The Strategies of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Tunisian Organic Farming

By Chiraz Ghozzi-Nekhili, Souad Kamoun-Chouk
English

Economic operators are now questioned, not only on their financial results but also on social equity and environmental impact. The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is based on all the obligations incumbent upon a firm in the management of its relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Tunisia is ranked first in Africa in terms of farming surface area certified as organic. The sector receives particular attention from the government. Yet the specifications governing the sector contain, at least explicitly, no incentives to adopt a comprehensive CSR strategy. Organic culture seems to be perceived by the state institutions merely as a new growth area and a quest for competitive advantage. The article deals with the following question: To what extent the perception of institutional investors in organic farming (taken from studies in this area) can influence the operators’ behavior in this field? To answer this question, Acquier’s typology (2008) was used. The empirical approach was based on the literature review of studies led by two national investment promotion agencies. This showed that the almost sole interest of stakeholders is focused on foreign consumers. The CSR strategy of the operators that could be adopted is the "greenwashing". JEL Codes: M1, M14

Keywords

  • CSR strategy
  • organic farming
  • Tunisia
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