ABSTRACT
The specific roles of regulatory bodies in monitoring
the safety standards of fresh food produce and their effectiveness in
discharging these roles is important to assure consumers of their safety. In
Ghana however these specifics, with regard to the produce of ready to eat fresh
vegetables have neither been fully understood nor investigated. The seeming
absence of regulatory mechanisms and its corresponding policies from the
appropriate regulatory bodies have contributed to the challenges faced by
vegetable producers and consumers in Ghana. Investigations were therefore
conducted to assess the level of influence of regulatory institutions on
vegetable production in the Ga-South Municipality of Ghana. The study adopted a
descriptive cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire. A total
number of 300 respondents comprising of 200 farmers, 50 exporters and 50
regulators were purposely selected. Descriptive analysis and ordinal regression
were employed to analyze the data and explain the patterns of interactions
among the identified regulatory factors influencing vegetable production. The
results revealed that adoption of stringent safety standards, Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Point (HACCP), ability of regulators to strictly enforce
the law, availability and adequacy of policies ensuring food safety and
quality, the prevalent regulatory environment effects on vegetable
safety/quality and enforcement of trade contracts to the letter are
institutional environment factors that significantly influence the quality of
vegetables (P≤0.05). The findings suggest that institutional changes with
respect to the aforementioned variables and other complementary factors such as
contract farming and credit access can significantly contribute to increased,
efficient and safe vegetable production. The regression results showed that-
gender, educational level and farmers working experience did not significantly
influence people’s perception on how regulatory bodies influence the quality of
vegetables. The findings suggest that institutional changes must be made with
respect to the variables mentioned early on and other complementary policies
enforced to ensure safe and sustainable vegetable production.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Quality management plays a vital
role within the food industry. It cuts across the many different stages of
sourcing, processing and packaging. In addition to the basic laws and
regulations on nutritive value, quality management also incorporates factors
that ensure the safety of the product that reaches the final consumer. Critical
attention to ensure safety is especially needed where fresh food products such
as fruits and vegetables are involved as they are highly susceptible to
contamination. Developed countries that import farm produce pay such close
attention to the quality and safety of vegetable products that they intercept
those that do not meet their safety and quality standards. When a country fails
to meet the international standards of quality, sanctions are posed against it.
Ghana fell victim to such sanction in 2014 when it was at the top of the
European Commission’s Alert List of developing countries with poor interception
records. This led to a voluntary ban on the vegetable sub sector by MOFA in the
second half of 2014 until the latter part of 2017 when the ban was lifted
(Yeray et al., 2016). Ideally the ban was to address, improve and ensure the
vegetable sub-sector compliance to Sanitary and Phytosanitary Status (SPS)
standards. The ban however did not solve the problem as very little changed
structurally and a high number of interception of exported vegetables was
recorded immediately after lifting the ban (Yeray et al., 2016). This suggests
that merely imposing a ban is ineffective unless the core issues of food
quality and safety are well implemented and managed.
In discussing about the quality and
safety of vegetables produced in Ghana, the influence of institutional or
regulatory environment on the production of quality food cannot be ignored.
Institutions
are widely used practices of social interaction that have become embedded such
that it is costly to choose alternative practices, technologies, or rules
(Friel et al., 2009). These structures can either drive or inhibit the
production of quality food products as they control the adherence to standards
of the various producers and stakeholders. Food safety in the emerging and
developing countries are significantly determined by the influence of such
institutional bodies (Weigl, 2008). The food regulations controlled and
enforced by regulatory bodies must be strict to prevent unsuspecting consumers
from consuming unsafe food. If the regulations are lax, food produced may not
be safe leading to food poisoning and other threats to human health (Mougeot,
1994). With regard to vegetable production in Ghana, regulatory institutions
such as the Ghana Export Marketing and Quality Awareness Project (EMQAP), a
division under Ministry of Food and Agriculture has attempted to educate
farmers on the procedures to ensure that their produce is safe for consumption.
The farmers however are not implementing what has been taught in order for
their produce to conform to set quality standards (MoFA, 2014).
The World Development Report (2008)
considers agriculture an instrument that ensures economic growth in countries
by the supply of quality foods for human consumption. Ensuring then that
agriculture is boosted by the production of good quality and safe farm produce
will greatly elevate the economies of developing countries such as Ghana. It is
therefore necessary to evaluate the stakeholders, especially regulatory
institutions, that ensure the realization of this safety and to put the
required adjustments in place.
1.2 Problem Statement
A major challenge resulting in the
production of poor quality vegetables in Ghana is the institutional environment
marred with structural inefficiencies (Friel et al., 2009). Institutional
environment here refers to the relevant regulatory bodies who ensure food
quality and safety.
This has
exacerbated the difficulties in complying with food safety measures. The use of
waste water to grow vegetables in the peri-urban communities in Ghana for
example tends to be an agro-practice that obviously affects the health of consumers
as the possibility of contaminating the harvested crop is very high. This
problem in particular seems to persist due to unfavorable and inefficient
institutional structures existent in Ghana. There is also the issue of
compliance cost or burden especially with small-scale farmers who are unable to
meet the financial commitment associated with putting safety and quality
measures in place. Developed countries like Germany and France who are part of
the European Union have established strong and active institutions that govern
the supply of vegetables to their countries. This is not same for developing
counties who tend to be their suppliers. Although, some studies have been
conducted on the regulatory environment and how they drive food safety in some
advanced economies, not enough research has been done in developing countries
such as Ghana on how these institutions affect the production and supply of
quality and safe fresh farm produce. (Cummins and Macintyre, 2006; Yeh et al.,
2008).
Justification
This study would fill the
literature gap, on research done on the impact of institutional environment
(regulatory bodies) on the production of quality vegetables in Ghana, by
investigating this impact of the institutional environment in the Ga South
municipality of Ghana. The findings and results of this study is expected to
provide a valuable insight and guide to farmers, exporters and Ministry of Food
and Agriculture on how to improve the quality of fruits and vegetable
production. Again, the outcome of the study would guide the Ministry of Food
and Agriculture in creating the necessary institutional framework or model that
will enhance food safety and quality standards for exports in Ghana. The
research would also address some of the critical
issues regarding food safety particularly involving vegetables. The study would
serve as a basis for future studies on the subject matter.
1.4 Objectives and Specific
Objectives
The general objective of the study
is to assess the effects of institutional environment (regulatory bodies) on
the quality of vegetables produced in the Ga South Municipality of Ghana.
The specific objectives are
outlined below:
To assess the perceptions of
vegetable exporters on the effects of regulatory environment in the Ga South
Municipality of Ghana.
To assess the perceptions of
regulatory bodies (Ghana Standard Authority, Environmental protection Agency
and Food and Drug Authority, Plant Protection and Regulatory Directorate of
Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Agricultural Extension Department of
the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Ga South Municipal Assembly) on the
effects of regulatory environment (regulations and standards) on the quality of
vegetables produced in the study area.
To examine the views of farmers on
the effects of institutional environment on the quality of vegetables produced
in the Ga South Municipality of Ghana.
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Item Type: Ghanaian Topic | Size: 85 pages | Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word | Delivery: Within 30Mins.
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