This innovation envisages the creation of a 'digital supply chain traceability system' able to
· Providing agricultural producers with a new tool for communicating with the market;
· Restoring consumers' confidence by giving them innovative and easy access to all the information about the specific product, its processing and manufacturing phases, the environmental impact of the production cycle, the company and the territory it belongs to, thus allowing a stronger contact between the producer and the consumer.
The Italian agri-food market is one of the industries whose success is based to a large extent on quality, satisfying the preferences of increasingly demanding consumers who ask for more transparency regarding production and distribution processes, a healthy product that has not been altered by inexpert handling during transport or poor storage conditions, reliable product numbers and data, sustainability and traceability of the entire supply chain.
Today, producers also have to deal with the significant changes that are affecting consumers' eating patterns and the consequent mutation of the very concept of quality. The perception of quality today is also influenced, for example, by nutritional aspects, the origin of raw materials, and the environmental and social impacts of production processes. The concept of agri-food quality does not only concern the characteristics linked to the final product which have an impact on the consumption experience, but also those linked to the processing, production methods and origins of the product. According to a study performed by the Food Marketing Institute (2018), today, 44% of consumers demand detailed information on how food is produced, 43% want to know how products have been processed, whether organic, GMO or preservative-free, 75% do not even trust what is stated on the labels.
Traceability is now the key word on the agri-food scene, the answer to the consumer's growing demand for food safety and the tool for sharing responsibility between the players in the chain. However, it is also a tool for competitiveness and rationalisation of production systems, as well as for enhancing the value of quality agri-food production.
Traceability allows manufacturers to send out two messages: the product does not hide any mystery behind its production; the company certifies this by a formal admission of responsibility.
These two messages establish a relationship of trust between customer and producer.
In addition, the implementation of traceability systems is a fundamental tool for process control, rationalising flows, improving efficiency in logistics and reducing costs.
In spite of the fact that food quality and safety improved significantly, consumer confidence, especially in the food sector, declined. This is due to the fact that contacts between consumers and food producers are greatly extended, exacerbating consumers' feeling of lack of understanding of the mechanisms governing the supply chain.
