RFID Agriculture

Companies across the agriculture industry have recently adopted digital tools that enable them to prevent or contain harm caused by contaminated food. Recent food contamination scandals have led companies to spearhead preventative efforts, as these scandals are costly, harmful to the American public, and damaging to reputation. Proponents of this information technology claim that it was only a matter of time before the industry would begin to see this change, especially due to the public outrage created by recently contaminated eggs, which prompted a mass recall. Ashish Chona, Chief Executive of InSync Software, whose technology is used by Dole, contends that “a recall can bring a company to its knees. Everyone knows it.”

The idea behind this technology has been compared to FedEx’s tracking system. On the farm, animals and crops are assigned unique “smart labels” which are associated with transport containers. Workers can use a hand-held computer to scan these smart labels and record important information such as the date, time, location, temperature, and transport method of the product. This information is subsequently uploaded to a central database, where it is stored and can be accessed easily. Each time the product is moved or handled, the information can be updated to reflect the latest changes. This technology should go a long way toward containing contamination problems should they arise or even eliminating them before they have a chance to spread.

With food-safety legislation in the works, Congress is on its way to regulating even more tightly the agricultural industry in the aim of preventing the possibility for contamination. However, some farmers are not too quick to jump on the bandwagon, as the type of RFID technology necessary to implement the necessary techniques is quite costly. Some farms boast an already flawless operation with no record of contaminated products, and feel it would be unnecessary, even unjust, to be forced to adopt RFID technology when no problem exists. In addition, cultural barriers, formed by generations of farm hands, have become so used to traditional methods of running a farm that they may not want to see such a revolutionary change that disrupts their conventional ways.

This new technology seems quite promising in the context of agricultural safety. As of now, the agricultural industry must comply with a “one-up, one-down” standard, a federal policy which dictates that each company must know where its materials came from, and where they are being sent. As a result, it can take weeks or even months for investigators to track down a contaminated product. By that time, hundreds or even thousands could be affected. This new RFID technology, if widely adopted, will drastically reduce the time it takes to track down and contain a contaminated product. Officials would be able to trace the GPS coordinates of a field where a product grew with accuracy up to 100 feet, and easily contain the product and find the source of contamination. Since Dole Food has implemented this system, there have been no contamination problems. Consumers will likely view this new RFID technology as a necessary precaution, and will support legislation which mandates its implementation. However, powerful agricultural lobbyists, content with conventional methods of running their farms, may put forth a strong effort against it.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-food-safety-tracking-20101003,0,699198,full.story

Matt Girandola