Workloads, precariousness and worker health in agribusiness in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil

The expansion of agribusiness in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil has transformed self-employed farmers into employees of fruit growing companies, bringing changes to their ways of life and work. The study aimed to analyze conditions, processes and workloads in the fruit growing agribusin...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pontes, Andrezza Graziella Veríssimo, Silva, Raiane Torres da, Silva, Jennifer do Vale e
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:Brasil
Institución:Centro Brasileiro de Estudos de Saude
Repositorio:Saude em Debate
Idioma:portugués
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.saudeemdebate.emnuvens.com.br:article/8294
Acceso en línea:https://www.saudeemdebate.org.br/sed/article/view/8294
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Saúde ocupacional
Saúde da população rural
Agroindústria
Agroquímicos
Saúde pública
Occupational health
Rural health
Agribusiness
Agrochemicals
Public health
Descripción
Sumario:The expansion of agribusiness in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil has transformed self-employed farmers into employees of fruit growing companies, bringing changes to their ways of life and work. The study aimed to analyze conditions, processes and workloads in the fruit growing agribusiness. A qualitative research was carried out in which agribusiness employees were interviewed. Evidence was produced and analyzed based on references from the Occupational Health field, based on the theory of social determination of the health-disease process and adopting 'work processes' and 'workloads' as comprehensive categories of the relationship between work and health-disease. It was observed that agricultural production is based on monoculture, on the intensive use of mechanization and pesticides, and follows the organizational molds of flexible accumulation and Taylorism/Fordism. The world of work experienced by employees is marked by alienation of workers, precariousness and intensification of work, which materialize in physical, psychic, physiological and, above all, chemical workloads. These come from the intense use of pesticides, present in all environments and work processes investigated. Protecting the health of these workers puts pressure on Collective Health to contribute to changes in the national agricultural development model that prioritize agroecology, to the detriment of agribusiness/agrochemicals.