CPAM is a Participatory Action Research approach to document and create awareness of pesticide impacts on human health and the environment. It involves community members who undertake the research, and encourages organising and action. CPAM involves recording of the impacts of pesticide use on health and raising awareness of the hazards of pesticide use. Through CPAM, the community learns to record the impacts of pesticide use and becomes aware of the pesticides’ harmful effects. CPAM aims to empower communities to address their situation themselves and get actively involved in solving their problems. This approach drives the changes required to reduce the use of pesticides, adopt more ecological and sustainable agricultural practices, and pressure governments for the implementation of better pesticide regulations and international conventions on pesticides.

The interrelationship between CPAM, organising, action and advocacy is illustrated in the diagram.