Food Traceability – Transforming the Food and Agriculture industry

In an increasingly interconnected and conscious world, the demand for transparency and accountability in the food and agriculture industry is reaching new heights. Consumers today want to know where their food comes from, how it was produced and the impact it has on the environment and communities. This pressing need has given rise to food traceability solutions that are transforming the food and agriculture industry. By leveraging advanced technologies and innovative solutions, traceability is paving way for a more sustainable, ethical and resilient food system.

According to a survey conducted by the Food Marketing Institute. 75% of consumers consider transparency and traceability as important factors in their food purchasing decisions.

In this blog post, we will explore the captivating journey of traceability and its profound impact on the food and agriculture industry, from farm to fork. Join us as we uncover the potential and benefits of traceability, what’s in it for all stakeholders and how technology helps in building trustworthy solutions.

What is Food Traceability?

Traceability is the ability to identify the origin of food and the feed ingredients in a supply chain. Traceability system allows a user to locate a product through the different stages of manufacturing, processing, distribution and handling of food from production to consumption.

According to ISO, traceability is defined as “Ability to trace the history, application or location of that which is under consideration, and when it refers to product, it relates to the origin of material, the processing history and distribution and location of product.”  Tracking refers to the location of the product at a given time in the supply chain whereas Tracing refers to how the product has travelled down the supply chain. Food traceability systems help to record, track and verify a product’s history and identify its location in the supply chain. There can be visibility and control of the product in its farm to fork journey.

Why the need for Food traceability? 

It is estimated that almost 1 in 10 fall ill globally due to food contamination. Food companies incur costs of $10 million due to food recall. The fines incurred due to noncompliance of food standards are huge.  

• Lack of Transparency in food supply chains
• Mislabeling and adulteration of food products
• Product Integrity and Quality Control
• Supply chain complexity with multiple stakeholders.
• Food Safety and Contamination
• Inventory management and food wastage
• Need for compliance with regulations.
• Supply chain disruptions
• Need for ethical and sustainable sourcing.

Embracing technology, implementing traceability systems, fostering transparency and promoting best practices overcomes these challenges and creates a resilient and sustainable food supply chain.

Traceability Solutions

Traceability in agriculture will help to give better visibility among the stakeholders and manage risks. The capturing of data in real-time helps to react instantly to product recalls and withdrawals, thereby reducing the response time. The reduction in recalls due to traceability avoids food wastage down the supply chain. The visibility of information helps businesses to take informed decisions about the market reach and cost effectiveness. More importantly organizations can build trustworthy consumer brands. The authenticity of the product can be easily proved and the consumer can experience the product’s transparent journey. The sustainability claims can also be verified to ensure a future proof product.

What is in it for me?

The farmer 

• Tracking of produce from the farm to the end consumer 
• Crop input advisory for usage of fertilizers, pesticides and feeds 
• Geo mapping of farms along with details of crops grown.  
• Tracking harvest details, manage inventory and reduce post-harvest losses 
• Greater visibility in market, assuring the producer a fair share 
• Identify points of product contamination for effective and targeted product recalls. 

The Consumer 

• Knowing the farm to fork story builds confidence about the brand to make informed decisions about purchase. 
• Addresses uncertainty on food safety and food contamination issues. 
• Questions asked by consumers on sustainable practices related to environmental impact can be answered. 
• Traceability gives a digital identity to the product and provides a connect to the consumer with a wonderful experience of the product’s journey in the lifecycle. 

Business 

• Traceability helps to build trustworthy Consumer brands 
• The economic losses due to product recalls are reduced. 
• Credibility of products helps to prove regulatory compliance.  
• Streamlining of processes increases efficiency 
• Inventory management and timely recalls helps in reducing food wastage 
• Sustainability claims can be proved.

Traceability in agriculture – Bridging gaps 

The new agricultural economy is riding on the rise of contract farmers and evolution of a supply chain link between the producer and consumer. In such a situation, there are challenges of adopting sustainable practices and promoting food quality and safety. There is an increasing demand of safe and nutritious food from the consumer. These conditions are demanding the need for agri- traceability in supply chains. Traceability in agriculture is emerging as a risk mitigation tool in agri-food quality and safety systems. 

Technology innovations will reduce transaction costs and ensure a traceable food supply chain. Emerging blockchain technology and the advancements in information and communication technology for data capture, storage and retrieval and the geo-spatial technology together with IoT sensors, RFID, Bar codes, QR codes are contributing in a big way to the farm to fork traceability.  

Each step from the raw materials in the farm to the delivery of the end product to the consumer is an important link in the food supply chain. Traceability in agriculture is getting increasingly important. Niche technological interventions will provide solutions to climatic effects on the various stages in the supply chain. Linking technology and agriculture research should create a sustainable ecosystem, transforming the food sector. The collection of information, its documentation and application to all processes in the supply chain, the origin, location and the farm to fork journey will guarantee both the consumer and other stakeholders food safety and quality. 

Use cases of Traceability in Agriculture 

Consumer Trust.  

The increasing demand of consumers on transparency in the food they eat is a responsibility for the producers to generate records on the entire history of the product and send it forward. Product labeling is important as it carries all the information. QR code technology helps to provide a transparent farm to fork journey. 

Food Wastage and Loss 

The complex and fragmented food supply chain needs a well-maintained inventory. Tracing products at all stages in processing helps to identify problem points and allow timely recalls and prevent wastage thereby reducing economic losses. 

Food Safety  

Track and Trace systems helps to target timely product recalls by identifying sources of food contamination due to disease outbreaks or adulteration. This ensures safety of public health. 

Food Fraud 

Tracking of products to eliminate errors during packaging is crucial. Mislabeling of products are causes of health hazards arising due to food allergens and frauds. 

Farmer productivity 

Farmers are the lifelines of a country. Accurate farm recording systems help them to take data driven decisions and improve their crop yield. This gives them better visibility in markets, increase profits and improve their standard of living. 

Compliance to quality 

Compiling all data into organized reports proves the authenticity of the product. A single source of truth helps in audit trials and achieving quality certifications. This puts organizations on the global map to compete with stringent export regulations. 

Sustainability Claims 

Traceability helps to verify ethical sourcing of raw materials and adopt sustainable farm practices to ensure sustainability in the food supply chains.  

How TraceX is helping the agriculture industry?

Blockchain powered traceability solutions from TraceX offer several benefits to the agriculture industry by enhancing transparency, efficiency and trust throughout the supply chain.

The Trace Gro and Trace Pro modules of TraceX provide end to end traceability of the entire agriculture value chain.

Trace Gro module captures the pre-harvest details in an agriculture value chain. The user-friendly mobile app enables farmers and organizations to capture and record seed input data, crop input data, cultivation practices and weather conditions. The land areas are geo-spatially mapped with package of practices configured for each crop. Harvest dashboards are generated which enables farmers to keep track of their activities and facilitate market reach. The input procurement manager streamlines the procurement process for farmers. The data recorded at each stage in the pre-harvest process enables auditability and compliance requirements.

Trace Pro module covers the post-harvest management of the supply chain. Sorting, grading, processing, packaging, storage and transportation processes are streamlined to enhance supply chain efficiency. Real-time visibility into stock levels ensures robust inventory management, minimizing wastage. Quality parameters are recorded to ensure a transparent and auditable system. Track and Trace systems with Batch Serialization all along the supply chain facilitates recall management ensuring food safety and brand protection. The collaborative decentralized blockchain platform builds trust among stakeholders. The QR code generated recreates the farm to fork journey of the products, thereby assuring consumers of a trustworthy and safe product.

Conclusion

In conclusion, traceability is a transformative force in the food and agriculture industry, revolutionizing the way we produce, distribute and consume food. By embracing traceability solutions, we unlock a world of possibilities, where transparency, accountability and sustainability reign. Consumers can trace the food from farm to fork, ensuring safety, ethical practices and quality. Producers and suppliers gain valuable insights into their supply chains, enabling informed decision making, optimized operations and reduced wastage. Traceability empowers us to make responsible choices, protect the environment and build a resilient and thriving food system.

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