小农户食品安全行政处罚执法优化研究

Research on the Optimization of Administrative Penalty Enforcement for Food Safety of Small-Scale Farmers

摘要: 本文围绕小农户在食品安全行政处罚中所面临的“过罚不当”问题展开研究，旨在探索执法优化的路径。通过对《食品安全法》《农产品质量安全法》等现行法律体系的梳理，指出当前行政处罚起点高、裁量基准不明确、缺乏差异化机制等问题，导致小农户因轻微违法而承担与其承受能力严重不符的高额罚款，进而引发执法困境与社会公平争议。同时，通过研究借鉴欧盟、美国、加拿大等地区的监管经验，提出统一裁量基准、建立分级处罚机制、推行“以教代罚”柔性执法、加强政府全过程介入等具体优化建议，以平衡食品安全监管目标与小农户权益保护，推动行政执法更具合理性、可操作性与人文关怀，为实现食品安全治理现代化提供理论参考与实践路径。

Abstract: This study examines the issue of disproportionate penalties in food safety administrative enforcement against small-scale farmers, aiming to explore pathways for optimizing enforcement practices. Through an analysis of China’s current legal framework, including the Food Safety Law and the Agricultural Product Quality Safety Law, the research identifies systemic problems such as high minimum penalty thresholds, vague discretionary standards, and the lack of a differentiated enforcement mechanism. These shortcomings often result in excessive fines for minor violations that far exceed the economic capacity of smallholders, leading to enforcement dilemmas and challenges regarding social equity. Furthermore, by drawing on regulatory experiences from the European Union, the United States and Canada, this research proposes concrete optimization strategies. These include unifying discretionary benchmarks, establishing a tiered penalty system, promoting educational alternatives to penalties, and enhancing government involvement throughout the agricultural production and sales process. The recommendations seek to balance the objectives of food safety regulation with the protection of smallholders’ rights, thereby facilitating more rational, operable, and humane administrative enforcement. This research provides theoretical and practical insights for advancing the modernization of food safety governance.