With the globalisation of exchanges, the citizen has become an experienced consumer, very particular about the origin of the food he consumes and on the protection of the environment. He requests a traceability going from the producer to the distribution of agribusiness products. Starting from the example of the geomatic technology applied in precision farming, GeotraceAgri proposes to conceive relevant geographical information indicators, tools and methods that are able to provide acceptable answers both to the citizens concerned about food security and environmental protection. The GeoTraceAgri project was proposed within the framework of the 5th FWP within the IST priority (http://www.cordis.lu/ist/) under the action 5 – Cross Program Actions 3 (Use of Geographic Information).
Objectives
The main innovation of the GeoTraceAgri project comes from the use of the geomatic technology in all the steps of the agribusiness sector, from the field to the distribution to consumers. The georeferencing data used in traceability process is a substantial added value in comparison with the commonly used methods. The certificate of origin now measurable (region, country) becomes an objective data which can replace present indications of origin mainly based on voluntary declarations.
Description of tasks
The first task of the GeoTraceAgri project was to define a methodology for the sampling, acquisition, utilization and processing of georeferenced data that has been used to generate agro-environmental indicators at various geographical scales. This task consisted in the definition of geographical indicators and in the determination of indicator classes that are relevant to geographical traceability in agriculture. The various geographical scales considered are: the field, the catchments and the region for which the origin of the product is certified (region’s Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée AOC). A set of indicators has been developed with the support of the partners users groups. The second task settled a reference system for geographical traceability build for various agricultural sectors (cereals, potatoes, hay production, vegetables and fruits). The third task consisted in the development of an interoperable computer infrastructure that ensures the geographical traceability of the agricultural products through the internet. The system was mostly built using open source components and provided extended GIS capabilities such as spatial data analysis, web mapping, metadata catalogue and geographic database connections. Throughout the whole project, the consortium lead a permanent work of validation of the technical results and conducted a quality management program of the research project with the support of its scientific and industrial partners.
Results obtained
Implementation of geotraceable AEI with the support of selected regional users groups. Implementation of Web based GIS tools - development of an interoperable computer infrastructure using open source components and provided extended GIS capabilities. Organization of the validation procedure – protocols and questionnaires development. Quality management of the research project: achievement of a quality management handbook Internet/intranet tools development: Implementation and management of the project’s Internet Implementation and management of a collaborative intranet http://www.geotraceagri.net
Partners
The GeoTraceAgri consortium is coordinated by the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie du Gers, France and includes 6 partners (administration, research centers, universities and one private company) from 5 EU countries and the province of Québec (Canada).
