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<p>The long term goal of this project is to improve food safety, product traceability, quality, and economic sustainability for small scale producers and processors. To meet this goal, we have assembled a multi-disciplinary team with strong collaboration from small scale producers and processors, trade organizations, state government agencies and industrial solution providers. This project will model several small scale food production systems: berries, tree nuts, meats and seafood, to identify and report both common and unique barriers to FTS implementation. </p>
<p>Broad research objectives are to: </p>
<p>1. Evaluate current traceability practices and identify common and unique barriers to FTS implementation; </p>
<p>2. Identify critical tracking events and key data elements; </p>
<p>3. Evaluate current technology in the context of how it is able to be implemented; and </p>
<p>4. Identify benetits and costs of implementation. </p>
<p>Broad extension and outreach objectives are to: </p>
<p>1. Develop a report recommending solutions for FTS implementation for small scale systems. </p>
<p>2. Produce Extension publications that demonstrate how an effective and economic FTS can be implemented in a small scale system; and </p>
<p>3. Present outcomes of this research at high-impact producer and processor meetings, workshops and conferences.</p>
<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:<br/> The implementation of the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) will have a major impact on agriculture, especially small farms throughout the U.S. It requires new harvest and post-harvest handling practices and record keeping to minimize the risk of food-borne disease hazards. Small farms are artisanal in nature, have 1-5 employees and lack the capital (human and financial) to adopt such a system on their own. A critical need exists for development of a cost effective and simple-to-implement Food Traceability System (FTS) for small producers and processors. This project will model several small scale food production systems: berries, nuts, meats, dairy, seafood, fresh-cut greens, and feeds (hereafter the utilization of the term "feeds" in this proposal is defined as feeds specific to smaller grass fed/organic production systems) in order to
identify and report both common and unique barriers to FTS implementation. The team will evaluate current technology in the context of how it is able to be implemented and recommend solutions for FTS implementation for small scale systems. The solutions we suggest to overcome barriers to FTS implementation will enable small scale systems to fully integrate a FTS system that will allow them to be proactive and prevent or minimize microbial outbreaks by integrating food safety and harvesting practices.
<p>APPROACH:<br/> The team has identified and summarized specific research tasks: (OBJ 1) conduct literature search and conduct surveys of stakeholders and consumers; (OBJ 2) develop information flow charts and define and identify critical tracking events and items; (OBJ 3) evaluate technical feasibility, and with additional funding, integrate and implement automated whole chain traceability systems through pilot projects; (OBJ 4) evaulate economic feasibility; (OBJ 5-7) adapt FTS to different stakeholders; train stakeholders on technologies and information systems through workshops, webinars, conferences and web-based information platforms.