Exploring food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices and their determinants among urban vegetable producers and consumers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Purpose The study aimed to examine the levels and determinants of food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices among urban vegetable producers and consumers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a cross-sectional convergent parallel mixed-design. Data were collected quantitatively from 400 respondents through face-to-face interviews by employing a structured household survey. Qualitative data were collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions using open-ended checklists. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to characterize and compare the two groups. The factors influencing these variables were determined by a multivariate probit model. Thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Findings The result of the study showed that both groups had good mean knowledge and attitudes. However, households faced resources such as access to water, training, income, and informal market dynamics which hindered the implementation of food safety practices. Knowledge was significantly influenced by age and education, whereas attitude was significantly influenced solely by age. The practice was also strongly influenced by education, size of household, type of occupation and training. Knowledge and attitude are found to be correlated; this suggests that enhanced knowledge positively influences attitudes. No significant correlation was identified between knowledge and practice or between attitude and practice. These results challenge the linear assumptions of the KAP model. Research limitations/implications This study is not without limitations. The cross-sectional nature of the study is the first limitation, which provides only a snapshot in time, and does not allow to establish temporal relationships between variables. Second, the study's emphasis on the city of Addis Ababa restricts the extent to which the results can be generalized, meaning that the findings may not be transferable to other urban or rural areas of Ethiopia without additional research. And the analysis did not consider other strategic factors, including household income and expenditure, house conditions, location and social support system, which may affect knowledge, attitude and practice. Future studies should incorporate these essential variables. Practical implications The results show that food safety improvement cannot depend on awareness campaigns alone. Producers showed good knowledge and attitudes, but their practice was poor. Interventions at the producer level need to be directed at guaranteeing access to clean water, affordable inputs, low-technology safety equipment and training that can be delivered within the context. Extension services need to decentralize and become more responsive to the needs of informal producers. Among consumers, good practice was associated with stable income, quality of housing and availability of services. This implies household food safety is strongly associated with welfare and urban conditions of life. Social implications Since this study focuses on the two players in the value chain (producer and consumer), it contributes to improving the health of these households. This leads to greater trust and communication between the two groups regarding food safety. The study exposes a clear social divide in food safety capacity between producers and consumers. This divide is rooted in income inequality, housing insecurity and uneven access to services rather than differences in awareness. Producers operating in informal settings carry a higher burden of food safety risk while supplying food to the wider population. This raises concerns about fairness and shared responsibility within the urban food system. Improving food safety should therefore be treated as a collective issue rather than an individual failing. Enhancing the capacity of producers strengthens both public health and the social trust between producers and consumers. Community-based organizations, market associations and local media can help fill the gaps in information and resources. Building the capacity of producers improves both public health and the social trust between producers and consumers. Originality/value This study examined the food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices of urban vegetable producers and consumers, using a mixed research strategy. This means that the study serves as an evidence source for households, researchers, society and policymakers

Descriptive statistics · Focus group · Food safety · Multivariate analysis · Multivariate probit model · Qualitative property · Qualitative research · Thematic analysis · Food Safety and Hygiene · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Risk Perception and Management

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