Sub-project (SP) 1

Project executing organisation: Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft e.V.

SP title: Identification and implementation of sustainable development, product and process quality and traceability in the added value chain food – content-related, organisational, technical and institutional solution approaches

SP short title: Sustainable added value chain food

SP aims: The aim is to develop a data management and communication concept in the added value chain food regarding sustainability. The expectations of benefit and the ideas of the different persons involved in the added value chain will be part of the concept.

The technological basis is Precision Farming. The concept comprises suggestions to support the optimisation of production processes concerning sustainability, product and processing quality and traceability. In order to assess sustainability indicators will be determined and discussed with the persons involved in the added value chain.

Position of the SP in the cooperation: SP 1 is embedded in the project area 1, integration level added value chain. This is where cooperation with sub-projects 2, 5 and 6 as well as cross section project 20 occurs. To establish the link to the farm, cooperation with SP 17 will also apply.

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Aspects regarding content

Project description

The added value chains of potatoes and sugar beets are the object of the analyses. Both added value chains are analysed with regard to the persons involved applying the criteria of sustainability, demands on process and product quality, transparency and traceability. In order to assess sustainability in the added value chains, sustainability indicators are determined. The selected indicators are part of a concept for a data management and communications system. Product and process quality as well as traceability are additional aspects.

Status Quo

Sustainability in the added value chain food can only be achieved by including the entire chain. This originates from the close relationship between the actors involved, due to the transfer of raw products to be processed. To support sustainable development on the farm, different systems exist at the primary production level. These are partly not compatible with the demands of the processing companies of agricultural products. A cross-level sustainability approach does not exist.

Fundamental questions

To begin with the Status Quo of the present legal conditions has to be ascertained as framework for production. The analysis of the persons involved in the added value chain provides information about their demands on product and process quality. Furthermore, the question concerning market conditions in the added value chains and related demands made of the raw material production needs to be answered by the processing companies. Moreover, indicators and possible threshold values to make measuring of sustainability possible have to be set up. They are to be discussed in the added value chain and to be examined for consensus or dissent.