Abstract
This study examines the role of a private standard on corporate social responsibility (CSR) compliance in the Pakistani mango industry and how this compliance affects rural workers' motivation. Pakistan is the fifth largest mango producer in the world and the fourth largest exporter in global mango trade; also, mango is the biggest fruit crop within the country. Mango trade is subject to trade terms, where buyers decide the conditions of trade agreements by means of codes of conduct. The key dimensions of the codes involved in agrofood trade are food safety, traceability, worker welfare, and environmental consideration, issues which are all connected with CSR. Private standards ensure compliance with these codes of conduct. This study draws on interviews and a questionnaire survey with certified mango producers and farm workers in Pakistan. The mango industry also involves other stakeholders such as government institutes and NGOs; interviews were also conducted with their representatives. Given that this study is an impact assessment research, the researcher designed a theoretical framework using a mixed method approach to investigate the rationale behind acquiring the standard by the mango growers in Pakistan and what impact (if any) this shift has generated with regard to the farm workers' job satisfaction and motivation. This study is the first to empirically examine good agricultural practices in Pakistan and evaluate their impact. This study shows that private standards play a significant role in ensuring compliance, and CSR practices implemented through them were found to be positively related to the rural workers' job satisfaction and motivation. Furthermore, this study has made separate contributions to theory, methodology, and practice. The production of the synergistic model for improving compliance is among the key highlights of the study. The findings of this study can extend to other agriculture and primary production industry workers in Pakistan and even beyond to other developing countries' rural agriculture workers.
Highlights
Since the 1990s, labour conditions have been addressed and looked after with the help of corporate voluntary codes of conduct
All SMEs in this study have focused on certified mango farms, and only GlobalGAP certified farms were included in the study as it was the sole standard working with Pakistani mango growers
The participants of this study have acknowledged that good agricultural practices (GAP) resulted in establishing a better understanding of social and environmental issues and responsibility
Summary
Since the 1990s, labour conditions have been addressed and looked after with the help of corporate voluntary codes of conduct. Businesses in developed countries and their associates (producers, growers, or manufacturers) in developing countries are expected to address social and environmental issues rather than relying on governments alone (Jenkins, Pearson and Seyfang, 2002). Businesses in developing countries are becoming global producers. Liberalisation of the international market enables small businesses to participate in global trade. All International Journal of Food Science the interested businesses are required to comply with standards set by buyers in developed countries. Civil society and consumers in developed countries are becoming increasingly concerned about the production process of the goods they buy, as there have been several news stories published about the exploitation of workers, child labour, environment degradation, and other social issues in developing countries [1]
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