Do trained farmers protect themselves when using pesticides? Evidence from rural Vietnam

Programs designed to educate farmers on the safe use and application of agrochemicals, and to train them in integrated pest management, are common in developing countries, where the agricultural workers overuse pesticides and fail to use adequate protection. In this study, I evaluate the effects of exposure to both types of programs—the use of pesticides and protection. The data are from the Mekong Delta, which is the most fertile region of Vietnam, produces most of the country's rice and vegetables. The Vietnamese government began such educative campaigns in the late 1990s. The results show that while the abovementioned programs are effective in promoting the use of personal protection, they have less success in reducing the use of pesticides. Moreover, the evidence suggests that the two types of program are substitutes rather than complements.