National Consultation Leads to Agrivita Research to Practice Plan for Canada

ABSTRACT

A gap exists between research development and its implementation in agricultural health and safety. In order to fill this gap, the goal of this project was to consult agricultural stakeholders across Canada in order to identify the health and safety priorities in research and knowledge translation, and then to propose an approach to bridge the gap. Between April and August 2007, “A National Stakeholder Consultation on Health and Safety Research and its Effective Translation to the Agricultural Sector” was initiated by the Canadian Centre for Heath and Safety in Agriculture. The experiences and opinions of stakeholders across Canada were gathered through focus groups with over 150 participants in seven Canadian provinces and a survey of 289 individuals across Canada. Stakeholders identified a range of health and safety research priorities. Chemical exposure, stress, and farm safety issues were immediate concerns and issues surrounding labor and trained workers, whereas health problems and environmental issues were long-term concerns. Results identified research and knowledge translation priorities, which provided elements for a proposed program aiming at bridging the gap existing between research development and its translation into practice. A request for a knowledge translation/transfer mechanism, where all agricultural stakeholders from researchers to end users are involved in the process, was identified. Findings from the national consultation were used to develop a business plan entitled “Agrivita Research to Practice Program: A Partnership Plan for Health and Safety and its Effective Transfer to the Agricultural Sector in Canada.” The plan provides for a coordinated and integrated approach in Canada, conceptually drawing on the American experience established by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

KEYWORDS:

• Agriculture
• applied research
• health
• knowledge translation
• safety

Funding for this study was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA).

The authors would like to acknowledge Bruce Johnson and all the members of the National Task Force that guided the project. The authors also thank Maura Gillis-Cipywnyk, Lynette Epp, Louise Hagel, Lorene Jewitt, Leanne LaBrash, Iris Rugg, Kendra Ulmer, and all participants in the consultation process for their contribution to this study.