Traceback
The need for an ability to track crops, livestock and food products from farm to table cannot be overstated in terms of protecting public health and preserving the economic viability of the food and agriculture industry. Consumer and market demands have already begun driving trends to greater accountability and traceability. Increasing threats from a food safety and animal health perspective alone would be sufficient argument in favor of developing comprehensive product identification and tracking systems. Last summer Canada was, and now the United States is, under a global microscope as we struggle to trace the source of a cow infected with BSE as well as other animals associated with that cow. The specter of terrorist attacks makes the development and implementation of such systems even more imperative. If we require more than a few hours to locate all products associated with a terrorist incident, we risk a massive loss of consumer confidence in the nation’s food and agriculture system. That could have far costlier consequences than the immediate cost of the incident. NASDA strongly urges the immediate development and implementation of a uniform farm animal identification and tracking system. NASDA further urges the consideration of systems that make possible the identification and tracking of farm products from farm to table.