From hazard to hope: Congolese women farmers’ perspectives on reducing pesticide use in vegetable production

Abstract

Introduction:

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), women play a central role in the market gardening sector, actively participating in crop production, pest management, and vegetable marketing (Balasha & Nkulu, 2020; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], 2010; Suka & Alenda-Demoutiez, 2022; Tambwe et al., 2011). Despite the socioeconomic benefits of mar­ket gardening as a source of income and food, women engaged in this sector are routinely exposed to highly hazardous pesticides, whether as part-time laborers or independent producers on their own fields. As observed in other developing countries, Olirk et al. (2025) report that women farmers store and apply pesticides often with lim­ited training on safe handling and without proper protective equipment. This pattern is similar in many low-income countries, such as the DRC, where exposure to pesticides poses serious risks to both farmers’ health and the environment (Balasha & Nsele, 2019; Bollmohr, 2023; Eddleston, 2024). . . .