Voluntary Traceability Research Articles

Voluntary traceability in food supply chain: a framework leading its implementation in Agriculture 4.0

Today, the world faces a big challenge about food quality and safety. Consumers are becoming more careful during their food choices, focusing on food information. Drawing on the Industry 4.0 technologies and methodologies, food companies could adopt traceability systems that are able to collect various types of information along the food supply chain, to satisfy regulation but also to make their work transparent. With the aim of overcoming the current shortcomings in the food traceability framework (e.g., the absence of data visualisation solutions or tools for supply chain actors and consumers, adopting standards for external traceability and data identification, and fulfilling the four Industry 4.0 development dimensions), and considering the sustainability challenges, the aim of this study is to suggest a Framework for Voluntary Food Traceability based on digital technologies and explore its application by means of a case study in an organic olive oil company. The Framework, composed of three building blocks, allows the company to: map supply chain processes, identifying tasks and processes where data was generated, its format and the supply chain owner; select and use technologies to collect and analyse traceability data; and communicate to the end consumer comprehensible and useful food information.

Intrinsic value of food chain data

Intrinsic value of food chain data

The market for traceability with applications to U.S. feeder cattle

Abstract For voluntary traceability programs, a key interest for program designers and policymakers is how to encourage participation. We contend that participating in voluntary traceability can be viewed as a product characteristic, and thus serves as a source of product differentiation. We study the implicit market for traceability systems for the first known time. In our empirical example, we use stated choice experiments to link feeder cattle sellers and buyers through premiums and discounts for cattle traceability systems. Using results from discrete choice models, we simulate changes in traceability supply and demand in response to prices and policies. We find that cost-share policies might be an effective way of encouraging participation for feeder cattle sellers and could serve as an alternative to mandating traceability.

The determinants of voluntary traceability standards. The case of the wine sector

The aim of this paper is to study the determinants leading firms to choose among different kinds of voluntary traceability standards in the wine sector. To achieve this goal, we referred both to individual and institutional-level determinants, which are identified to play an important role in the literature related to the implementation of quality and safety standards. In specific, we referred to two theoretical approaches to better understand the industry behaviour towards the adoption of voluntary traceability, i.e. the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Institutional Theory. We developed a vis-à-vis survey through a questionnaire on a sample of Italian wineries approached during the most important Italian wine exhibitions in 2016. The results suggest that when wineries show positive cognitive beliefs towards voluntary traceability standards, they will probably implement complex traceability systems, which require high investments and efforts for their management. On the contrary, when the institutional environment plays a key role in the perception of wine processors, a simple and flexible traceability system seems to be preferred.

Do motivations affect different voluntary traceability schemes? An empirical analysis among food manufacturers

The purpose of this study was to explore the links between the motivations leading firms to adopt quality certifications and the kinds of voluntary traceability implemented to comply with such requirements. Specifically, our analysis focuses on the voluntary traceability implemented to accomplish certification requirements addressing environmental and social sustainability. To reach our goal, we conducted a survey through an ad hoc questionnaire on a sample of 131 Italian food firms. Structural equation modeling with Partial Least Squares was used to analyze the relationships between the motivations of sustainability certification adoption and the kind of traceability implemented. The results show that most of the motivations related to the adoption of sustainability certifications are statistically linked to the level of traceability complexity implemented. More precisely, confidence-related and supply chain motivations are positively related to the level of traceability complexity, whereas profitability-related motivations are negatively associated.

Traceability and risks: an extended transaction cost perspective

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to investigate the determinants leading firms to choose among different voluntary standards within food supply chains. In specific, the authors explored the role of transaction risks, i.e. internal and exogenous risks, in the adoption of different traceability standards.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted within the Italian population of 216 food-processing firms that adopt voluntary traceability schemes. The identification of different transaction risks was based on the literature on supply chain management and transaction cost economics. An ordinal regression model was used in the analysis.FindingsEmpirical results highlight that the transaction risks perceived by food firms play a significant role on the kind of traceability schemes to adopt. There is a positive link between internal risks and the decision to implement complex schemes. Moreover, a negative relationship between the perceived exogenous risks and the complexity of the standard adopted is also observed. Exogenous transaction risk lead to the implementation of standards which do not imply strong co-ordination. On the contrary, internal risks imply complex schemes that lead to closer supply chain relationships.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis is limited to cross-sectional data for a single country, and further investigation would help assess the generalisation of the findings.Practical implicationsThe analysis can be considered a useful framework to orient firms strategic decisions towards the most appropriate voluntary standard to adopt for an efficient management of vertical relationships within food supply chains.Originality/valueThe present analysis is the first attempt to explain the determinants leading firms to choose among different kinds of voluntary standards within food supply chains. The approach used reveals that transaction risks can be considered a useful framework to explain firms’ strategic decisions related to the kind of schemes to adopt.

Voluntary traceability standards and the role of economic incentives

Purpose The proliferation of traceability standards shed light on the understanding of the mechanisms leading agri-food firms to choose among different kind of rules and systems for their implementation. The present paper investigates the role of firms economic incentives on the adoption of different traceability systems. In specific, the analysis aims at segmenting food firms on the basis of economic incentives for the adoption of voluntary traceability and the levels of the system complexity implemented. Design/methodology/approach A survey based on an ad hoc questionnaire was conducted in 2014 on a sample of firms certified ISO 22005/2008. Cluster analysis was run for the analysis and one-way ANOVA was used to confirm differences among clusters. Findings The analysis presents three different clusters in terms of economic incentives for voluntary traceability and the level of systems complexity implemented. All the clusters reveal that supply chain incentives play a key role. Moreover, ‘fine traceability’ clusters firms with high level of traceability. They consider food safety as an important incentive to adopt a voluntary standard. ‘Medium traceability’ groups firms with an average level of traceability system complexity. The interviewed consider the firm reputation as strategic driver for voluntary standard implementation. The cluster ‘coarse traceability’ groups firms which introduced traceability for quality differentiation of products on the market. These firms implemented a low level of traceability system complexity. Research limitations/implications The paper presents some limitations due to the sample dimension. Future research is oriented to test such results on an extended sample and to analyse the relationships between the traceability system implemented and the different kind of economic incentives for traceability standards. Originality/value The present paper offers two main contributions. From a conceptual point of view it tries to deepen existing knowledge on the mechanisms regulating the existence of different traceability standards. From a managerial point of view, the analysis contributes in the understanding of firm strategies in relation to the adoption of different traceability systems. Such results could address firm management on the allocation of financial resources for the adoption of different traceability systems.

Identification of Behavior of Voluntary Traceability and Analysis of Its Determinants: A Case Study of Hog Slaughtering and Processing Firms in Zhejiang Province, China

In recent years, the Chinese government has highlighted the importance of adopting hog safety/quality traceability, and a growing amount of research continues to entice firms to adopt traceability systems. In this study, a survey was conducted on a sample of pig slaughtering and processing firms in Zhejiang, China through personal interviews and emails. The aim of this study was to examine the determinants of firm behavior on the implementation of voluntary traceability systems with more stringent standards and controls than those of the mandatory system in China. The results revealed that motivation based on product quality improvement, capital ability and role perception (business type) had significantly positive relationships with a firm's voluntary traceability. Other incentives, such as operation improvement, recall risk reduction, reduced occurrence of safety issues, and technical strength were not found to be supportive in our study. This study provides an opportunity to better understand the determinants of firm behavior on voluntary traceability, particularly in light of the fact that some Chinese firms are facing the threat of criminal action for the use of illegal additives and the abuse of Clenbuterol. Policy recommendations on encouraging the implementation of pork safety voluntary traceability by hog slaughtering and processing firms are also discussed.

Cow-Calf Producer Perceptions Regarding Individual Animal Traceability

This study provides valuable insights into cow-calf producer voluntary participation in the National Animal Identification System and producers' perceptions of several issues critically impacting the success of voluntary traceability systems. Cow-calf producers believe that the most important issues to the U.S. beef industry in designing a national, individual animal traceability system are monitoring/managing disease, maintaining current foreign markets, accessing foreign markets, and increasing consumer confidence. Furthermore, producers are concerned with cost, liability, reliability of technology, failure of system to meet stated goals, and confidentiality of information associated with these systems.

Cow‐Calf Producer Preferences for Voluntary Traceability Systems

AbstractThis article identifies preferences of US cow‐calf producers for voluntary traceability systems to better identify the potential success of alternative voluntary traceability systems. Results suggest that notable heterogeneity exists between cow‐calf producers in their preferences and the welfare effects of mandating traceability adoption. Producers are sensitive to price, managing entity and information requirements. We provide forecasts of voluntary participation rates under different price premium and discount scenarios that producers may face. This analysis has policy implications as success of voluntary traceability systems hinges critically upon cow‐calf producer preferences.

The Economics of Voluntary Traceability in Multi‐Ingredient Food Chains

AbstractThe consumption of multi‐ingredient foods is increasing across the globe. Traceability can be used as a tool to gather information about and manage food safety risks associated with these types of products. The authors investigate the choice of voluntary traceability in three‐tiered multi‐ingredient food supply chains. They propose a framework based on vertical control and agency theory to model three dimensions of traceability systems: depth, breadth, and precision. Their analysis has three main results. First, full traceability is feasible as long as there are net benefits to a downstream firm that demands traceability across all ingredients. Second, horizontal network externalities are positive because an increase in the level of traceability in one ingredient requires a similar increase in others. Finally, vertical network effects will be positive insofar as willingness to pay and probabilities of food safety hazards increase. [EconLit Classification: Q130, L140]. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The consequences of voluntary traceability system for supply chain relationships. An application of transaction cost economics

This paper analyses the effects of voluntary traceability on vertical relationships within food supply chains using a transaction cost perspective. The analysis makes reference to the Italian situation where the national standard organization has introduced a private standard for traceability that provides a higher degree of information associated with the individual product than the European mandatory traceability system. A survey was conducted by questionnaire to assess changes in transaction characteristics, costs and governance after the introduction of voluntary traceability. The sample represents all Italian firms applying this standard. Factorial and cluster analyses were applied to find the different reorganizations of transactions. The results highlight an increase in asset specificity and a decrease in the uncertainty level throughout the supply chains. The introduction of voluntary traceability shows increased vertical coordination for firms that previously used oral agreements and variation in transactions conditions for firms using contracts. Instead vertically integrated firms do not reveal any variation in the governance of transactions as they are already internally safeguarded.

Information, labelling, and vertical coordination: an analysis of the Italian meat supply networks

AbstractAfter the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) crisis, the European Union (EU) introduced mandatory and voluntary labelling for meat products to reduce the food safety concerns of consumers and to ensure a better distribution of liability among agents of the meat supply chain. The purpose of this article is to evaluate whether voluntary traceability labelling, introduced by Regulation 1760/2000, can be considered a useful instrument for both the producers and consumers of meat products. Attention is focused on the vertical coordination effects of introducing voluntary labelling along the beef chain and on the interest the Italian consumer shows in labelled information on meat products. Two surveys were conducted: one addressing Italian meat organizations that signed voluntary labelling agreements and the other a sample of 1,025 Italian consumers. With regard to supply, the survey revealed that improved traceability led to a better redistribution of liability among the agents of the meat supply chain and to a strengthening of vertical agreements. Regarding the consumers, the results showed a notable consumer interest in the labelled information such as the meat origin and the information related to the system of cattle breeding, cattle feeding, and the date of slaughtering. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.,

Traceability and vertical co-ordination in the Italian dairy chain: A transaction cost approach

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how the introduction of a voluntary traceability system affects the organisation of economic relationships throughout the Italian dairy chain. Using the theoretical framework of transaction cost economics, we assess whether traceability increases the degree of vertical co-ordination and changes the level of the transaction key features, i.e. degree of asset specificity, uncertainty and frequency of transactions. A survey was conducted by questionnaire to assess changes in vertical relations, and to underline the different organisational solutions of dairy firms we carried out factor and cluster analysis. The results show increased bilateral dependency among the economic agents as a consequence of the rise in human, physical and site assets. At the same time, growth in the frequency and quantity of information exchanged is observed. Moreover, for medium-sized firms economic incentives play an important role in guaranteeing the safeguarding of transactions, whereas big firms adopt contractual supports.