Future of Grain
HIGHLIGHTING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN GRAIN PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION
A different look at food traceability
The Value Chain Management Centre (VCMC) and SCS Consulting (SCS) recently released a research paper concerning food traceability, entitled “Traceability Is Free.”
Growing concerns about foodborne illness and the rising costs of managing an increasingly complex food chain have created demand for more effective and efficient information management in the chain of businesses from farms all the way to restaurants and food retailers. The authors of this new paper maintain that as the “quality is free” notion drove improvements in the automotive and aerospace industries, the prosperity of farmers and other agri-food businesses will rest on better management of information and communication technology (ICT).
The report can be accessed via the following link: http://vcm-international.com/wp-content/ uploads/ 2013/08/Traceability-Is-Free.pdf.
Traceability has become a hot topic within the food industry. New practices and information systems are being developed to track and trace products and enable businesses to address situations such as recalls and verifying the source of a product. The authors point out, however, that investment just for the sake of having traceability for emergencies does not achieve the value that often accompanies the business case. These practices and systems must support value chain management so that traceability no longer is simply an added cost.
Investment in this project was provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Adaptation Programming and administered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council. •
Who are you following?
Farmers are using Twitter to stay connected and up to date with industry news. Each month, Ontario Grain Farmer magazine will highlight Twitter accounts we think you should consider following or hashtags (#) that will help you join specific conversations.
@AAFC_Canada
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada launched its Twitter account this past summer. Since then they have garnered more than 700 followers. The account is used to post information aimed at producers, farmers and stakeholders in Canadian agriculture.
#FarmAdvice
Don’t forget you can ask us questions relating to farm management, production, or the organization. Use the hashtag #FarmAdvice and tweet @GrainFarmerMag with your question and we will provide an answer on the back page of this magazine. •
The Digital Toolbox
The smartphone, tablet and computer are important tools on today’s farms. Each month, Ontario Grain Farmer magazine will highlight an app, online tool, or website that may help you in the field or in the farm office.
www.fieldtrackerpro.com
Field Tracker Pro allows farmers to record seed, fertilizer and spray requirements, record field activity ‘as it happens’, and note crop scouting observations in the field. There is a built-in multi-user function which allows your team to have real-time access to updated information.
Field Tracker Pro is available for Blackberry, Apple, Android, and Windows based mobile devices and phones. It can also be used on Windows and Mac OS X desktop computers. It uses cloud computing to allow access to the information from multiple users and multiple platforms.
A free 30-day trial is offered before users are required to purchase a basic or premium level yearly subscription. •
