Traceability in the European Agri-Food Industry: Challenges, Solutions, and the Necessity of a Centralized Platform

Details

Supervisors

Colmant, Quentin

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enThis thesis explores the feasibility, desirability, and economic viability of creating an open, centralised traceability platform for the European agri-food sector. The work emerges from a decade-long observation of persistent gaps between regulatory ambition, technological capability, and consumer expectations. While technological tools for precise tracking exist, their deployment is fragmented across stakeholders, hindered by interoperability issues, economic barriers, and the absence of universal standards. Drawing on a mixed-method approach, the study combines a review of current challenges and technologies with empirical insights from industry expertise and consumer surveys. It adopts a dual perspective: business and consumer to highlight the operational realities companies face and the transparency consumers seek. These findings are synthesised into a strategic business concept for a two-sided platform designed to reconcile both sets of needs. The following chapters move from foundational definitions and systemic constraints, through state-of-the-art technological solutions and stakeholder expectations, toward a concrete yet high-level design of the proposed platform. The ultimate aim is to inform and inspire the development of a tool capable of enhancing transparency, trust, and efficiency in agri-food supply chains.