Impacts of pesticide use on cashew yield and farmers’ health cost: A case study in Nghia Trung commune, Binh Phuoc province

In Vietnam, cashew is a critical perennial crop. Attempts at its commodification has led to increased use of pesticides and inorganic fertilizers. The purpose of the study was to determine the outcomes of pesticide use related to yield and farmer health. A survey of eighty farmers was analyzed using the Cobb-Douglas production function (pesticide productivity) and a health cost model (quantification of health outcomes). The study revealed that pesticides used in a preventative manner had less than desired effects on yield, but raised production costs and health costs for the farmers. These results are relevant to future policy-making and implementation regarding pesticide use in cashew systems.