FARM FOUNDATION PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Mary Thompson, Farm Foundation, 630/571-9393, mary@farmfoundation.org
Eluned Jones, Texas A&M University, 979/862-6784, Eluned@ag.tamu.edu    DeeVon Bailey, Utah State University, 435/797-2316, dbailey@b202.usu.edu                

Assurance and Traceability Panel begins work

OAK BROOK, IL, Jan. 24, 2003:   The need to strengthen the safety and security of the U.S. food system is generating intense debate about food quality assurance and traceability or source verification.   To help ensure that industry leaders and policy makers have the information they need to address these issues, the Farm Foundation Assurance and Traceability Panel convened its first meeting this week in Kansas City.

“As industry players and policy makers consider options for addressing these important issues, they need ideas, research-based information, and more complete understanding of current market concerns from all the players at the table,” says Walter Armbruster, President of Farm Foundation. “We have brought the players to the table—the U.S. grain and meat sectors, the food manufacturing and service industry, producer organizations, industry analysts and government representatives.”

Panel participants endorsed Farm Foundation’s leadership on the traceability issue, citing the Foundation’s reputation for presenting objective, balanced information.

The Panel will continue dialogue on the issues, identify information gaps and create a comprehensive review of the potential for new systems for traceability, transparency and enhanced quality assurance. “This process will address the concerns of all sectors of the food system, will be market responsive and will identify crucial policy issues that must be addressed,” Armbruster explains.

Systems that provide more accountability and assurance to consumers require the ability to track food ingredients through the food chain. Such systems are being implemented where they add value by providing enhanced quality assurances.

“Policies that address these issues require factual and comprehensive information on needs, impacts and options. By encouraging dialogue among all the parties involved, Farm Foundation will enrich the information pool for industry leaders and policy makers to make economically sound decisions,” Armbruster says.

###

Farm Foundation ( www.farmfoundation.org ) is a publicly supported non-profit organization working to improve the economic health of agriculture and the well-being of people in rural America. It does this by identifying forces shaping the productivity and competitiveness of agriculture and the food system; translating research-based knowledge into practical tools for increasing human capital; and promoting informed dialogue on important public issues.