Enabling safe practices in wastewater-irrigated urban agriculture

In the Global South, wastewater is often reused in agriculture without adequate treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that farmers, vegetable traders, street food vendors, and consumers adopt safe hygiene and food safety practices to protect occupational and public health. However, very few of these stakeholders are willing to adopt behaviours for which they perceive high costs and little if any, benefits. This study draws on the COM-B model of behaviour change and participatory methods to work with stakeholders in the irrigated urban vegetable value-chain. It presents a shared understanding of the barriers limiting their Capacity, Opportunity, and Motivation to adopt safe Behaviours. Evidence from Accra, Ghana, suggests that a lack of communication within and between stakeholder groups often hinders the outcomes of initiatives aimed at increasing opportunities and capacities. Outcomes can improve if initiatives account for stakeholders’ respective motivations.