On a handshake: business-to-business trust in the biosecurity behaviours of the UK live plant trade

The movement of plants through the ornamental plant trade presents a major source of risk for the introduction and spread of plant pests and pathogens. To minimise the likelihood of infested or infected plants moving through the value chain, individual businesses can adopt a range of biosecurity practices to prevent introduction on site, as well as detecting and then containing or eradicating any plant pests or pathogens present. However, a major additional source of risk is the arrival of unhealthy plants sourced from a supplier. Using the example of bacterial plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa which has a large host range and potentially devastating economic and environmental impacts, we highlight the importance of trust when businesses navigate the risks of sourcing plants. Through interviews and a survey with a range of plant businesses, we show (i) how two general types of risk—relational risk associated with suppliers acting in good faith, and performance risk associated with suppliers having the ability to perform as expected—can be applied to the challenge of sourcing healthy plants, (ii) how businesses respond to these risks through behaviours based on trust and control, and (iii) the potential outcomes of trust-based and control-based behaviours in the presence of a hard to detect pathogen such as Xylella fastidiosa. We conclude that trust is a significant component in decision-making in the live plant trade, and as such any behavioural interventions designed to encourage better biosecurity practices in the industry should capitalise on this understanding to strengthen responses and avoid undermining of effort.