Summary
This cross-sectional survey of 390 salad vegetable farmers in Ghana's Eastern Region examined perceptions and implementation barriers for on-farm food safety practices using relative importance and problem confrontation indices. Whilst farmers demonstrated strong recognition of their responsibility for vegetable safety, structural constraints—particularly limited access to clean water, equipment, and training—were identified as the primary impediments to consistent application of safe practices. The findings underscore that effective food safety interventions require targeted resource provision and capacity building rather than standardised approaches.
Regional applicability
This study is geographically situated in Ghana and addresses smallholder vegetable production systems common to West African contexts. The findings on resource constraints and training gaps are potentially transferable to United Kingdom horticultural supply chains, particularly amongst smaller producers or in comparison with supply chain food safety requirements; however, the specific regulatory environment, infrastructure availability, and farmer demographics differ substantially, requiring contextual adaptation of any intervention model.
Key measures
Relative importance index (RII), problem confrontation index (PCI), farmer perceptions of responsibility (RII = 0.8964; PCI = 1748), resource adequacy barriers (RII = 0.8653; PCI = 1683), awareness of contamination risks (RII = 0.8610; PCI = 1679)
Outcomes reported
The study measured farmers' perceptions of and barriers to implementing on-farm food safety practices using relative importance index (RII) and problem confrontation index (PCI) across 390 vegetable farmers. Key outcomes included identification of farmer responsibility recognition, resource constraints, and awareness gaps as critical factors affecting food safety compliance.
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