IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/unm/unumer/2014007.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Firms' adoption of international standards: Evidence from the Ethiopian floriculture sector

Author

Listed:
  • Gebreeyesus, M.

    (UNU-MERIT)

Abstract

Global trade in agriculture and food products is increasingly governed by an array of standards. A survey conducted in 2010 covering all operational firms in the nascent floriculture industry in Ethiopia revealed that only 36 per cent have managed to acquire certification for international private standards. This study uses a census-based panel dataset from Ethiopian floriculture to empirically examine the determinants of firms adoption of international private standards. It also analyses overall industry level efforts and public-private partnership to launch and implement a national scheme for Good Agricultural Practice and build firms capacity to comply with the standards.

Suggested Citation

  • Gebreeyesus, M., 2014. "Firms' adoption of international standards: Evidence from the Ethiopian floriculture sector," MERIT Working Papers 2014-007, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
  • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2014007
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/wppdf/2014/wp2014-007.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Deepananda Herath & Zuhair Hassan & Spencer Henson, 2007. "Adoption of Food Safety and Quality Controls: Do Firm Characteristics Matter? Evidence from the Canadian Food Processing Sector," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 55(3), pages 299-314, September.
    2. Mulu Gebreeyesus & Tetsushi Sonobe, 2012. "Global Value Chains and Market Formation Process in Emerging Export Activity: Evidence from Ethiopian Flower Industry," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(3), pages 335-348, September.
    3. C. Dolan & J. Humphrey, 2000. "Governance and Trade in Fresh Vegetables: The Impact of UK Supermarkets on the African Horticulture Industry," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 147-176.
    4. Kaplinsky, Raphael, 2010. "The role of standards in global value chains," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5396, The World Bank.
    5. Feder, Gershon & Just, Richard E & Zilberman, David, 1985. "Adoption of Agricultural Innovations in Developing Countries: A Survey," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(2), pages 255-298, January.
    6. Gebreeyesus Mulu & Iizuka Michiko, 2012. "Discovery of Flower Industry in Ethiopia: Experimentation and Coordination," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-27, January.
    7. Maertens, Miet & Swinnen, Johan F.M., 2009. "Trade, Standards, and Poverty: Evidence from Senegal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 161-178, January.
    8. Chemnitz, Christine, 2007. "The Compliance Process of Food Quality Standards on Primary Producer Level: A Case Study of the EUREPGAP Standard in the Moroccan Tomato Sector," Working Paper Series 10286, Humboldt University Berlin, Department of Agricultural Economics.
    9. Souza Monteiro, Diogo M. & Caswell, Julie A., 2009. "Traceability adoption at the farm level: An empirical analysis of the Portuguese pear industry," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 94-101, February.
    10. Jill E. Hobbs, 1997. "Measuring the Importance of Transaction Costs in Cattle Marketing," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 79(4), pages 1083-1095.
    11. Henson, Spencer & Masakure, Oliver & Cranfield, John, 2011. "Do Fresh Produce Exporters in Sub-Saharan Africa Benefit from GlobalGAP Certification?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 375-386, March.
    12. Kersting, Sarah & Wollni, Meike, 2012. "New institutional arrangements and standard adoption: Evidence from small-scale fruit and vegetable farmers in Thailand," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 452-462.
    13. Sanja Pekovic, 2010. "The Determinants of ISO 9000 Certification: A Comparison of the Manufacturing and Service Sectors," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(4), pages 895-914.
    14. Muradian, Roldan & Pelupessy, Wim, 2005. "Governing the coffee chain: The role of voluntary regulatory Systems," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 2029-2044, December.
    15. Hudson, John & Orviska, Marta, 2013. "Firms’ adoption of international standards: One size fits all?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 289-306.
    16. Rebecca Henderson & Iain Cockburn, 1994. "Measuring Competence? Exploring Firm Effects in Pharmaceutical Research," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(S1), pages 63-84, December.
    17. Handschuch, Christina & Wollni, Meike & Villalobos, Pablo, 2013. "Adoption of food safety and quality standards among Chilean raspberry producers – Do smallholders benefit?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 64-73.
    18. John M. Antle, 1995. "Choice and Efficiency in Food Safety Policy," Books, American Enterprise Institute, number 53485, September.
    19. Mano, Yukichi & Yamano, Takashi & Suzuki, Aya & Matsumoto, Tomoya, 2011. "Local and Personal Networks in Employment and the Development of Labor Markets: Evidence from the Cut Flower Industry in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1760-1770.
    20. Holleran, Erin & Bredahl, Maury E. & Zaibet, Lokman, 1999. "Private incentives for adopting food safety and quality assurance," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 669-683, December.
    21. Chemnitz, Christine, 2007. "The Compliance Decision with Food Quality Standards on Primary Producer Level; A Case Study of the EUREPGAP Standard in the Moroccan Tomato Sector," 103rd Seminar, April 23-25, 2007, Barcelona, Spain 9440, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    22. Evans, David S, 1987. "Tests of Alternative Theories of Firm Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 95(4), pages 657-674, August.
    23. Kleinwechter, Ulrich & Grethe, Harald, 2006. "The adoption of the Eurepgap Standard by Mango Exporters in Piura, Peru," 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia 25521, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    24. Christopher R. Turner & Gerald F. Ortmann & Michael C. Lyne, 2000. "Adoption of ISO 9000 quality assurance standards by South African agribusiness firms," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(3), pages 295-307.
    25. Dosi, Giovanni, 1988. "Sources, Procedures, and Microeconomic Effects of Innovation," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 26(3), pages 1120-1171, September.
    26. Adrian Gourlay & Eric Pentecost, 2002. "The Determinants of Technology Diffusion: Evidence from the UK Financial Sector," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 70(2), pages 185-203, March.
    27. Mundlak, Yair, 1978. "On the Pooling of Time Series and Cross Section Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 46(1), pages 69-85, January.
    28. Hall, Bronwyn H, 1987. "The Relationship between Firm Size and Firm Growth in the U.S. Manufacturing Sector," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(4), pages 583-606, June.
    29. Riisgaard, Lone, 2009. "Global Value Chains, Labor Organization and Private Social Standards: Lessons from East African Cut Flower Industries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 326-340, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Calza, Elisa & Goedhuys, Micheline, 2016. "Entrepreneurial heterogeneity and the design of entrepreneurship policies for economic growth and inclusive development," MERIT Working Papers 2016-043, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    2. Elisa Calza & Micheline Goedhuys & Neda Trifković, 2019. "Drivers of productivity in Vietnamese SMEs: the role of management standards and innovation," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 23-44, January.
    3. Cardoso, B.F. & Rasetti, M. & Giampietri,E. & Finco, A. & Shikida, P.F.A., 2017. "Trade Dynamics in the Italian Floriculture Sector within EU Borders: A Gravity Model Analysis," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 9(2), June.
    4. Button, Kenneth, 2020. "The economics of Africa's floriculture air-cargo supply chain," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    5. Elisa Calza & Micheline Goedhuys & Neda Trifković, 2019. "Drivers of productivity in Vietnamese SMEs: the role of management standards and innovation," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 23-44, January.
    6. Calza, Elisa & Goedhuys, Micheline, 2018. "Domestic quality certification and growth of Vietnamese MSMEs," MERIT Working Papers 2018-026, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    7. Katengeza, Samson P. & Holden, Stein T. & Fisher, Monica, 2019. "Use of Integrated Soil Fertility Management Technologies in Malawi: Impact of Dry Spells Exposure," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 134-152.
    8. Micheline Goedhuys & Pierre Mohnen, 2017. "Management Standard Certification and Firm productivity: Micro-evidence from Africa," Journal of African Development, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA), vol. 19(1), pages 61-83.
    9. Goedhuys, Micheline & Sleuwaegen, Leo, 2016. "International standards certification, institutional voids and exports from developing country firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 1344-1355.
    10. Melaku, Astewale Bimr & Qaim, Matin & Debela, Bethelhem Legesse, 2023. "Maternal employment in high-value agriculture and child nutrition: Evidence from the Ethiopian cut-flower industry," Discussion Papers 338968, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    11. Suzuki, Aya & Mano, Yukichi & Abebe, Girum, 2018. "Earnings, savings, and job satisfaction in a labor-intensive export sector: Evidence from the cut flower industry in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 176-191.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lemeilleur, Sylvaine, 2013. "Smallholder Compliance with Private Standard Certification: The Case of GlobalGAP Adoption by Mango Producers in Peru," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 16(4), pages 1-22, November.
    2. Handschuch, Christina & Wollni, Meike & Villalobos, Pablo, 2013. "Adoption of food safety and quality standards among Chilean raspberry producers – Do smallholders benefit?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 64-73.
    3. Maertens, Miet & Swinnen, Johan, 2015. "Agricultural trade and development: A value chain perspective," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2015-04, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    4. Schuster, Monica & Maertens, Miet, 2013. "Do private standards create exclusive supply chains? New evidence from the Peruvian asparagus export sector," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 291-305.
    5. John C. Beghin & Miet Maertens & Johan Swinnen, 2017. "Nontariff Measures and Standards in Trade and Global Value Chains," World Scientific Book Chapters,in: Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 2, pages 13-38 World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    6. John C. Beghin & Miet Maertens & Johan Swinnen, 2017. "Nontariff Measures and Standards in Trade and Global Value Chains," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: John Christopher Beghin (ed.), Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 2, pages 13-38, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Kersting, Sarah & Wollni, Meike, 2012. "New institutional arrangements and standard adoption: Evidence from small-scale fruit and vegetable farmers in Thailand," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 452-462.
    8. Subervie, Julie & Vagneron, Isabelle, 2013. "A Drop of Water in the Indian Ocean? The Impact of GlobalGap Certification on Lychee Farmers in Madagascar," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 57-73.
    9. Van den Broeck, Goedele & Swinnen, Johan & Maertens, Miet, 2017. "Global value chains, large-scale farming, and poverty: Long-term effects in Senegal," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 97-107.
    10. Herzfeld, Thomas & Drescher, Larissa S. & Grebitus, Carola, 2011. "Cross-national adoption of private food quality standards," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 36(3), pages 401-411.
    11. Fontaine, Damien & Gaspart, Frederic & Frahan, Bruno Henry de, 2008. "Modelling the impact of private quality standards on the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chains in developing countries," 2008 International Congress, August 26-29, 2008, Ghent, Belgium 44378, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    12. Tuba Pekkirbizli & Mohamad Isam Almadani & Ludwig Theuvsen, 2015. "Food safety and quality assurance systems in Turkish agribusiness: an empirical analysis of determinants of adoption," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 17(3), pages 31-55.
    13. VAN DEN BROECK, Goedele & MAERTENS, Miet, 2016. "Horticultural exports and food security in developing countries," Working Papers 232595, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Agricultural and Food Economics.
    14. Eric Giraud-Héraud & Cristina Grazia & Abdelhakim Hammoudi, 2012. "Explaining the Emergence of Private Standards in Food Supply Chains," Working Papers hal-00749345, HAL.
    15. Elisa Calza & Micheline Goedhuys & Neda Trifković, 2019. "Drivers of productivity in Vietnamese SMEs: the role of management standards and innovation," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 23-44, January.
    16. Lemeilleur, S., 2012. "International standards and small-scale farmer behaviors: evidence from Peru," Working Papers MoISA 201204, UMR MoISA : Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (social and nutritional sciences): CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, INRAE, L'Institut Agro, Montpellier SupAgro, IRD - Montpellier, France.
    17. Flachsbarth, Insa & Grassnick, Nina & Masood, Amjad & Bruemmer, Bernhard, 2018. "The Uneven Spread of Private Food Quality Standards over Time and Space," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 274197, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    18. Jean-Christophe Bureau & Thorsten Rogall, 2017. "EU Policies and Global Food Security," LICOS Discussion Papers 39217, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    19. Johan Swinnen, 2014. "Global Agricultural Value Chains, Standards, and Development," RSCAS Working Papers 2014/30, European University Institute.
    20. Hoffmann, Vivian & Moser, Christine & Saak, Alexander, 2019. "Food safety in low and middle-income countries: The evidence through an economic lens," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 1-1.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    standards; compatibility; product quality; certification; agriculture; floriculture exports; international trade; estate farms; Ethiopia; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality
    • O19 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - International Linkages to Development; Role of International Organizations
    • Q17 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agriculture in International Trade

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2014007. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Ad Notten (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/meritnl.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.