Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.

If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options.

The tracking and tracing of products throughout the supply chain is at the centre point of discussions on the development of a competitive and sustainable food production network in Europe and beyond. The focus is especially on the organization of appropriate systems for tracking and tracing as a baseline infrastructure investment on which further quality assurance activities along the supply chain within the competitive food supply networks could build. The pressure on industry is from policy with new regulations on tracking and tracing as well as from retail groups who ask for process transparency throughout the chain. However, beyond this discussion line, the organization of tracking and tracing schemes has also a managerial dimension. This emphasizes the global relevance of tracking and tracing schemes and their role as a baseline feature for improvements in logistics efficiency, risk control and the delivery of guarantees for food safety and quality.