Food safety at which costs? : turning the increasing demands for traceability into opportunities for developing countries

The world of food production becomes a more global market every day. Retailers, producers, processors, traders and national governments all over the world are forced to comply with the latest product and process requirements with regard to food safety and chain transparency. The number of preferred and exclusive partnerships between supply chain partners is increasing, which is encouraged by the implementation of new - and costly - tracking & tracing systems. These developments impose possible new risks and challenges for all parties involved. Quality requirements and legislation on food are imposed by governments and private companies in the Western world and will have consequences for foodcompanies and producers in developing countries. What share of the cost do the latter have to bear? A complex question that in this paper will be bounded to the impact of the enforced demand for advanced tracking & tracing systems and chain transparency. After a short outline of current developments in the area of food safety and tracking & tracing, the focus will shift towards their consequences for developing countries. As a result we try to pin-point critical aspects and to draft opportunities and expectations for governments and food producing companies in both developing and developed countries in order to guarantee a safe future of global food supply. This paper delivers background information for policy and decision makers related to the topic. Tracking & tracing systems have to offer more than simply the fulfillment of law requirements. The ongoing challenge is to find the most suitable application at the right place