Certified Safe Farm Program Benefits

A uniform quality system -- Certified Safe Farm -- offers several benefits to the participating farms, their insurers, agribusiness partners, and other stakeholders, as illustrated in this chart

Benefits to Stakeholders:

The benefits to stakeholders of the Certified Safe Farm program are derived from:

• The improved health status of the participating farmers.
  • Improved health has direct impacts for farmers, their insurance providers, and governmental agencies.
  • Improved health has indirect benefits for agribusiness partners and the farming community.

Benefits to Farmers:
The benefits to farmers in the Certified Safe Farm program are derived from:

• Improved quality of life
• It has been demonstrated in other industries that a good safety record is associated with higher productivity.
  • Certified safe farms are likely among the most productive and profitable farms.
  • Fewer injuries and illnesses lead to less down time as well as less stress and mental strain, which are immeasurable in financial terms.

Benefits to Agribusiness:
The benefits to agribusinesses associated with Certified Safe Farm are derived from:

• Better health has direct and indirect benefits for the suppliers of seed, feed, machinery, chemicals, loans, and services.
  • Healthier farmers are more reliable as customers
    • They suffer fewer health problems
    • Are more likely to fulfill their commitments to business partners.
    • Purchase more input supplies
      • May be more productive farms due to health and safety consciousness
      • Healthier and safer farms are more reliable business and contract partners for processors, marketers, and exporters of farm products
    • May be able to meet higher product quality standards and therefore provide additional benefits to agribusiness
  • Safer farms will purchase additional safety materials
    • Rollover Protective Structures (ROPS)
    • Protective shields
    • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
    • Other safety devices
  • Generate goodwill and enhance the public image of agribusiness

Benefits to Regulatory Agencies:
The benefits to regulatory agencies associated with Certified Safe Farm are derived from:

• The CSF program offers a new alternative to safety regulations and enforcement.
  • In most states the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have the authority to inspect farms with ten or fewer employees.
  • Inspecting family farms would be cost prohibitive, and not acceptable to the farming community. However, the need to improve safety and health exists.
  • In some industries, OSHA already allows voluntary health and safety programs to be used in place of OSHA inspections.
  • The voluntary CSF program is more acceptable, flexible and driven by benefits rather than regulations.
  • Wide implementation of the CSF program would achieve national safety and health goals without the use of unpopular and costly regulatory approaches.
  • The CSF program could replace OSHA enforcement and ensure satisfactory level of safety on smaller farms as well as larger farms, which are currently covered by OSHA.