In today’s world, food production is no longer a hobby for the farmers but a business of wellness and satisfaction — where consumers have a preference for food that satisfies their needs (health, social, and environmental needs). Thus, how food is produced is becoming much more important than the food itself. In most developed countries, traceability is a common requirement for food: where food is produced, how it is produced, who produced it, what quantity was produced, and where it is sold. A complete chain that builds more transparency and trust into the food chain. More interestingly, it is largely market-driven (as more consumers are demanding it and ready to pay a little more to get this information).

On the other hand, in developing countries, traceability is yet to get attention, especially at the farm level (which is a major risk factor for food safety). Coupled with disjointed food chains, which had contributed to low consumer confidence. In the real sense, developing an effective traceability system should be a mandatory requirement for the markets as it builds transparency and accountability into the already troubled food supply chain, and this can have a positive impact on consumers’ confidence and trust-building process in the food system. Also, for us to penetrate faster into the international market, building an effective traceability system will be a good strategy. Therefore, we need to develop a framework for traceability systems that are adaptable to our agricultural system, educate farmers on its importance and promote private extension organizations to guide farmers throughout the process and incorporate platforms (like FarmGrid) that help collect farm information and activities throughout the system using simple technology.

It is important for us to build a strong system that promotes food transparency and market expansion. Also, data from traceability activities can be better used to improve market accessibility, penetration, and acceptability. We need to connect to the global markets to get the full dividend for our produced food. Thus, traceability is key and it builds a higher pedestal of accountability from the farmers and other actors on the value chain. So, consumers are always at the center of the decision making and would better satisfy their needs. That’s the future of sustainable food production: Transparency and accountability.