Smallholder compliance with international food safety standards is not a fantasy: evidence from African green bean producers

Abstract

Globalization of world economies has opened a window of opportunity for many African countries. With the failure of structural adjustment programs to spur reasonable growth, many developing countries turned to production of non-traditional agriculture exports (NTAE) to diversify their agricultural exports and increase foreign exchange earnings (Singh, 2001). The early movers in Africa included South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Egypt, and Kenya with Zambia, Ethiopia and Madagascar registering comparatively recent growth in such exports. In most of these countries, generally smallholders dominate the production of NTAE