Food safety and quality assurance systems in Turkish agribusiness: an empirical analysis of determinants of adoption

Abstract

In this study, empirical analysis was introduced in order to investigate firms’ adoption behaviour with regard to food safety and quality assurance systems in the Turkish food industry. The data originate from 106 Turkish food industry enterprises and were gathered using a questionnaire-based survey. Multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the relationship between the firms’ level of food safety and quality assurance standards adoption and firm characteristics. Such adoption was found to be very closely linked to objective data characterising Turkish food processors. The results showed that adoption behaviour varies widely among individual firms. Legal form of ownership, region of ownership and control, firm size, being an exporter and major market served have a greater influence than other objective and subjective indicators. Several specific inferences were drawn from the results which have manifold implications for managerial and political decision-makers. This paper is, to our best knowledge, the first report related to a comprehensive determination of the complete set of determinants of the implementation of food safety and quality system practices that take into account various Turkish agribusiness sectors rather than just one sector. Furthermore, it considers a broad spectrum of public and private standards.