Abstract
The traceability of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) could guarantee the authenticity of the product and the protection of the consumer if it is part of a system able to certify the traceability information. The purpose of this paper was to propose and apply a complete electronic traceability prototype along the entire EVOO production chain of a small Italian farm and to verify its economic sustainability. The full traceability of the EVOO extracted from 33 olive trees from three different cultivars (Carboncella, Frantoio and Leccino) was considered. The technological traceability system (TTS; infotracing) consists of several open source devices (based on radio frequency identification (RFID) and QR code technologies) able to track the EVOO from the standing olive tree to the final consumer. The infotracing system was composed of a dedicated open source app and was designed for easy blockchain integration. In addition, an economic analysis of the proposed TTS, with reference to the semi-mechanized olive harvesting process, was conducted. The results showed that the incidence of the TTS application on the whole production varies between 3% and 15.5%, (production from 5 to 60 kg tree−1). The application at the consortium level with mechanized harvesting is fully sustainable in economic terms. The proposed TTS could not only provide guarantees to the final consumer but could also direct the farmer towards precision farming management.
Highlights
One of the main problems in the agri-food sector is to define tools useful to determine the origin of products and raw materials in order to ensure their traceability [1]
The investigations conducted in the olive grove, after 1 year from their application, showed that 31 tags positioned on the 33 olive trees belonging to the three cultivars (Carboncella, Frantoio and Leccino) were correctly read by the dedicated app and proved to be functional, recording all the necessary information
The present work examines the potential implementation impact of the application of a traceability system (TTS), in comparison to conventional management, on an extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) production system relying on a semi-mechanized harvesting system
Summary
One of the main problems in the agri-food sector is to define tools useful to determine the origin of products and raw materials in order to ensure their traceability [1]. Consumer demand is increasingly oriented towards the purchase of certified food products; geographical identification becomes an important tool to guarantee consumer safety. This is especially true for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), the quality of which is strongly linked to the cultivars used and the environmental conditions of the growing area [2]. EVOO traceability is a relevant process that allows for the identification of the varieties of olives It is crucial for establishing the olive oil origin, but it is fundamental for the protection of consumers from fraud [3]. Tools to verify the traceability process are needed to control the quality of virgin olive oil introduced on the market [4]
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