Modern GMS Agri-food Sectors Need Further Works on Traceability and Digital Technology

Keeping accurate and immutable records is the bedrock for creating transparency and trust in food products’ origin, safety and quality. Record keeping in small & medium agribusinesses in the GMS is done mostly on paper, which is difficult to access across the supply chain. Reporting on a study on organic coffee at the 18th WGA Annual meeting, Dr. Suporn from the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) of Thailand, said that digital technology for e-traceability enabled chain actors to share data in a digital and standardized manner for the first time. 

Meanwhile, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is in the process to develop the ASEAN Guidelines for the Utilization of Digital Technologies for ASEAN Food and Agricultural Sector. The development of the guidelines is part of the project “Enhancing Food Supply Chain Resilience and Food Security in ASEAN with Utilization of Digital Technologies” of ERIA with the ASEAN Secretariat. Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, SEARCA Director, said “digital technologies and innovations are evident to support the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in transforming to a more resilient and sustainable agriculture and food system. However, the varying capacities among the ASEAN Member States (AMS) create a divide in the digital ecosystem.

This was originally posted on the GMS Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Program Newsletter September 2021 Vol. 1 No. 1.