Traceability for producers and consumers

Literature Korthals, M., 2004, Before Dinner: Philosophy and Ethics of Food, Springer Korthals, M. and R. Bogers (Eds.), 2004, Professional Ethics for Life Sciences, Springer Coff, Barling, D., Korthals, M., (2009), Ethical Traceability in Communicating Food, Dordrecht: Springer Korthals, M. (Ed.), 2010, Genomics, Obesity and the Struggle over Responsibilities, Springer

Applied ethics Traditional ethics: Traffic light: allowed or prohibited Process oriented: ends in view – Ethics of (mobile) automatic milking robot – Nutrigenomics: nutritional life sciences for pleasure and social food (not for personalised health) – Including not excluding Intellectual Property Rights (open Source)

content Dynamic factors changing food chains Traceability Traceability: tools Problems of Management tool Risk and context Consumer Concerns Consume Traceability Concerns and Dutch Reality: Cocreation

Dynamic factors changing food chains Technologies: controversial Macro: global, regional (geopolitical) developments & conflicts National, local: governance Mass media make hypes, shaming & blaming NGOs Companies: large, small, incoherent Retailers, farmers: large, small Consumers, different groups

Traceability What to trace? Risk prevention Link to link? Risks and context Ethical decisions in the chains

Traceability: tools 1. Management tool Purpose: Supply chain management and internal management of resources in co-operations. 2. Government tool Purpose: Political and administrative government of the food chain, anti-fraud measures and verification of product attributes and liability. 3. Communication tool ‘Value-capture’ of food qualities (such as animal welfare) for the purpose of informing consumers.

Problems of Management tool No influence consumers, trends, hypes, massmedia No predictability of consumer concerns for companies Making decisions for consumers without consumers What to trace?

Risks and context Food risks: value laden – Chemical, and / or biological etc – Levels of acceptance (never 100% risk free) – Context: human health (views on human healht) – Context: risks to biodiversity – Context: Risks to climate – Context: Risks to humans, societies, animals

Consumer concerns 1. Animal welfare 2. Human health 3. Methods of production and processing and their impact: e.g. environmental impact, landscape 4. Terms of trade: short chains, fair price etc. 5. Working conditions 6. Quality: taste, composition, etc. 7. Origin and place 8. Trust 9. Voice (participation) 10. Transparency

Consumer Traceability Tracing consumer concerns in the chains What type of information are consumers interested in? What is relevant for them? Communication to consumers: – Labelling, certification (top-down) – Consu-labelling (from below) Good for producers: know what to do; CSR Different groups of consumers Apps: for I-pad /I phone – Information from producers, ngo’s – Information by and for consumers

Concerns & Dutch Reality: Cocreation Pig production: pollution, confinement etc – Cocreation NGOs-companies: better life standards Cows in the meadows: – Cocreation: farmers-municipalities Meat: alternatives – Cocreation NGOs, technologies, industry Chickens: battery, breeding, eggs – Cocreation farmers, technologists International food companies Role of farmers – Cocreation farmers citizens: Farmers markets, urban gardening

Conclusion What to trace? Producer Traceability Producer - Consumer Traceability Traceability top down / from below