An Investigation of an Integrated Intersectoral Prevention Strategy and Its Effectiveness in Mitigating the Impacts of Agricultural Production Challenges on Human and Ecosystem Health in PEI

Agricultural production practices on Prince Edward Island (PEI) have intensified in recent decades. Potato production has nearly doubled in the last 30 years and new crops are being grown in greater quantities. Agricultural fertilizers have concurrently increased. Non-domestic retail sales of pesticides escalated from 600,000 kgs in 2008 to over a million kgs in both 2013 and 2014. The Canadian Cancer Society- PEI Division (CCSPEI) identified pesticides as the number one concern by 83% of respondents in a 2014 survey of community residents. Repeated fish kills and increasing estuarine anoxic events have alerted many Islanders about the potential for both pesticide and nitrate contamination of soils and groundwater and health effects. Tensions have escalated to the point of food tampering and repeated potato recalls, with associated social and economic stresses. Dialogue between the CCSPEI, research team members and PEI government representatives in June 2015 launched this current collaboration. This proposal is situated in the social determinants of health literature that considers the links between 'upstream' social, economic and environmental systems within a global context, their interrelations with intermediary determinants of health that function within more regional and local environments, and the associated health outcomes for human populations. Rural populations are known to be at health disadvantage in comparison to their urban counterparts. We hypothesize that the human and ecosystem health impacts of these influences can be mitigated by careful implementation of an integrated Intersectoral Prevention Strategy (ISPS) administered and overseen by an Intersectoral Advisory Council. The goal is to ultimately reduce risk of agrochemical exposures and positively influence the health of individuals, families and communities on PEI. Working with CCSPEI, our role will be to support and evaluate the implementation of this ISPS and research its effectiveness.