An Analysis of Experts' Insights on Challenges and Obstacles in Issuing Safety Certificates for Agricultural Products in Iran

 Iran encounters notable obstacles in establishing a strong standard system and issuing safety certificates for agricultural products, which are essential for maintaining a consistent supply of healthy food. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the challenges associated with issuing safety certificates for agricultural products in Iran, drawing insights from experts in the field. The research involved a statistical population of 79 experienced and knowledgeable experts, out of which 65 participants were selected using purposive sampling for the research process. A researcher-developed questionnaire with confirmed validity and reliability was used as the data collection tool. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis within the Smart PLS software environment. This study resulted in identification of the key challenges in issuing safety certificates for agricultural products in Iran. The most influential factors were technical, technological, and informational challenges, indicating their significant impact on certificate issuance (path coefficient= 0.889). Additionally, political and program (path coefficient= 0.849), legal and institutional (path coefficient= 0.815), socio-cultural (path coefficient= 0.797), environmental (path coefficient= 0.657), and economic (path coefficient= 0.579) challenges were recognized as the other significant obstacles. These findings offer insights for implementing effective solutions to improve the process of issuing safety certificates and enhance the certification process of agricultural products in Iran.