Privately initiated food quality standards are becoming increasingly important elements in the marketing of food and agricultural products in Western Europe. At the same time, they are at the centre of a discussion about the potential negative effects on small farmers and farmers in developing and transition countries in general. This study analyses the adoption of two private food standards, the BRC Food Technical Standard and GlobalGAP, at an aggregated cross-country level. The results of the econometric analysis reveal some (potential) barriers for developing and transition countries in accessing this type of organizational innovation. Certificates seem more likely to be issued in countries that are larger and wealthier, which have better institutional arrangements and better infrastructural conditions, and which are former UK colonies.
BurrellA.GijsbersG.KosseA.NahonD.RequillartV.van der ZeeF. (2006), Assessment of Research Methodologies and Data Constraints: Preparatory Economic Analysis of the Value-Adding Processes within Integrated Supply Chains in Food and Agriculture, DG Joint Research Centre, Seville, Website: http://foodqualityschemes.jrc.es/en/documents/Researchmethodologies_dataconstraints_final.pdf.
2.
BurrellA.GijsbersG.KosseA.NahonD.RequillartV.van der ZeeF. (2007), Overview of Existing Studies: Preparatory Economic Analysis of the Value-Adding Processes Within Integrated Supply Chains in Food and Agriculture, Joint Research Centre, Seville, and Institute for Prospective Studies, Brussels, Website: http://foodqualityschemes.jrc.es/en/documents/Overview_existingstudies_final.pdf.
3.
CampbellH. (2005), ‘The rise and rise of EurepGAP: European (re)invention of colonial food relations?’International Journal of Sociology of Food and Agriculture, Vol 13, No 2, pp 6–19.
4.
CominD.HobijnB. (2004), ‘Cross-country technology adoption: Making the theories face the facts’, Journal of Monetary Economics, Vol 51, No 1, pp 39–83.
5.
DolanC.HumphreyJ. (2000), ‘Governance and trade in fresh vegetables: The impact of UK supermarkets on the African horticulture industry’, Journal of Development Studies, Vol 37, No 2, pp 147–176.
6.
FulponiL. (2006), ‘Private voluntary standards in the food system: The perspective of major food retailers in OECD countries’, Food Policy, Vol 31, No 1, pp 1–13.
7.
GreeneW. H. (2000), Econometric Analysis, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
8.
GulerI.GuillenM. F.MacphersonJ. M. (2002), ‘Global competition, institutions, and the diffusion of organizational practices: The international spread of ISO 9000 quality certificates’, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol 47, No 2, pp 207–232.
9.
HensonS. (2006), ‘The role of public and private standards in regulating international food markets’, paper presented at the IATRC Summer Symposium, 28–30 May, Bonn, Germany.
10.
HensonS.HoltG. (2000), ‘Exploring incentives for the adoption of food safety controls: HACCP implementation in the U.K. dairy sector’, Review of Agricultural Economics, Vol 22, No 2, pp 407–420.
11.
JaffeeS. (2003), From Challenge to Opportunity: Transforming Kenya's Fresh Vegetable Trade in the Context of Emerging Food Safety and Other Standards in Europe, Agricultural and Rural Development Discussion Paper No 1, Agriculture & Rural Development Department, Washington, DC.
JaffeeS.MasakureO. (2005), ‘Strategic use of private standards to enhance international competitiveness: Vegetable exports from Kenya and elsewhere’, Food Policy, Vol 30, No 3, pp 316–333.
14.
KaufmannD.KraayA.MastruzziM. (2007), Governance Matters VI: Governance Indicators for 1996–2006, Policy Research Working Paper No 4280, World Bank, Washington, DC, Website: http://ssrn.com/abstract=999979.
15.
MitchenerK. J.WeidenmierM. (2008), ‘Trade and empire’, Economic Journal, Vol 118, No 533, pp 1805–1834.
16.
NeumayerE.PerkinsR. (2005), ‘Uneven geographies of organizational practice: Explaining the cross-national transfer and adoption of ISO9000’, Economic Geography, Vol 81, No 3, pp 237–260.
17.
PageS.SlaterR. (2003), ‘Small producer participation in global food systems: Policy opportunities and constraints’, Development Policy Review, Vol 21, No 5–6, pp 641–654.
18.
PonteS. (2008), ‘Greener than thou: The political economy of fish ecolabeling and its local manifestations in South Africa’, World Development, Vol 36, No 1, pp 159–175.
19.
ReardonT.CodronJ.-M.BuschL.BingenJ.HarrisC. (2001), ‘Global change in agrifood grades and standards: Agribusiness strategic responses in developing countries’, International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, Vol 2, No 3/4, pp 421–435.
20.
TurnerC. R.OrtmannG. F.LyneM. C. (2000), ‘Adoption of ISO9000 quality assurance standards by South African agribusiness firms’, Agribusiness, Vol 16, No 3, pp 295–307.
21.
von BraunJ. (2003), ‘Presidential address: Agricultural economics and distributional effects’, paper presented at the 25th Conference of the International Association of Agricultural Economists, 16–22 August, Durban, South Africa.
22.
YiridoeE. K.ClarkJ. S.MarettG. E.GordonR.DuinkerP. (2003), ‘ISO 14001 EMS standard registration decisions among Canadian organizations’, Agribusiness, Vol 19, No 4, pp 439–457.
23.
ZaibetL.BredahlM. (1997), ‘Gains from ISO certification in the UK meat sector’, Agribusiness, Vol 13, No 4, pp 375–384.
