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Panel to meet Feb. 23, 2004
(posted 1-15-04)
Our work has a new urgency and opportunity. We plan to have our next,
and presumably final meeting Monday, Feb. 23, 2004, at the Embassy
Suites (Airport -Tiffany Springs), Kansas City, Mo. It is very
important that as many Panel members as possible are in attendance at
this meeting.

ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION PLAN: The one case of BSE found in Washington state in December 2003 has led Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman to announce plans to begin implementing a "verifiable" animal
identification system in the United States. This announcement
reinforces the importance of this Panel's work-to provide feedback to
policy makers about this and other issues relating to traceability and
quality assurance, addressing issues related not only to the meat
industry but the food industry as a whole. It heightens the need for
the Panel to bring its work to conclusion over the next few weeks.

While it has not yet been officially decided, the new animal
identification system may well use as its basic blueprint the U.S.
Animal Identification Plan (USAIP), discussed by Dr. John Wiemers at
the Panel meeting in November 2003. That meeting with animal ID service
providers was invaluable in understanding the opportunities and
constraints, and in providing a realistic perspective on what could be
achieved within defined timelines.

Developed over the last 18 months by USDA and many different
stakeholders in the cattle industry, USAIP was approved by the U.S.
Animal Health Association in October 2003. USAIP (www.usaip.info)
calls for establishment of premises ID by summer 2004; individual
animal identification by 2005; and full implementation and compliance
(all covered species for interstate and intrastate movements) by July
2006. The goal of the USAIP is to facilitate traceback within 48
hours.

There are many details yet to be determined about the type of
traceability system that will be implemented for meat animals. USDA
and other government agencies are seeking funds internally and across
agencies to get USAIP started. Without direct funding from Congress,
the system will likely be phased in.

PANEL WORK PLAN: You will recall that our goal is to develop a white
paper about TTA systems in the entire U.S. food system-grains as well
as meats. This document, for use in educational, policy and industry
discussions, is to address: a) technical barriers to TTA
implementation; b) potential benefits of TTA; c) potential
implementation costs; d) regulatory system adjustments that might be
needed to implement TTA systems; and e) legal issues of TTA systems.

We have circulated one draft of the paper for your feedback. A revised
draft will be circulated by the end of January, after which there will
be a 10-day comment period for your input and suggestions. We will
incorporate your feedback, with the goal of final review of the
document at the Feb. 23rd meeting.

PANEL PRODUCTS: The white paper will be finalized immediately following the meeting. It will include appendices of supporting educational
bulletins with PowerPoint slides, targeting the production sector via
Extension specialists, educational programs and other intermediaries.
These bulletins will address: a) TTA in the context of global food and
agribusiness sector; b) The influence of BSE as an agent of change; c)
Animal ID: A proactive or reactive response; and d) Oversight of the
grains and cereals markets: process vs. product. We plan to have
drafts of those bulletins to you to review prior to our Feb. 23rd
meeting.

MEETING ATTENDANCE: Please contact Mary Thompson at Farm Foundation by Friday, Jan. 23, as to your plans for attendance at the Feb. 23 meeting. The meeting will be 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will include dinner.
Contact Mary at (630) 571-9393 or by e-mail, mary@farmfoundation.org.

Please make your own hotel reservations. A rate of $88 is available
until Feb. 1.
Embassy Suites
7640 NW Tiffany Springs Parkway
Kansas City, MO
(816) 891-7788

Nov. 19, 2003 Traceability Panel meeting
(Posted January 2004)
Animal identification systems were the focus of a Nov. 19 meeting of the Farm Foundation Traceability and Quality Assurance Panel. Focus of the discussion was the role of the public and private sector; the role of technology (what it can and cannot do); designing efficient and credible systems; and communiciating with policymakers about TTA. Dr. DeeVon Bailey of Utah State University, opened the session with an overview of livestock sector issues relative to traceability, assurance and biosecurity.

Dr. John Wiemers, USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and team leader of the National Animal Identification Task Force Leader, briefed the panel on the national animal identification plan. If funding is available, premises ID will be implemented in the summer of 2004 followed by individual animal ID in 2005. Review Dr. Wiemers presentation by clicking here.

Representatives from some of the major technology companies that provide animal tracking systems, breifed the panel on the basics of their systems. Technology companies are maneuvering to attempt to become the industry standard for animal identification in the U.S. Strategic moves include the recent formation of the Beef Information Exchange (BIE), a consortium of several major technology providers. Other technology providers have selected not to be a part of the BIE. Millions or potentially hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake for the technology companies depending on how the US government decides to database and report information in the animal identification system. The meeting allowed participants to better understand the issues, the timetable for implementation of the animal ID system, and the different visions that are emerging for how an idenfitication system should be operated.

Here are the technology providers who participated and links to their presentations:
* Glenn Smith of AgInfoLink (part of BIE)
* Mike Coe and Rick Sibbel of Global Animal Management
* David Warren of eMerge Interactive (part of BIE)
* Ian Robertson of Clarkston Canada, the technology provider for the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency.

Panel members also heard perspectives from a certification/audit provider, Dr. Scott Crain of VeriPrime.

The session closed with a discussion, lead by Dr. Eluned Jones of Texas A&M University, on TTA relative to strategic decisionmaking.

BSE in Canada
(posted July 2003)
The Canadian BSE (Mad-cow disease) crisis has been a wake up call for the American red-meat industry. The crisis has shut down all cattle and beef trade from Canada to the United States, not so much because American consumers are concerned about BSE, but because American meat companies cannot provide the assurances that meat importers need that Canadian beef has not been co-mingled at any point in the supply chain and thus channeled to them through U. S. imports. This is particularly important in the case of the Japanese who import over 800 million lbs. of U. S. beef (about 20% of total U. S. beef exports) and account for 55% of the total value of U. S. beef exports (approximately $1.5 billion). This has provided additional economic incentive to accelerate the discussion about implementing an universal animal identification system in the United States.

Unfortunately, some of the discussion in the popular press appears to be misleading in that it fails to distinguish between the time of agreement or consensus that a universal animal ID system is needed and the timeline necessary to develop the protocols incorporating both the technical and economic feasibility of animal ID, and to implement the system. The process for a national ID system is moving forward under the National Food Animal Identification Task Force. The Task Force appears to have broad-based support in the public and private sectors. The goals of the Task Force could be considered modest—48-hour traceback with implementation of a national ID system by 2006. The Task Force’s written plan is attached. You will be able to see a broad coalition of public and private groups associated with the Task Force.

Several Issues might be considered by panel members:

1. Animal health and food safety are the primary reasons indicated by the Task Force for implementing the ID system. Pilot programs currently being implemented by industry groups and using commercially available technology and IT architecture are primarily motivated by the same reasons. However, others indicate social and environmental factors, as well as brand image as economic drivers for implementing an ID, or T&A, system. As this debate progresses in the shadow of the Canadian BSE situation, should there be a voice in the debate for the potential benefits other than disease and food safety control? Panel members raised these issues in Kansas City (see the discussion outline attached)
2. Can such a system be implemented without first having extensive pilot systems that can identify problems and glitches in the system? What more needs to be examined? If a crisis was experienced in the U. S., how could an ID system be accelerated and implemented effectively in a short period of time?
3. Much of the debate between academia and policy makers relating to an animal ID system has centered around who will pay for the initial implementation and set-up costs, the costs per animal/meat cut, and the maintenance of the database(s). The panel raised several issues relating to the cost vs. efficiency gains within and along the supply chain in Kansas City, particularly with respect to risk management. Is there a place in the current debate to include such discussion?

Is there an opportunity where the Roundtable can add to the debate taking place among Task Force members? If you have comments that you would like to share and have compiled/collated that could provide a thoughtful perspective we encourage you to provide these by July 23rd. We will assimilate your comments into a few points that will be returned to you by August 6th for your review and suggestions on who might be an appropriate audience

Your comments can be provided through the secure Farm Foundation website, or directly to DeeVon Bailey at d.bailey@usu.edu or Eluned Jones at Eluned@tamu.edu.

White Paper Draft
(posted 7-1-03)
Dee Von Bailey and Eluned Jones have written the first draft of the Panel's White Paper. Your review and comment is needed by July 15. Please use the e-mail option (in the column at left) to send your comments to the entire panel.

Willingness to Pay for Information
(posted 7-1-03)
Will consumers pay for traceability of their food? DeeVon Bailey was one of the Utah State University researchers who studied the willingness of consumers in the United States, Britain, Canada and Japan to pay for traceability and other enhanced characteristics in red meat. The full report is available for your review.

Consumer Perceptions of Certification
(posted 6-28-03)
Bailey was also part of a Utah State project examining the perceptions of U.S. and British consumers about the ability of different agencies, associations and groups to certify beef production for quality, food safety and animal welfare, as well as societal and environmental responsibility. Link here to read the full paper.

Traceability Workshop for Livestock Marketers
(posted 6-18-03)
Bailey and Jones were among the presenters at a traceability workshop sponsored by the Livestock Marketing Information Center for livestock market economists. Read the synopsis of the workshops, or review the presentation by Bailey and Jones. Also posted is the Powerpoint presentation made by Richard Baines of the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, England.

Minutes of Kansas City Panel Meeting
(posted January 2003)
Here are the minutes of the Panel's first meeting in Kansas City in January 2003.

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