Factors influencing smallholder orange farmers for compliance with GobalGAP standards

The inability of farmers to comply with global good agricultural practices (GlobalGAP) standards has led to food safety issues harmful to human health and sustainable agriculture. This study aimed to assess the extent of GlobalGAP compliance among orange farmers and investigate barriers associated with compliance. Data were collected with structured questionnaires from 238 orange farmers. The findings showed that the farmers' rate of adherence to the GlobalGAP standards was moderate (mean 3.58). Using factor analysis, the following four groups were identified as key barriers to compliance: personal and economic barriers, awareness and information barriers, institutional-support barriers, and infrastructure barriers. Institutional support barriers were deemed most important by farmers in compliance decisions (mean 4.29), followed by personal and economic barriers (mean 3.89). Therefore, a focus on the barriers faced by smallholder farmers would be crucial to improve their adoption of food safety standards. This can enhance the quality of agricultural commodities, customers' safety, and the livelihood of smallholder farmers. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.

Automated summary

The study found that orange farmers had a moderate level of compliance with GlobalGAP standards, with key barriers including personal and economic, awareness and information, institutional support, and infrastructure barriers. Institutional support barriers were identified as the most crucial for compliance decisions, followed by personal and economic barriers.