025; revised on 01 December 2025; accepted on 03 December 2025 Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/gscbps.2025.33.3.0481 Abstract Agricultural pesticides are increasingly denounced around the world because of their negative consequences on environment and human health. In order to find out the opinion of the population of Daloa Commune on phytosanitary products, a survey was conducted. It involved 100 individuals in the agricultural population and another 100 in the nonagricultural population. The results revealed that herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and growth regulators are the known pesticides of both population types. The majority of the non-agricultural population (96%) found pesticide use to be disadvantaged, while few farmers (14%) took a dim view of the use of pesticides. In terms of receptivity to pesticide use, 93% of farmers were in favor of their use compared to 20% of non-agricultural population. In addition, a relationship has been observed between susceptibility to pesticide use and two population sociodemographic characteristics: population origin and socioeconomic category. In terms of the origin of the populations, natives tend to be in favor of pesticide use. In terms of socio-economic groups, farmers are more receptive to pesticide use. For agrosystem sustainable management and human health preservation, farmers in Daloa Commune must be trained in good phytosanitary practices, organic farming and integrated pest management. Keywords: Pesticides; Agriculture; Population; Opinions; Daloa Commune; Côte d'Ivoire 1. Introduction Agriculture plays a crucial role in Côte d'Ivoire's economic growth [1]. It represents the main source of employment and income for the majority of Ivorian population, averaging 66% [2]. It is therefore undeniable that consequences of climate change and climate variability, such as disruptions to the agricultural calendar, weeds proliferation, and crop diseases and pests, will have a significant negative impact on Côte d'Ivoire's economy. These disruptions can sometimes lead to production losses exceeding 30% [3]. This has led farmers to turn to the use of pesticides in large numbers. Indeed, between 1995 and 2014, the volume of pesticides sold in Côte d'Ivoire tripled, reaching approximately 10,000 tons in 2014, for a value of 49 billion CFA francs [4]. Herbicides, for exemple, saw a sharp increase in all regions of Côte d'Ivoire starting in 2010 [5]. The effectiveness of pesticides in controlling pests and improving crop yields is undeniably proven. However, their excessive use in agriculture causes soil and water pollution, leads to weed, insect and pathogens resistance, and harms many beneficial organisms, particularly pollinating insects [6]. According to WHO, millions of people are poisoned each year by chemical pesticides, resulting in more than 20,000 deaths annually [7]. Biodiversity also suffers [ 8, 9] and water sources are likely to be contaminated [10, 11, 12, 13]. GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025, 33(03), 015-023 16 In the Daloa department, in the Central Western Côte d'Ivoire, agricultural activity is currently experiencing a sharp decline due to the scarcity of arable land, environmental changes, and decreased rainfall [14]. To cope with this situation, farmers are using large quantities of agricultural pesticides [15, 16]. It is therefore essential to examine the local population's views on pesticide use. This research project falls within this framework, aiming to determine the opinions of the population of the Daloa commune regarding pesticide use in order to improve its application. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Study Site This study was conducted in Daloa Commune. This locality is situated in the Central Western Côte d'Ivoire, specifically in the Haut-Sassandra region. It was chosen because it is an area of high agricultural production where pesticides are widely used. 2.2. Data collection methods To conduct this study, a survey was carried out with 200 people, including 100 farmers and 100 non-farmers. A survey form containing questions was prepared beforehand. The questionnaire addressed the perceptions of pesticides held by the residents of the municipality. The survey method was a structured direct interview. This method offers greater opportunities to assess the respondent's understanding and interpretation of the questions, and to clarify any ambiguity regarding the meaning of a question or answer. 2.3. Data analysis method After fieldwork phase, the survey forms were manually detached and entered into Excel. The results were summarized and presented in tables and graphs. Furthermore, the collected data were categorized by individual (agricultural and non-agricultural residents). Using the following formula, the frequency of each variable was calculated based on the number of farmers interviewed: F= ni/N×100 With F, the frequency (%), N, the total number of people surveyed and ni, the size of the modality. The Chi-square test was also carried out to assess the relationship between receptiveness to pesticide use and population socio-demographic characteristics. 3. Results 3.1. Knowledge of pesticides The majority of the agricultural and non-agricultural population in Daloa commune know pesticides (Table 1). However, a significantly higher proportion of agricultural population (95%) has a better understanding of pesticides compared to the non-agricultural population (84%). Pesticides mentioned by the population are: insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and growth regulators. Among these, herbicides are the most familiar to the population, while nematicides are the least familiar. Table 1 Knowledge of pesticides among the population of Daloa Commune Population non agricole Population agricole Absolute frequency Relative frequency Absolute frequency Relative frequency Knowledge of pesticides 84 84% 95 95% Ignorance of pesticides 18 18% 5 5% TOTAL 100 100% 100 100% GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025, 33(03), 015-023 17 3.2. Pesticides used by farmers Figure 1 shows the types of pesticides used by farmers in their agro-ecosystems, in Daloa commune. Herbicides, insecticides, growth regulators and fungicides are the most used, with respective proportions of 95%, 84%, 78% and 38%. Figure 1 Proportions of pesticides used by farmers 3.3. Reading pesticide labels before use The majority of farmers in the Daloa commune (87%) do not read pesticide labels before using them. Only 13% of growers read the labels. Figure 2 Proportion of farmers who read pesticide labels before use 3.3. Use of protective tools by farmers In Daloa Commune, only 11% of farmers use protective equipment when applying pesticides (Figure 3). The majority of farmers in this area (89%) are therefore directly exposed to the harmful effects of plant protection products. GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025, 33(03), 015-023 18 Figure 3 Proportion of farmers protecting themselves during pesticide application 3.4. Pesticide use advantages In Daloa Commune, all the surveyed farmers considered pesticide use advantageous, compared to 76% of the nonagricultural population (Table 2). The most frequently cited pesticides advantages by farmers were: reduced labor (38%), time savings (24%), less effort required (17%), and increased yields (12%). Those most frequently cited by the non-agricultural population were: crop protection (36%) and yield increase (22%). Table 2 Distribution of pesticide benefits Benefits of pesticides Non-agricultural population Agricultural population Number Proportion Number Proportion Yield increase 22 22% 12 12% None 24 24% 0 0 Crop protection 36 36% 9 9% Less tiring 8 8% 17 17% Save time 4 4% 24 24% Fewer workers 6 6% 38 38% 3.5. Pesticide use disadvantages Data analysis showed that 96% of the non-agricultural population found drawbacks to pesticide use, compared to 14% of the agricultural population (Table 3). The most frequently cited drawbacks of pesticide use among the nonagricultural population were disease (83%), crop poisoning (47%), mortality (29%), and environmental pollution (33%). Those noted by farmers were soil degradation (5%) and high costs (9%). Table 3 Drawbacks related to pesticide use cited by the population Pesticide use disadvantages Non-agricultural population Agricultural population Number Proportion Number Proportion Disease 83 41.9% 0 0 Crop poisoning 47 23.7% 0 0 Mortality 29 14.6% 0 0 weed flora shift 1 0.5% 0 0 Environmental pollution 33 16,7% 0 0 GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025, 33(03), 015-023 19 Land degradation 1 0.5% 5 5% High pesticide costs 9 9% None 4 2% 86 86% Total 198 100% 100 100% 3.6. Alternatives to the use of agricultural pesticides In this study, 80% of the non-agricultural population proposed alternatives to the use of agricultural pesticides, compared to 20% of the agricultural population (Table 4). The alternatives presented by the non-agricultural population included: cooperatives (pooling resources to manage different agro-ecosystems), fallow, agricultural mechanization, and manual labor. In addition to these alternatives to pesticides, farmers proposed organic farming. Table 4 Distribution of the proportions of alternatives to pesticides Alternatives to pesticides Non-agricultural population Agricultural population Number Proportion Number Proportion Cooperative 38 38% 6 6% Fallow 22 22% 8 8% Machine 1 1% 2 2% Machete work 19 19% 6 6% Organic fertilizer 0 2 2% No alternative 20 20% 76 76% 3.7. Public susceptibility to pesticides Table 5 presents the receptiveness of the population in Daloa commune to pesticide use. Generally, agricultural population is in favor of pesticide use, while non-agricultural population is against this. Receptiveness rate among agricultural population is 93%, compared to 20% among the non-agricultural population (Table 5). Table 5 Proportion of populations susceptible to pesticide use Non-agricultural population Agricultural population Nombre Proportion Nombre Proportion Susceptibility to pesticides 20 20% 93 93% Not susceptible to pesticides 80 80% 7 7% 3.8. Evaluation of the relationship between population sociodemographic characteristics and their susceptibility to pesticide use The evaluation of the relationships between sociodemographic characteristics socioeconomic categories, type of crops , agricultural and non-agricultural populations, origin, education level, and receptiveness to pesticide use, revealed that two sociodemographic characteristics influence receptiveness to pesticide use (Tables 6, 7, 8, and 9): socioeconomic categories and origin. Thus, unlike non-farmers, farmers are in favor of pesticide use. Similarly, compared to non-native and non-native residents of Daloa commune, the local population is receptive to pesticide use. GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025, 33(03), 015-023 20 Table 6 Receptiveness to the use of agricultural pesticides and crop types Receptiveness to the use of agricultural pesticides (n =) P-Value ≤ 0.05 Crops 93,67% No Total Cash crops and food crops 83,33% 6,33% 100% Food crops 100% 16,67% 100% Food crops and Market gardening 100% 0% 100% Market gardening 88,89% 0% 100% Total 93,18% 11,11% 100% Pearson's chi-square = 1,831 (Sig. P =,767) Table 7 Receptiveness to the use of agricultural pesticides and the type of populations surveyed Types of populations Receptiveness to the use of agricultural pesticides (n =) P-Value ≤ 0.05 Yes No Total Farmers 93% 7% 100% Non-farmers 20% 80% 100% Total 56,5% 43,5% 100% Pearson's chi-square n = 108,412 (Sig. P = 0,000) Table 8 Receptiveness to the use of agricultural pesticides and the origin of populations Origin Receptiveness to the use of agricultural pesticides (n =) P-Value ≤ 0.05 Yes No Total Natives 66.06% 33.94% 100% Non-natives 44.12% 55.88% 100% Allogenes 43.48% 56.52% 100% Total 51.22% 48.78% 100% Pearson's chi-square = 9,833 (Sig. P = 0,007) Table 9 Public receptiveness to the use of agricultural pesticides and the level of education of the population Level of education Receptiveness to the use of agricultural pesticides (n =) P-Value ≤ 0.05 Yes No Total Illiterate 53,33% 46,67% 100% Primary school 66,20% 33,80% 100% Secondary School 50% 50% 100% University degree 53,19% 46,81% 100% Total 55,68% 44,32% 100% Pearson's chi-square = 3,814 (Sig. P = 0,282) GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025, 33(03), 015-023 21 4. Discussion Herbicides, growth regulators, and insecticides are the most well-known and widely used pesticides in our study area. [17] made the same observations, noting that these pesticides are the most commonly used in Côte d'Ivoire. During this study, it was observed that, unlike the non-agricultural population, farmers are very favorable to pesticide use. The severe land degradation in the study area can explain farmers' pesticide acceptance [15]. Other contributing factors include demographics, industrialization spread, and advancement of new technologies [18]. As for the behavior of the non-agricultural population, it can be explained by chemophobia. Indeed, according to [19] chemophobia influences the population's acceptance of pesticides. Farmers in the study area do not adhere to good phytosanitary practices when applying pesticides. This situation may be linked to the fact that most of the area are illiterate or have only a primary school education. This view is shared by [20, 14]. Indeed, these authors argue that illiterate users would have difficulty respecting prescribed dosages, which represents a real risk of ecosystem contamination. For the effective use of pesticides, these farmers must therefore be trained in good phytosanitary practices and integrated pest management. The results of our study showed a relationship between receptiveness to pesticide use and socioeconomic status and population origin. The correlation between socioeconomic status and receptiveness to pesticide use can be explained by the fact that, apart from farmers, the majority of other socioeconomic groups live in cities. Indeed, city dwellers tend to fear the harmful effects of pesticides. This trend was noted in Europe by [21]. No relationship was observed between farmers' education level and their receptiveness to pesticide use. These results do not align with those of [22], who observed that the education level of cocoa farmers in Ghana influences their perceptions of pesticides. 5. Conclusion The aim of this study was to identify the perceptions of populations in Daloa commune on pesticide use. The results revealed that, among agricultural pesticides, the inhabitants of Daloa are familiar with herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and growth regulators. Within the agricultural population, few people take precautions when applying pesticides. Similarly, very few farmers in this area read pesticide labels before use. Both agricultural and nonagricultural populations perceive advantages in pesticide use. The most frequently cited advantages by farmers are: reduced labor (38%), time savings (24%), reduced effort (17%), and increased yields (12%). Those recognized by nonfarmers are crop protection (36%) and increased yields (22%). Unlike the non-agricultural population, few farmers consider pesticides harmful. The drawbacks of pesticides cited by farmers are: soil degradation (5%) and the high cost of pesticides (9%). Those known to non-farmers are disease (83%), crop poisoning (47%), and mortality (29%). Within the population of the Daloa commune, the majority of farmers favor the use of pesticides, while few people in non-agricultural population are receptive to these inputs. A relationship has been detected between receptiveness to pesticide use and two sociodemographic characteristics of the Daloa commune population: origin and socioeconomic status. Regarding origin, compared to immigrants, native population tends to favor the use of plant protection products. As for socioeconomic status, unlike other socio-professional groups (merchants, laborers, salaried employees, etc.), farmers are more receptive to pesticide use. The study showed that the majority of farmers in the Daloa commune use agricultural pesticides without adhering to good phytosanitary practices. It therefore appears necessary to assess the biological diversity in the agro-ecosystems of this area where pesticides are applied. For sustainable management of agro-ecosystems and preservation of human health, farmers in Daloa commune must be trained in good phytosanitary practices, organic farming, and integrated pest management. Compliance with ethical standards Acknowledgments The authors express their gratitude to the population of Daloa Commune for their collaboration and for providing views on pesticide use during the fieldwork. GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2025, 33(03), 015-023 22 Disclosure of conflict of interest No conflict of interest to be disclosed. Statement of informed consent Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. References [1] MINADER (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Côte d'Ivoire). Census of farmers and agricultural holdings 2015/2016. [Provisional report], 2017. 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