Farm Foundation Traceability and Assurance Roundtable November 19, 2003

Who is eMerge Interactive ? We are…. a technology company providing individual-animal tracking, data management, supply logistics services,and food safety technology to the U.S. Beef production industry.

VerifEYE ™ Inspection Technology Exclusive rights to US patent (USDA/Iowa State) Critical technology to verify “Clean” carcass Enables “Zero Tolerance” on detectable fecal Carcass System, Hand-Held, and Hand Scan Derivatives Food Safety Technologies

Automatic Identification - Carcass Inspection (Excel Demo) Food Safety Technologies

Economic Initiatives:Economic Initiatives: Animal OwnershipAnimal Ownership Herd ManagementHerd Management Genetic ImprovementGenetic Improvement Vaccination RecordsVaccination Records Marketing Opportunities Marketing Opportunities –Branded Beef –Value Added Alliances Animal Information Solutions

Regulatory Initiatives:Regulatory Initiatives: International Trade IssuesInternational Trade Issues Disease Monitoring and ControlDisease Monitoring and Control COOL LegislationCOOL Legislation National ID ProgramNational ID Program Animal Information Solutions

Food Safety IssuesFood Safety Issues “Farm to table” trace ability and certification to address consumer fears and insure safety of “Farm to table” trace ability and certification to address consumer fears and insure safety of food supply. food supply. Animal Information Solutions

National ID Program Goal is to achieve a traceback system that can identify all animals and premises potentially exposed to an animal with a foreign animal disease within 48 hours of discovery. Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of current regulatory programs Enhance ability to respond to Biosecurity threats.

Challenges to Data Providers Diversity of the Beef Industry: –Variation in Producer Size – Large vs. Small –Regional Challenges – Brand States vs. Non- Brand States –Zero Control or Consistency at any point in the Supply Chain. –Environmental Differences among Producers

Challenges to Data Providers Animal Movement: –No Vertical Integration –Average animal is owned by 4-6 people in its life –Commingling is a normal management practice –Not all facilities are equipped to capture data –What is “Animal Movement”?

Challenges to Data Providers Lack of Infrastructure in the Production sector: –Internet Access –Identification Tags –Readers –Computers –Handling Equipment

Challenges to Data Providers Government Access to Production Data: –APHIS = FDA, IRS, BLM, etc. –FOIA Concerns – anyone can get access to data –Producers will reject any program that allows/requires full government access. –Concerns over liability being thrust upon the production sector. –Blame for mistakes at other levels of production

Challenges to Data Providers Private vs. Public Classification of Data: –Data will have to be classified as Private or Public. –Public Data – ID Number, Weight, Sex, Color –Private Data – prices / costs, genetics, prior owners –Proprietary nature of data when animals are sold –Disclosure of Financial data to Government and Competitors.

Beef Information Exchange- BIE Purpose: –Address the need for a uniform set of data movement standards among the Beef Industry Producers. –To allow government access to restricted fields of data in order to react quickly to a Foreign Animal Disease outbreak.

Beef Information Exchange- BIE Mission: –To create and maintain data standards and a technical platform for the exchange of livestock identification and performance identification between qualified companies enabling a National information infrastructure which can be used by member companies, their customers in the private sector and appropriate regulatory agencies.

Beef Information Exchange- BIE Founding Members: –AgInfoLink –APEIS –eMerge Interactive –IMI Global –Micro Beef Technologies

Farm Foundation Traceability and Assurance Roundtable November 19, 2003