Institutional barriers to food safety: The irrigated vegetable value chain in Accra, Ghana

The faecal contamination of irrigation water threatens public health. Although safe practices can mitigate hygiene and food safety risks along the urban irrigated vegetable value chain, their adoption remains limited. A behaviour framework was combined with a participatory approach to explore how in...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Galibourg, David, Scott, R. E., Gough, K. V., Amoah, Philip
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: PLOS 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178576
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author Galibourg, David
Scott, R. E.
Gough, K. V.
Amoah, Philip
author_browse Amoah, Philip
Galibourg, David
Gough, K. V.
Scott, R. E.
author_facet Galibourg, David
Scott, R. E.
Gough, K. V.
Amoah, Philip
author_sort Galibourg, David
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The faecal contamination of irrigation water threatens public health. Although safe practices can mitigate hygiene and food safety risks along the urban irrigated vegetable value chain, their adoption remains limited. A behaviour framework was combined with a participatory approach to explore how institutions influence stakeholders’ capability, opportunity and motivation to adopt safe practices in Accra, Ghana. After extensive preparation, a dialogue engaged stakeholders and institutions in identifying the actors and interactions influencing stakeholder practices. We found that institutional dynamics and misaligned priorities hinder stakeholders’ opportunity and motivation to adopt safe practices, while their capability (education and skills) is not actively hindered. Knowledge gaps created by top-down approaches and sectoral silos were bridged by engaging participants in conducting the behavioural diagnosis. This shared understanding highlights the need to integrate and harmonise policies, regulations and service provision across water, sanitation, agriculture and health sectors, enabling participants to co-design arrangements that make safe practices easier to adopt.
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spelling CGSpace1785762025-12-08T10:11:39Z Institutional barriers to food safety: The irrigated vegetable value chain in Accra, Ghana Galibourg, David Scott, R. E. Gough, K. V. Amoah, Philip food safety irrigated farming vegetable crops value chains participatory approaches frameworks stakeholders institutions The faecal contamination of irrigation water threatens public health. Although safe practices can mitigate hygiene and food safety risks along the urban irrigated vegetable value chain, their adoption remains limited. A behaviour framework was combined with a participatory approach to explore how institutions influence stakeholders’ capability, opportunity and motivation to adopt safe practices in Accra, Ghana. After extensive preparation, a dialogue engaged stakeholders and institutions in identifying the actors and interactions influencing stakeholder practices. We found that institutional dynamics and misaligned priorities hinder stakeholders’ opportunity and motivation to adopt safe practices, while their capability (education and skills) is not actively hindered. Knowledge gaps created by top-down approaches and sectoral silos were bridged by engaging participants in conducting the behavioural diagnosis. This shared understanding highlights the need to integrate and harmonise policies, regulations and service provision across water, sanitation, agriculture and health sectors, enabling participants to co-design arrangements that make safe practices easier to adopt. 2025-11-24 2025-12-05T10:20:38Z 2025-12-05T10:20:38Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178576 en Open Access PLOS Galibourg, D.; Scott, R. E.; Gough, K. V.; Amoah, P. 2025. Institutional barriers to food safety: The irrigated vegetable value chain in Accra, Ghana. PLOS Water, 4(11): e0000378. (Online first). doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000378
spellingShingle food safety
irrigated farming
vegetable crops
value chains
participatory approaches
frameworks
stakeholders
institutions
Galibourg, David
Scott, R. E.
Gough, K. V.
Amoah, Philip
Institutional barriers to food safety: The irrigated vegetable value chain in Accra, Ghana
title Institutional barriers to food safety: The irrigated vegetable value chain in Accra, Ghana
title_full Institutional barriers to food safety: The irrigated vegetable value chain in Accra, Ghana
title_fullStr Institutional barriers to food safety: The irrigated vegetable value chain in Accra, Ghana
title_full_unstemmed Institutional barriers to food safety: The irrigated vegetable value chain in Accra, Ghana
title_short Institutional barriers to food safety: The irrigated vegetable value chain in Accra, Ghana
title_sort institutional barriers to food safety the irrigated vegetable value chain in accra ghana
topic food safety
irrigated farming
vegetable crops
value chains
participatory approaches
frameworks
stakeholders
institutions
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178576
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