Closing the regulatory gap: Experimental evidence on oversight and worker incentives
Weak enforcement of regulatory standards is widespread in low- and middle-income countries. Low firm capacity and standards inappropriate to local contexts imply that traditional punitive enforcement approaches may be counterproductive. We test the impact of a regulatory oversight intervention lever...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Artículo preliminar |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
International Food Policy Research Institute
2025
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179188 |
| _version_ | 1855531203797450752 |
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| author | Cook, Elizabeth A.J. Ambler, Kate Hoffmann, Vivian Otoigo, Lilian Kwamboka Kiarie, Alice Njoki Wagner, Julia |
| author_browse | Ambler, Kate Cook, Elizabeth A.J. Hoffmann, Vivian Kiarie, Alice Njoki Otoigo, Lilian Kwamboka Wagner, Julia |
| author_facet | Cook, Elizabeth A.J. Ambler, Kate Hoffmann, Vivian Otoigo, Lilian Kwamboka Kiarie, Alice Njoki Wagner, Julia |
| author_sort | Cook, Elizabeth A.J. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Weak enforcement of regulatory standards is widespread in low- and middle-income countries. Low firm capacity and standards inappropriate to local contexts imply that traditional punitive enforcement approaches may be counterproductive. We test the impact of a regulatory oversight intervention leveraging the soft power of meat inspectors in the context of 140 rural slaughterhouses in western Kenya. The intervention focused meat inspector attention on hygiene practices and was combined with training of workers and provision of basic equipment and supplies. Practices improved significantly relative to control facilities, but microbial contamination of meat did not. Outcomes were similar in a subset of treatment facilities where workers were additionally given a hygiene performance incentive. Higher volume of business in treatment facilities, which customers perceived as cleaner, suggests that retailers value less contaminated meat, but may counteract the effects of improved practices through cross-contamination and crowding. |
| format | Artículo preliminar |
| id | CGSpace179188 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| publisherStr | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1791882025-12-23T02:10:33Z Closing the regulatory gap: Experimental evidence on oversight and worker incentives Cook, Elizabeth A.J. Ambler, Kate Hoffmann, Vivian Otoigo, Lilian Kwamboka Kiarie, Alice Njoki Wagner, Julia training regulations food safety monitoring livestock meat abattoirs workers meat inspection meat hygiene vocational training Weak enforcement of regulatory standards is widespread in low- and middle-income countries. Low firm capacity and standards inappropriate to local contexts imply that traditional punitive enforcement approaches may be counterproductive. We test the impact of a regulatory oversight intervention leveraging the soft power of meat inspectors in the context of 140 rural slaughterhouses in western Kenya. The intervention focused meat inspector attention on hygiene practices and was combined with training of workers and provision of basic equipment and supplies. Practices improved significantly relative to control facilities, but microbial contamination of meat did not. Outcomes were similar in a subset of treatment facilities where workers were additionally given a hygiene performance incentive. Higher volume of business in treatment facilities, which customers perceived as cleaner, suggests that retailers value less contaminated meat, but may counteract the effects of improved practices through cross-contamination and crowding. 2025-12-19 2025-12-22T15:15:25Z 2025-12-22T15:15:25Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179188 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168522 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168525 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168837 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Cook, Elizabeth A.J.; Ambler, Kate; Hoffmann, Vivian; Otoigo, Lilian Kwamboka; Kiarie, Alice Njoki; and Wagner, Julia. 2025. Closing the regulatory gap: Experimental evidence on oversight and worker incentives. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2390. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179188 |
| spellingShingle | training regulations food safety monitoring livestock meat abattoirs workers meat inspection meat hygiene vocational training Cook, Elizabeth A.J. Ambler, Kate Hoffmann, Vivian Otoigo, Lilian Kwamboka Kiarie, Alice Njoki Wagner, Julia Closing the regulatory gap: Experimental evidence on oversight and worker incentives |
| title | Closing the regulatory gap: Experimental evidence on oversight and worker incentives |
| title_full | Closing the regulatory gap: Experimental evidence on oversight and worker incentives |
| title_fullStr | Closing the regulatory gap: Experimental evidence on oversight and worker incentives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Closing the regulatory gap: Experimental evidence on oversight and worker incentives |
| title_short | Closing the regulatory gap: Experimental evidence on oversight and worker incentives |
| title_sort | closing the regulatory gap experimental evidence on oversight and worker incentives |
| topic | training regulations food safety monitoring livestock meat abattoirs workers meat inspection meat hygiene vocational training |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/179188 |
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