Govt asked to prioritise traecability
GOVERNMENT has been advised to prioritise traceability to help track products from production to consumption.
Advertisement
This is to help ensure that products consumed meet both local and international standard.
“It is important that as a state we take traceability serious. We have to trace and standardise every process moving from the point of origin to the point of consumption.
It is important that we study them to ensure that the things we consume meet international and local standards,” a Senior Technical Advisor in-charge of Capacity Building and Training, the Centre for Applied Research and Innovation in Supply Chain – Africa (CARISCA), Dr John Frimpong Manso said.
He gave the advised at a Supply Chain Action Network (SCAN) Meeting organised by CARISCA in Accra on the theme “Supply Chain Traceability: Improving Africa’s Agriculture and Health Sectors”.
Improving supply chain
CARISCA is a Centre of Excellence established at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in partnership with the Arizona State University and sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
It seeks to improve supply chains throughout Africa.
Its mission is to transform African supply networks through education, research, and action.
CARISCA supports and builds capacity by finding solutions to complex development problems through education and training, bolstering the talent pipeline, and engaging private sector partners and policymakers in applying research best practices.
The meeting brought together stakeholders in supply chain across Africa to discuss current topics, trends, opportunities and challenges for managing African supply chains.
The goal is to create a strong network of policy making, private sector and civil society organisations to strengthen supply chain research, education and facilitate knowledge transfer.
Risk-management tool
The Senior Officer for certification bodies monitoring in-charge of Africa at Rainforest Alliance, Stephen Acheampong, said traceability is a cornerstone of any country’s good safety policy.
He explained that food safety has become a growing concern for citizens of many country because the outbreaks of disease in animals that could be transmitted to humans or the presence of chemicals above acceptable limits in feed and food, can threaten both quality and safety of products.
“The need to be able to withdraw or recall products identified as unsafe has become essential to protect people from food born diseases
Traceability is a risk-management tool which enables food business operators or authorities to respond to that need,” he said.
In a virtual presentation on the topic “Building Resilience into Your Health Sector Supply Chain by Understanding your Sub-Tier Supplier Network”, the Chief Executive Officer of Resilinc, Bindiya Vakil, said Africa was well situated for long-term supply chain success due to the availability of clean energy, raw materials and resources, and access to technology.
“There is a unique opportunity for Africa as it is well situated for a long-term supply chain success. Therefore, Africa must position itself well to play a major role in the world’s supply chain,” she said.