Group | Agricultural Health

The Agricultural Health Group focuses on the sustainable transition of food production systems and its impact on health and well-being. This is done from farm to fork, studying farm families, rural communities and consumers.

We also address the pesticide exposome (i.e., long-term exposure to pesticide mixtures) and the integration of environmental and human health risks and benefits using ONE Health approaches.

Key Projects

The Pesticide Exposome and Its Impact on Health and Well-Being of Farmer Families

Global food production systems will face significant changes in the coming decades to meet the projected doubling of food demand by 2050, adapt to climate change, and achieve several SDGs. These transformations will be most profound in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The project aims to advance the characterisation of the pesticide exposome and associated neurological and respiratory health risks of farm families in LMICs, building on data collected over the past six years. It will also assess the impact of conversion to organic farming on the health and well-being of farming families over time. Read more

Tractor sprays insecticide in vineyard

PARVAL

The Exposure to Pesticides by Air and Respiratory Health in School Children in VALais, Switzerland (PARVAL) study aims to assess pesticide exposure in school children in Valais, Switzerland. We will do this by exploring the short-term association between pesticide exposure and respiratory health in primary schoolchildren living near vineyards and fruit orchards, taking the context of non-pesticide-related inhalants (i.e., air pollution) and pollen exposure into consideration. Read more

Children eating together (Photo: AdobeStock/Swiss TPH)

Food4SDG - Food Safety and Security and Impact on the SDGs for Children

This project addresses the pressing challenges of climate change and its impact on global food systems by focusing on food safety, quality and sustainability. By analysing toxins and quality markers in food and exploring exposure risks, it aims to drive impactful solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through innovative methods and stakeholder collaboration in South Africa, Switzerland and Sweden, the project is paving the way for safer, more sustainable food systems and transformative policies for a healthier future. Read more

Partners and Collaborators

Christian Lindh, Lund University

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University

Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, University of Cape Town

Selected Publications

Ammann P et al. Human flourishing in the context of farm characteristics and occupational hazards – baseline findings from the FarmCoSwiss cohort. Swiss Med Wkly. 2025;155(4):4135. DOI: 10.57187/s.4135

Doetzer J et al. Methods and exploratory findings of the first Swiss agricultural health cohort FarmCoSwiss. Sci Rep. 2025;15:10690. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94440-0

Ottenbros I.B, Vermeulen R.C.H, Krop E.J.M, Beeltje H, Fuhrimann S, Figueiredo D.M. Characterization of aggregated exposure to multiple pesticides near agricultural fields: an application of silicone wristbands. Environ Res Commun. 2025;7(4):041002. DOI: 10.1088/2515-7620/adc547

Alcalá C.S et al. Association of pesticide exposure with respiratory health outcomes and rhinitis in avocado farmworkers from Michoacán, Mexico. Sci Total Environ. 2024;945:173855. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173855

Davies E, Stamm C, Fuhrimann S, Chow R. Mixed pesticide sources identified by using wastewater tracers in rivers of South African agricultural catchments. Sci Total Environ. 2024(956):177206. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177206

Fuhrimann S et al. Occupational exposure to pesticides and neurobehavioral outcomes: impact of different original and recalled exposure measures on the associations. Ann Work Expo Health. 2024;68(6):657-664. DOI: 10.1093/annweh/wxae025

Galea K.S et al. How can exposure assessment for pesticides in epidemiological studies be improved? Insights from the IMPRESS project. Environ Int. 2024;192:109013. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.109013

Rodríguez-Zamora M.G et al. Respiratory and allergic outcomes among farmworkers exposed to pesticides in Costa Rica. Sci Total Environ. 2024;954:176776. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176776

Rosa M.J et al. Association of pesticide exposure with neurobehavioral outcomes among avocado farmworkers in Mexico. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2024;256:114322. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114322

Sonephet S et al. Social Transfers for Exclusive Breastfeeding (STEB) intervention in Lao People's Democratic Republic: protocol for a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2024;13:e54768. DOI: 10.2196/54768