Barriers to evidence use for sustainability: Insights from pesticide policy and practice

Abstract

Calls for supporting sustainability through more and better research rest on an incomplete understanding of scientific evidence use. We argue that a variety of barriers to a transformative impact of evidence arises from diverse actor motivations within different stages of evidence use. We abductively specify this variety in policy and practice arenas for three actor motivations (truth-seeking, sense-making, and utility-maximizing) and five stages (evidence production, uptake, influence on decisions, effects on sustainability outcomes, and feedback from outcome evaluations). Our interdisciplinary synthesis focuses on the sustainability challenge of reducing environmental and human health risks of agricultural pesticides. It identifies barriers resulting from (1) truth-seekers’ desire to reduce uncertainty that is complicated by evidence gaps, (2) sense-makers’ evidence needs that differ from the type of evidence available, and (3) utility-maximizers’ interests that guide strategic evidence use. We outline context-specific research–policy–practice measures to increase evidence use for sustainable transformation in pesticides and beyond.

Safety behavior in pesticide use among farmers of northern Greece: the role of information sources

“…These sources offer useful services that might not be provided by extension agents who are not always available and may not have the resources to provide field specific advice on a regular basis. In this context, a variety of barriers from the diverse actor motivations within different stages of evidence use also should be taken into account to confront sustainability challenges like safe pesticide use and reduction of the risks by their use 39 …”

“…In this context, a variety of barriers from the diverse actor motivations within different stages of evidence use also should be taken into account to confront sustainability challenges like safe pesticide use and reduction of the risks by their use. 39 Empirical studies have examined farmers' protective behavior recently. 10,11,23,40 However, no studies have explored determinants of farmers' safety behaviors by considering safety practices in pesticide handling like keeping records of pesticide applications, reading the information of the pesticide labels, and taking protective measures during pesticide handling as well as interrelating farmers' safety behavior with the use of information sources regarding pesticides.…”

Four decades of natural resources research in Brazil: A scientometric analysis

“…This is a discussion that goes beyond (non)-governmental financial politics and must be focused on the depletion of NR and their management (Santilli, 2005). However, lack of tailored information between scientists and decision-makers is still a barrier to overcome to match the expectations of both sides (Briley et al, 2015;Hofmann et al, 2023). In this sense, publishing in international journals can be a strategy and an opportunity for local knowledge of Brazil's biodiversity and the speed with which it has been destroyed to play a larger role in problem-solving (Briley et al, 2015).…”

Pesticide reduction amidst food and feed security concerns in Europe

“…A successful pesticide policy framework requires, among other considerations, reflections on the indices, approaches to active substance approval and the decision-making processes at the farm and consumer levels 49 . For actors along the food chain to engage fully, evidence that addresses distinct motivations and concerns across the diversity of stakeholders will be needed 50 .…”