The components of a food traceability system

ii. Accepted manuscript version. Published version available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2018.05.004. Accepted manuscript version, licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.Background: Traceability of food products has become the focus of regional and national legislation, of many research and technical development initiatives and projects, and of many scientific articles. However, most of the scientific publications do not differentiate between the components of a traceability system, and those who do to some degree use inconsistent terminology and definitions. This weakens the analysis and the conclusions, and it can lead to misunderstanding in relation to what a traceability system is, what the components are, and how system functionality can be improved. Scope and approach: This paper provides a structure for describing and analyzing a traceability system and emphasizes the difference between the system mechanisms as opposed to the attributes of the units that are traced. The basis for the classification outlined in this article is practical experience from traceability system implementations in the food industry, and participation in international standardization processes relating to food traceability. The references and the authors’ experience are from the food sector, but the component description is likely to be relevant and applicable to any product traceability system in a supply chain. ‘Traceability system’ is used as a generic term in this article, encompassing the principles, practices, and standards needed to achieve traceability of food products, regardless of how these are implemented. In practice in the food industry, most traceability systems are computerized and they are implemented through extensive use of information and communications technology (ICT), but in principle a traceability system could be manual and paper-based (as was indeed common practice only a few years ago), and the components hierarchy outlined in this article would still be applicable. Key findings and conclusions: This paper identifies the general components of a traceability system to be the identification of the units under consideration, the recording of the joining and splitting of these units as they move through the supply chain (the transformations), and the recording of the unit attributes. The distinction between the different components is particularly important when describing and comparing traceability systems, and when recommending improvements. In both these cases, the respective components need to be considered separately

Quantum Leaper: A Methodology Journey From a Model in NetLogo to a Game in Unity

Combining Games and Agent-Based Models (ABMs) in a single research design (i.e. GAM design) shows potential for investigating complex past, present, or future social phenomena. Games offer engaging environments that can help generating insights into social dynamics, perceptions, and behaviours, while ABMs support the representation and analysis of complexity. We present here the first attempt to “discipline” the interdisciplinary endeavour of developing a GAM design in which an ABM is transformed into a game, thus the two becoming intertwined in one application. When doing this, we use as a GAM design exemplar the process of developing Quantum Leaper, a proof-of-concept video game made in Unity software and based on the NetLogo implementation of the well known “Artificial Anasazi” ABM. This study aims to consolidate the methodology component of the GAM field by proposing the GAM Reflection Framework, a tool that can be used by GAM practitioners, ABM modellers, or game designers looking for methodological guidance with developing an agent-based model that is a game (i.e. an agent-based game)

First Steps Towards RAT: A Protocol for Documenting Data Use in the Agent-Based Modeling Process

While there is a number of frameworks and protocols in Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) that support the documentation of different aspects of a simulation study, it is surprising to find only a small number dealing with the handling of data. Here we present the results of discussions we had on the topic at the Lorentz Center workshop on Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Evidence using Social Simulation (8-12 April 2019, Leiden, the Netherlands). We believe that important distinctions to be considered in the context of data use documentation are the differences of data use in relation to modeling approaches (theory driven etc.) and data documentation needs at the different stages in the modeling process (conceptualization, specification, calibration, and validation). What we hope to achieve by presenting this paper at this conference, with the help of the community, is to move forward the development of a generally acceptable protocol for documenting data use in the ABM process

Identifying transferable skills to enhance Early Career Researchers employability

EURODOC conference 2018, 18-19 April, Tampere, FinlandDoctoral candidates are facing a diverse employment landscape that shifted significantly in the last decades, with less than 30 % of doctoral graduates working in academia or in research and development related jobs. In addition to becoming more inter-sectoral, working environments are becoming increasingly inter-national and inter-disciplinary. This development can make the employment requirements often demanding and sometimes overwhelming for doctoral graduates. However, recent research shows that training in transferable skills (i.e. skills learned in one context that are useful in another) can significantly increase doctoral candidates’ employability and promote diverse careers paths. Thus, doctoral candidates have to prepare already during their doctoral period and take sufficient training to successfully satisfy the qualification demands of today’s labor markets. Nevertheless, with (too often) poor supervision and a lack of awareness and structure for transferable skills training in many doctoral programmes, many doctoral candidates struggle to identify the set of transferable skills relevant for their individual situation and, as a consequence, fail to acquire the necessary training and experience. Considering this context, the objective of this study is twofold: (1) identify transferable skills that are relevant for early career researchers to gather during their doctoral training programme, independently of the discipline, in order to increase their employability in multiple work sectors; (2) provide advice on how to gather these skills and, in cases where this is necessary, on how to document them

RAT-RS: a reporting standard for improving the documentation of data use in agent-based modelling

This article describes and justifies a reporting standard to improve data use documentation in Agent-Based Modelling. Following the development of reporting standards for models themselves, empirical modelling has now developed to the point where these standards need to take equally effective account of data use (which previously has tended to be an afterthought to model description). It is particularly important that a standard should allow the reporting of the different uses to which data may be put (specification, calibration and validation), but also that it should be compatible with the integration of different kinds of data (for example survey, ethnographic and experimental) sometimes known as mixed methods research. The article motivates the need for standards generally, and positions the distinctive contribution of the RAT-RS reporting standard. It describes how the standard was developed to ensure its usability, presents and explains it, and describes possibilities for future development

Documenting sustainability for value-added fish products

There are three main aspects of sustainability; the environmental, the social and the economic. When it comes to fisheries, stock sustainability is particularly important and the stock and ecosystem health has significant effects both on the environment and on the sector economy. In order to add value to a product, sustainability needs to be documented and communicated to the buyer and the end-consumer. Recent studies in British supermarkets have shown that a price premium exists, and commonly it is between 10 and 20%. Sustainability initiatives in marine resource management have tended to emphasize biological sustainability only, typically through green certification schemes. However, there is clearly also potential for adding value though documenting the social and economic sustainability dimensions. This potential creates an incentive for the operators (organized groups of fishermen) to develop transparent management plans where all aspects of sustainability are taken into account. This presentation summarizes various sustainability indicators for the fisheries sector; it explains what the indicators mean, and how they are interrelated, and exemplifies how they may be used in management plans to achieve value added fish products.Keywords: Markets and Trade, Fisheries Economics, Markets: Sustainability and Certificatio

GAM on! Six ways to explore social complexity by combining games and agent-based models

GAM, combining games and agent-based models, shows potential for investigating complex social phenomena. Games offer engaging environments generating insights into social dynamics, perceptions, and behaviours, while agent-based models support the analysis of complexity. Games and agent-based models share the important ability both to input and output qualitative and quantitative data. Currently, there is no overview of GAM approaches. In a systematic literature review, we identified six research design types in empirical studies to date. The functional range of these design types is wide, with diverse application domains involving analogue, digital, and hybrid games. This makes GAM a highly versatile approach, appealing to researchers in both natural and social sciences, along with the gaming community itself. To consolidate the GAM field, we propose recording the design and implementation of studies that combine games and agent-based models by using a dedicated documentation scheme

Beyond regulatory compliance – Seafood traceability benefits and success cases

publishedVersio

Application of traceability in deterrence of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing : an analysis model of EU Regulation 1005/2008 and EU Regulation Proposal 2008/0216 (CNS)

Two of the three new pillars of the European Union Common Fisheries Policy (EU Regulation 1005/2008; EU Regulation Proposal 2008/0216 (CNS)) were explicitly developed to address the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing concern. These regulations attempt to introduce market monitoring measures that prevent IUU fish from entering legitimate trade channels in the Community. The leading purpose of this study was twofold: to analyse if the traceability related provisions of these two legal documents are relevant for IUU fishing deterrence, and to test if they fulfil de lege lata the traceability requirements of the chain of custody. In order to achieve these aims, a novel analytical tool that was suitable for the dual purposes had to be constructed. Model 1 was conceived to identify the overlapping of the necessary data for identifying IUU components (actors or products) with the traceability data recorded in the documentation imposed by the legal provisions at each critical traceability control point. Model 2 was designed to identify the fulfilment of the chain of custody requirements along the traceability control points. The present findings indicate that the traceability data retained according to the new legal EU norms have little relevance to be used effectively in deterrence of IUU operations. Similarly, the system put into place by both legal documents does not fulfil the requirements of a traceability scheme. Although the two analytical models utilized are preliminary, they can be further developed to improve comprehensiveness and depth of scrutiny. The models developed and the main findings of the study are of interest to both Community and third-country entities involved in a way or another in IUU fishing deterrence, traceability in fish supply chains or legislation development. Future studies should focus on the design of a traceability system for fishery products that fits the purpose of IUU fishing deterrence under a de lege ferenda approach

Juridical Instruments for Implementing the Environmental Management in Oslo Harbour - an EU Approach

The scope of this paper is on the one hand, to gather in one place and to shortly present the most important legal norms that are linked to environmental management, following the path EU – Norwegian national, regional and local administration – Oslo Port Authority, offering an integrated overview of the problem, which, to my knowledge, was never done before. Sometimes, the work will focus more on the responsibilities and attributions of the respective institutions attained through the legal norm than to the rule in itself because this way emphasis more the mode of implementing the EU legislation at hierarchical lower levels. On the other hand, the goal is to explain why the Norwegian legal system in this respect took shape as it is now, analysing the issues that turned up in the legislative process. To be clearer, the objective is not to analyse the norms in depth and to decide whether they are good or bad, but to arise awareness that Oslo Port is an European harbour whose environmental management involves many unforeseen aspects from a juridical point of view