The misuse of personal protective equipment (PPE)
during pesticide application was investigated among
smallholders in Colombia. The integrative agent-centered
(IAC) framework and a logistic regression
approach were adopted. The results suggest that the
descriptive social norm was significantly influencing
PPE use. The following were also important: (1) having
experienced pesticide-related health problems; (2)
age; (3) the share of pesticide application carried out;
and (4) the perception of PPE hindering work. Interestingly,
the influence of these factors differed for different
pieces of PPE. Since conformity to the social
norm is a source of rigidity in the system, behavioral
change may take the form of a discontinuous transition.
In conclusion, five suggestions for triggering a
transition towards more sustainable PPE use are formulated:
(1) diversifying targets/tools; (2) addressing
structural aspects; (3) sustaining interventions in the
long-term; (4) targeting farmers’ learning-by-experience;
and (5) targeting PPE use on a collective level.