The Influence of Global GAP Certification on the Performance of Small-scale French Beans Growers in Central Kenya

Abstract

There is need for small-scale farmers to be Global GAP certified in order to gain entry into the French beans export market. The requirement to form producer groups is largely led by exporter's preferences which determine which farmer groups have the capacity to manage food safety. The objective of this study was to determine the factors that influence the choice of certification as well as to evaluate the impact of certification on the performance of certified small-scale farmers in Central Kenya. A survey conducted in November and December of 2013 was designed and implemented to determine the socio-economic and production characteristics for 266 farmers in 19 locations. Factors that influence the choice of certification were examined using a propensity score probit model and a second stage analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of certification on the performance of those certified. The results of the econometric analysis show that the age, number of contact hours with extension agents, and distance to local market, positively influence the chances of participation in Global GAP. However, certified farmers were not better-off than non-certified farmers with respect to the income received.