Buying better biosecurity: Plant-buying behaviour and the implications for an accreditation scheme in the horticultural sector
Buying better biosecurity: Plant-buying behaviour and the implications for an accreditation scheme in the horticultural sector
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购买更好的生物安全：植物购买行为以及对园艺部门认证计划的影响
DOI：
10.1002/ppp3.10076
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发表时间：
2019
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Dunn M
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Dunn M
社会影响声明园艺贸易的繁荣有赖于健康的植物。然而，其本身的性质意味着它也是植物病虫害传入和传播的关键途径。这些病虫害威胁着园艺利益相关者，也可能造成巨大的生态和经济损失。以最佳生物安全实践为基础的园艺部门认证计划可以帮助减少这些威胁。根据调查结果，本研究考察了英国消费者的植物购买习惯以及他们对园艺认证计划的兴趣。我们考虑了这样一个计划的必要范围，并概述了如何使其吸引购买工厂的公众。园艺贸易中活植物材料的流动是病虫害传入和传播的一个经常性途径。以最佳生物安全实践为基础的认证计划是减轻这种风险的一种方法。本研究旨在确定一项认证计划是否可能得到英国公众的支持——这一因素将严重影响其建立和影响。消费者的态度和行为是通过对英国购买植物的公众（n= 1,500）的调查得出的。该调查探讨了人们对病虫害的认识、在做出购买植物的决定时（相对于其他因素）生物安全的重要性，以及对包括植物在内的认证产品的偏好。样本对植物病虫害的认识有限，在植物购买决策中对生物安全的重视程度不高。相反，这些决定受到“质量”的影响——这一因素也被引用来解释消费者选择（非园艺）认证产品而不是未经认证的品种。尽管园艺认证计划的理想得到了明显的支持，但消费者表示担心认证可能导致产品更昂贵。如果不努力提高零售商等关键影响者的意识，公众不太可能支持一项旨在保护更广泛的环境免受病虫害侵害的计划。然而，保证高质量、健康的植物将增加计划的吸引力。此外，考虑到植物获取来源的多样性，任何可能的计划都必须包括一系列种植者和销售商，才能得到购买植物的公众的广泛考虑。
Societal Impact StatementThe horticultural trade relies on healthy plants to flourish. However, its very nature means that it is also a key pathway for the introduction and spread of plant pests and diseases. These pests and diseases threaten horticultural stakeholders, and can also cause huge ecological and economic damage. A horticultural sector accreditation scheme, underpinned by best biosecurity practice, could help reduce these threats. Drawing on survey responses, this study examines the plant‐buying habits of UK consumers and their appetite for a horticulture accreditation scheme. We consider the necessary scope of such a scheme and outline how it could be made appealing to the plant‐buying public.SummaryMovement of live plant material through the horticultural trade is a recurrent pathway for the introduction and spread of pests and diseases. An accreditation scheme underpinned by best biosecurity practice represents one approach to mitigating this risk. This research aims to determine whether an accreditation scheme would likely be supported by the public in the United Kingdom—a factor which would heavily influence its establishment and impact.Consumer attitudes and behaviours were elicited through a survey of the UK's plant‐buying public (n= 1,500). The survey explored awareness of pests and diseases, the importance of biosecurity when making plant‐buying decisions (relative to other factors), and appetite for accredited products, including plants.The sample exhibited limited awareness of plant pests and diseases and ascribed little importance to biosecurity during plant‐buying decisions. Instead, these decisions are influenced by “quality”—a factor also cited to explain consumers’ selection of (non‐horticultural) accredited goods over unaccredited varieties. Despite apparent support of a horticultural accreditation scheme's ideals, consumers expressed concern that accreditation could lead to more expensive products.Public support for a scheme aiming to safeguard the wider environment from pests and diseases is unlikely to materialize without dedicated efforts to raise awareness by key influencers such as retailers. However, an assurance of high‐quality, healthy plants would increase a scheme's appeal. Furthermore, given the diversity of sources from which plants are obtained, any would‐be scheme must encompass a range of growers and sellers if it is to be widely considered by the plant‐buying public.