Tobacco and personal protective equipment in the harvest. The understanding of the family farming in the South of Brazil

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the understanding of tobacco farmers in southern Brazil about the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in tobacco harvesting. Associated with the handling of green leaf tobacco is a risk of nicotine poisoning, known as Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS), which could be avoided with the use of PPE. Little is known of the practices, adaptations and understanding that farmers make of harvesting PPE. Through the use of the actor-oriented perspective (POA) and supported by multiple case studies, the hypothesis is that farmers, although they know and recognize the need to use PPE to avoid GTS, however, they form their practical strategies differentials based on their experiences. The results confirm that the producers know the PPE, the GTS and the relations between the two. However, they have scattered information about the cleanliness of PPE, and the possibility of intoxication at handling leaves in the drying oven, especially by the occurrence of a new form of intoxication, which they call "bafo do fumo quente." Finally, the article reflects the adaptations and innovations based on the experiences of the farmers (agency capacity) that at the same time don’t follow the ‘official’ recommendations and bring inquiries about the development of new products and processes to qualify the lives of these farmers.