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Like many other sectors, the agri-food industry has been engaged for several years in a gradual process of standardising its data. However, this movement is not the same everywhere and remains fragmented. Yet the industry - and consumers - stand to gain a great deal from the adoption of a common standard.
Data standardisation answers two needs at once: reliable, structured information to steer the business, and product traceability as required by an expanding body of regulation. The European Supply Chain Act will make that second requirement considerably stronger.
Fresh food remains behind other categories. Product descriptions, units, origins and quality grades still travel between partners in whatever shape each company happens to use.
Standardisation is progressing unevenly: large retailers and processors are far ahead of growers, wholesalers and smaller intermediaries. The value of a common standard only materialises once the smaller links can adopt it without a heavy IT project.
A standard is only worth what the smallest partner in the chain can use.
