Firms' adoption of international standards: Evidence from the Ethiopian floriculture sector

Global trade in agriculture and food products is increasingly governed by an array of standards. A survey conducted in 2010 covering all operational firms in the nascent floriculture industry in Ethiopia revealed that only 36 per cent have managed to acquire certification for international private standards. This study uses a census-based panel dataset from Ethiopian floriculture to empirically examine the determinants of firms adoption of international private standards. It also analyses overall industry level efforts and public-private partnership to launch and implement a national scheme for Good Agricultural Practice and build firms capacity to comply with the standards. Key words standards, certification, floriculture exports, estate farms, Ethiopia, Africa