Traceability in Specialty Crop Production and Supply Chains: Distilling a Research and Extension Agenda

Traceability in Specialty Crop Production and Supply Chains: Distilling a Research and Extension Agenda

Summary

The purpose of this project is to improve understanding of the impacts of more stringent produce traceability standards on the ability of small and medium-scale (SMS) specialty crop producers to serve as suppliers to institutional food services serving fewer than 2000 meals per day. This project was initiated in Fall 2010. During this first reporting period, discussion guides were developed and pre-tested for focus groups with 1) institutional food buyers, and 2) SMS specialty crops producers. Further, the first of a series of focus group meetings with each of these stakeholder groups were conducted during this reporting period. Initial results are promising and further motivate the need for this study. Findings, to date, suggest both approaches and additional constraints which will affect the ability of firms to integrate traceability practices into their operations. These matters will be further explored as this project is continued during the next reporting period.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Accomplishments/Milestones

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Collaborators: