Unsafe pesticide practices among smallholder farmers are driven by systemic and contextual factors, not just knowledge gaps.

Why It Matters

This insight challenges the common assumption that education alone will solve unsafe pesticide use. It highlights the need for a systemic approach that considers the entire ecosystem of pesticide provision and application, including infrastructure, social norms, and economic pressures.

Key Finding

Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia are using pesticides unsafely because the way pesticides are supplied, their personal habits, and their daily work environment all contribute to these risky behaviours, not just a lack of knowledge.

Key Findings

• Farmers frequently violate recommended pesticide application guidelines.
• Unsafe storage, disregard for safety instructions, lack of protective gear, and improper disposal of containers are common.
• These unsafe practices are shaped by the 'system of provision' (how pesticides are supplied), farmers' lifestyles, and the everyday context of their work.

Research Evidence

Aim: To understand the drivers behind current pesticide buying and use practices among smallholder vegetable farmers in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia.

Method: Qualitative research combining in-depth interviews and direct observation.

Procedure: Researchers conducted interviews with smallholder farmers, pesticide suppliers, and relevant government officials, and observed pesticide handling and application in real-world settings.

Context: Smallholder vegetable farming in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia.

Design Principle

Design for practice: Understand and influence the socio-technical systems that shape user behaviour.

How to Apply

When developing new agricultural tools, chemicals, or training programs, map out the existing supply chains, user routines, and environmental constraints to identify leverage points for positive change.

Limitations

Findings are specific to the context of smallholder vegetable farmers in the Ethiopian Central Rift Valley and may not be directly generalizable to other agricultural settings or regions.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: It's not just about telling farmers to be careful with pesticides; we need to look at how they get them, how they live, and their daily work to make things safer.

Why This Matters: This research shows that to solve real-world problems, you need to understand the complex factors that influence people's actions, not just assume they will follow instructions if they know them.

Critical Thinking: How might the 'system of provision' for a product in a different industry (e.g., electronics, food) also contribute to unsafe or unsustainable user practices?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This research highlights that unsafe pesticide practices are not solely due to a lack of knowledge but are deeply embedded within the 'system of provision,' farmers' lifestyles, and the everyday context of use. Therefore, design interventions must address these systemic and contextual factors to be effective, rather than relying on simple educational approaches.

Project Tips

• When researching a problem, consider the 'system' around the user, not just the user themselves.
• Think about how products are supplied and how that affects how people use them.

How to Use in IA

• Use this research to justify investigating the systemic factors influencing your design problem, not just user preferences or technical feasibility.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of how broader systems and contexts influence user behaviour, not just individual user needs.

Independent Variable: ["System of provision","Farmer lifestyle","Everyday context of use"]

Dependent Variable: ["Pesticide buying practices","Pesticide use practices (storage, application, disposal)"]

Controlled Variables: ["Type of vegetable cultivated","Farm size","Farmer's years of experience"]

Strengths

• Utilizes a practice perspective, offering a nuanced understanding beyond individual knowledge.
• Combines interviews and observations for richer data.

Critical Questions

• What specific elements of the 'system of provision' are most influential?
• How do individual lifestyle choices interact with systemic factors to shape practices?

Extended Essay Application

• Investigate how the supply chain and social context of a technology influence its adoption and use in a specific community, and propose design interventions that address these broader factors.

Source

Pesticide use practices among smallholder vegetable farmers in Ethiopian Central Rift Valley · Environment Development and Sustainability · 2015 · 10.1007/s10668-015-9728-9