Development and Validation of a Novel Classification Framework for Voluntary Food Safety Adoption Among Small-Scale Produce Growers: A Pilot Study

This study utilizes a novel classification framework to address voluntary food safety practices among small-scale produce growers who sell primarily at West Virginia farmers' markets. Limited data exist on how these exempt growers voluntarily adopt postharvest food safety practices. This pilot study assessed postharvest food safety behaviors and introduced a behavioral classification framework-Willing, Ready, and Able (WRA)-to stratify engagement among FSMA-exempt small-scale produce growers. A cross-sectional survey was administered in 2025 to 40 growers at the West Virginia Small Farms Conference. FSMA exemption was confirmed by self-report or eligibility criteria; five FSMA-covered respondents were excluded, yielding a final sample of 35. Growers were categorized as FSMA-Willing (no training, confident in current practices), FSMA-Ready (training plus adoption of one to three Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)-aligned practices), or FSMA-Able (training plus adoption of four or more GAP-aligned practices). Among FSMA-exempt respondents (n = 35), 62.8% reported training, 53.1% sanitized surfaces, and 52.5% used refrigeration. WRA classification revealed that 34.3% were Willing, 34.3% Ready, and 28.5% Able. The WRA framework introduces a novel behavioral classification system to differentiate FSMA-exempt growers by readiness, training history, and current safety practices. These findings suggest that many exempt growers voluntarily implement risk-reducing behaviors, and WRA can guide targeted outreach to improve food safety in decentralized systems.