Getting certified? Exploring Cambodian vegetable growers’ knowledge and motivation to adapt CamGAP

Abstract

Problem definition, context, and relevance Appearance, nutrition, price, and food safety are food attributes that are essential to consumers when purchasing fresh vegetables. While appearance and freshness can be evaluated through sensory inspection at the point of sale, food safety however is indicated through labels on the product packaging and commonly verified through certification systems (Hu et al., 2022). While food safety standards are high in countries such as the US or Europe, in many developing countries such as Cambodia, standards can be significantly lower (Wongprawmas& Canavari, 2017). To counteract food recalls and establish a minimum baseline of food safety in Cambodian food retail, The Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry (MAFF) of Cambodia, in collaboration with non-profit organizations (NGOs), developed the Cambodian Good Agricultural Practices (CamGAP) in 2010 (Mize et al., 2020) CamGAP is a voluntary system based on training, farm audits and certification, that followed on from the ASEAN GAP system which itself had been established following GlobalGAP. The CAMGAP certification focuses on appropriate food production methods, including responsible use of agrochemicals, land, and water. The certification also targets worker and livestock wellbeing. Despite strenuous efforts by the government, NGOs, and other actors involved in promoting the certification system, the CAMGAP adoption rate among Cambodian vegetable producers has not been widely adopted over a decade later. Governmental efforts included facilitating projects and collaboration, training, and market access to high-value markets for Cambodian growers. However, in 2019 (the most recent statistical information), only 51 farmers had adopted CamGap (Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fishery, 2020). The specific reason for the low adoption rate remains to be explored; therefore, the present study was dedicated to filling this research gap. It determined the factors that influence the adoption and diffusion of the CamGAP standard among vegetable growers in Cambodia. A successful adoption process requires knowledge about the certification system, its procedures and techniques, and motivation to adapt, and therefore the study was dedicated to these factors. Methodology The study followed a qualitative case study approach, allowing an in-depth understanding of complex issues and real-life phenomena (Yin, 2017). It is suitable when investigating a new issue or phenomenon or adding a fresh perspective to a well-explored one. Case studies are widely used in the social sciences, including agri and horticultural business research. The present case study used a multiple-case study approach because it was expected that there may be differences in motivation and knowledge patterns among vegetable growers in different production regions. The approach allowed for replicating results across cases and identifying differences between groups of cases and specifics of individual cases, to allow for building theory. The differences between cases were identified through constant contrast and comparison (Yin, 2017). The areas and actors involved in the study were identified through an initial conversation with a government official involved in organizing CamGAP training for growers and subsequent purposeful sampling. Purposeful sampling is common in qualitative research for identifying and selecting information-rich cases related to the phenomenon of interest. The purposeful sampling approach was chosen to assure information richness based on the grower's adoption decisions. All actors came from the Battambang and Kandal provinces, two of Cambodia's four major vegetable production regions. Overall, 20 vegetable growers and 5 extension officers participated in the study. The first author carried out all interviews between May and July 2021. The interviews were carried out via "Zoom and Messenger Room” calls and were arranged by a trained assistant supporting the research team. Zoom and Messenger interviews allowed researchers and participants to be kept safe from a potential Covid-19 infection. Interviews took between 30 and 60 minutes and were recorded and supported by an interview guide. Topics included experience in production and market access, incentives and barriers to adaption, and knowledge about and experience with CamGAP. Each interview was transcribed verbatim and translated from Khmer to the English language. After the transcription, the iterative and recursive case analysis process was executed. This involved carefully reading the transcription, open, axial, and selective coding of individual interviews and comparing and contrasting within and across cases. Codes were revisited several times until a final coding scheme was established. Results and discussion In both the Battambang and Kandal province, the interviewed vegetable growers discussed intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as drivers for whether to adapt to CamGAP and get certified (see Figure 1). Figure 1: Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to adopt CamGAP. Health, self-esteem, and succession were discussed as intrinsic motivations by growers in both regions. In terms of health, growers that have adopted CamGAP emphasized health as a driver for the decision. Extension officers also highlighted the growers' state of health and inappropriate application of agrochemicals as a significant problem in the provinces. In both provinces, the growers emphasized the risks and side-effects of pest and weed management, more precisely, the application of agrochemicals. In addition, the best practices and regulations enforced through GamGAP improved the grower's expertise in agrochemical management and application, which allowed for improving their health overall. A further strong motivation for some growers was the desire to hand the business to the next generation. Farmers wished their children a better, more productive, healthier life. For this reason, they were keen to adopt CamGAP. Other growers, often rather elderly, left the decision to adopt a certification system to the next generation.