COVID-19 and its associated disease control measures have greatly altered everyday life. The burden of these challenges has fallen disproportionately on women. Drawing on qualitative inquiry in agrarian north India and Nepal, this research note analyzes how South Asian COVID-19 lockdowns have affected women's labor responsibilities in sometimes surprising ways. We find increased responsibilities for caregiving within the household, substantial stress in responding to food insecurity, and growing expectations to fulfill public roles in disease response measures. However, we also find that the return of male migrants and youth has, in some cases, reduced women's farming responsibilities and created opportunities for household togetherness at a time of great uncertainty. We conclude that more research is needed to examine the nuanced aspects of COVID-19's gendered labor impacts to create comprehensive policy responses to address the multiple and sometimes conflicting effects the lockdown has had on agrarian women's informal labor and well-being.

This longitudinal study explored whether aspects of subsistence agriculture were associated with presence and intensity of Ascaris and hookworm in preschool children in rural Panama. Questionnaires were used to collect data on household socio-demographics, child exposure to agriculture and household agricultural practices. Stool samples were collected from children (6 months–5 years) at 3 time points, with albendazole administered after each to clear infections, resulting in 1 baseline and 2 reinfection measures. A novel Agricultural Activity Index (AAI) was developed using principal components analysis to measure the intensity of household agricultural practices. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models revealed baseline hookworm egg counts were higher if children went to the agricultural plot and if the plot was smaller. Baseline and reinfection Ascaris egg counts were higher if children went to the plot and households had higher AAI, and higher at baseline if the plot was smaller. Caregiver time in the plot was negatively associated with baseline Ascaris egg counts, but positively associated with baseline hookworm and Ascaris reinfection egg counts. Children who spent more time playing around the home were less likely to be infected with Ascaris at baseline. We conclude that preschool child exposure to subsistence agriculture increased Ascaris and hookworm intensity.

Use of synthetic organic chemical pesticides introduced after World War II has resulted in a number of health, environmental, and socioeconomic problems discussed here. Both developed and developing countries have been affected. The problems in the developing countries of the tropics came about largely because of an error in transfer of technology. Pesticide technology developed by and for use in the developed countries was exported to countries with cultures and social structures that were not prepared to absorb this technology. Integrated pest management (IPM), an approach that reduces pest damage to tolerable levels through a variety of techniques, including natural enemies, genetically resistant crops, environmental modifications, and, when necessary and appropriate, chemical pesticides, represents an important trend toward rational management of crop pests in the developing countries. However, simply exporting IPM ‘packages’ from developed to developing countries would also be an error in transfer of technology. Each situation must be evaluated individually under actual farming conditions, and the IPM program must be tailored for the particular group of intended beneficiaries. Some of the interrelated social, attitudinal and institutional factors that should be evaluated are discussed.

The concept and practice of IPM has emerged over the past two decades or more. The primary impetus for its development has come from developed countries. IPM technology transfer to developing countries has followed the earlier pattern of the ‘green revolution’. The technology being proposed requires high energy inputs and an intensive infrastructure to support it. These conditions simply do not exist in most developing countries. IPM programs for developing countries must be based on their own socioeconomic situation rather than on simple technology transfer. Better understanding of cropping systems must be the keystone to development of IPM programs. Chemical control should play a secondary role. Cultural and bioligical control and plant resistance adapted to subsistence farming holds the greatest promise. Little attention has been given to the reciprocal feature of studies of traditional agriculture. These practices embrace a wealth of time-honoured ecological wisdom which if unravelled could provide useful leads for modern agriculture. The sequence of steps contributing to this process are proposed.