The work will be pursued primarily through a series of case studies, each addressing specific health problems that can be related to environmental and occupational exposure due to agricultural land use. One case study will focus on the effect of environmental contamination from pesticide use on the health of children in the rural environment. A second will explore the effect of agricultural practices and of the social conditions in farming communities on respiratory health of children. A third will assess associations between endotoxin and hormone contamination of livestock waste and associated health outcomes, such as gastrointestinal infections, endocrine system disruption, growth and health immunity impairment. In each case study, the analyses will address the geographical variation in farming practices, agricultural land use intensity, climate, human exposure to agriculture-related stressors across Europe in order to provide the proper level of policy response recommendations for addressing each of the target problems selected. Each case study will follow a generally similar format.

• Initially, agricultural practices and policies across EU Member States will be reviewed and agricultural practices likely to affect health identified. (This work will be done collectively, between all three case studies.)
• Based on this assessment, the ‘agriculture-health system’ will be scoped and defined in relation to each case study, using the framework developed in WP 1.1. This framework will be designed to show the key land use activities and practices that impact on health, the agents involved, the media and pathways by which exposures may occur, and the potential health effects amongst different vulnerable groups (e.g. agricultural workers, rural residents, children).
• Based on this framework, a ‘first approximation’ exposure assessment exposures will then be carried out at EU level, aimed at identifying the magnitude of possible exposures, and the areas and populations potentially most at risk. This assessment will draw on results from previous and currently on-going studies, as well as information and primary data from EU-wide reference databases, and data on land use and land cover from remotely sensed and other sources (e.g. CORINE 2000). A GIS will be built using available data for the purpose of exposure assessment.
• On the basis of available exposure-effect relationships (as provided by WP 1.3), these will in turn be translated into preliminary assessments of the potential health impacts. Results from this analysis will be used to help prioritise activities, and select more detailed study areas, in phase 2 of the project.