Research by Tadesse Amera, PhD researcher at the Department of Urban and Rural Development, SLU
Tadesse Amera is doing his PhD at SLU in the Division of Environmental Communication, Department of Urban and Rural Development. His study explored the meaning and usefulness of the concept of Stewardship in pesticide management in agriculture in Ethiopia. More specifically, ‘Pesticide Users’ Stewardship’ was adopted as a guiding means for setting up a System-wide Pesticide Stewardship Network in areas prone to public health and environmental impacts of pesticides in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. The practical interventions through the study led to some improvement in the state of affairs of the national pesticide delivery system (PDS), recognition of the critical issues in different parts of that system, and the impact of the socio-economic, political, cultural and institutional factors on the understanding and potential for appropriate action. The focus of the research process at the national (meta) level of action facilitated policy dialogue among actors in the PDS; at regional (meso level) enabled dialogue on pesticide risk perception and risk communication; and at the local (micro) level with practicing cotton growers through an IPM-Farmer Field School approach, also led to significant grassroots action and reflection, and transformed pest management practice minus pesticides.
More info here…