Traceability of produce is becoming increasingly important for agricultural commodities, and many within the grains industry have established their own mechanisms for meeting the traceability requirements of customers. Significant work has been undertaken over many years to develop cost-effective systems that are fit for purpose. For this reason, it is important that a National Traceability Strategy focus on principles to guide and underpin the evolution of traceability systems, rather than “re-inventing the wheel” or imposing additional regulatory burden and costs on industries.
Whilst improved traceability may offer opportunities for some growers over the existing practices, the benefits of developing and implementing the systems need to be weighed up against the costs. At present the value proposition of a national agricultural traceability system for the grains industry is not clear.