Understanding growers' preferences regarding interventions to improve the microbiological safety of their produce could help to design more effective strategies for the adoption of such food safety measures by growers. The objective of this survey study was to obtain insights for the design of interventions that could stimulate growers to increase the frequency of irrigation water sampling and water testing to reduce possible microbiological contamination of their fresh produce. The results showed that price intervention, referring to making the intervention less costly by reducing the price via discounts, is the most effective strategy to change growers' intentions to increase their frequency of irrigation water testing. Moreover, a sense of urgency affects their intentions to increase the frequency of irrigation water testing. The findings of this survey support the hypothesis that, to date, safety is not perceived as a quality control issue under normal circumstances, but safety becomes an overriding attribute in a food crisis.

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PrefaceThere is growing evidence that climate change will globally affect the production of fresh fruits and vegetables in the coming decades. Changing weather circumstances may lead to shifts in growing seasons, changes in quantitative or qualitative yield, or even different crops being produced. These changes will also have consequences for the sourcing and supply of commodities that are imported from elsewhere in the world. Climate change may increase or decrease the sustainability of production, e.g. by affecting the availability and use of resources, and ultimately lead to a shift in sourcing regions.While the potential impacts of climate change are obvious, it often appears difficult to translate generic insights into specific current practice of food supply chains. This complicates strategic decision-making and hinders anticipation of stakeholders on climate-induced risks and opportunities. Accordingly, there is a need for guidance in the identification of potential impacts of climate change, and the possible actions that stakeholders can take in anticipation of these impacts. This is particularly true for supply chains of fresh produce, due to its relatively short shelf-life, high quality requirements, and seasonality of supply.This report fulfils this need by presenting a generic approach for qualifying the impacts of a changing climate on production, marketing and trading of fruit and vegetables produced in African countries. The approach does not aim to support detailed, accurate prediction of impacts in time and space. Rather, it positions climate change in a dynamic physical, socio-economic and institutional environment, and offers guidance to stakeholders in defining their roles and responsibilities for achieving a sustainable supply chain that is resilient to climate change. The approach is illustrated by applying it to three case studies: oranges sourced in South-Africa, oranges sourced in Egypt, and green beans sourced in Kenya.