IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/agribz/v20y2004i4p397-415.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Information asymmetry and the role of traceability systems

Author

Listed:
  • Jill E. Hobbs

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5A8, Canada)

Abstract

The role of food traceability systems in resolving information asymmetry is explored. Three functions of traceability systems are identified: ex post reactive systems that allow the traceback of affected products in the event of a contamination problem so as to minimize social costs, ex post systems that facilitate the allocation of liability, and information systems that provide ex ante quality verification. A taxonomy of traceability systems illustrates the multidimensional nature of the information problems related to food safety and food quality. A model of ex ante quality verification and ex post traceability systems is used to demonstrate the different functions and incentives of a traceability system. Finally, examples of private sector and regulatory traceability initiatives are discussed within the context of the ex post and ex ante models developed in the paper. [EconLit citations: Q130; Q180; L150.] © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 20: 397-415, 2004.

Suggested Citation

  • Jill E. Hobbs, 2004. "Information asymmetry and the role of traceability systems," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(4), pages 397-415.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:agribz:v:20:y:2004:i:4:p:397-415
    DOI: 10.1002/agr.20020
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/agr.20020
    File Function: Link to full text; subscription required
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/agr.20020?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hobbs, Jill E., 2003. "Traceability in Meat Supply Chains," CAFRI: Current Agriculture, Food and Resource Issues, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society, issue 4, pages 1-14, September.
    2. McCluskey, Jill J., 2000. "A Game Theoretic Approach to Organic Foods: An Analysis of Asymmetric Information and Policy," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 29(1), pages 1-9, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hobbs, Jill E., 2003. "Traceability And Country Of Origin Labelling," Proceedings of the 9th Agricultural and Food Policy Systems Information Workshop, 2003: Farm Policy Development and Policy Tensions under NAFTA 16813, Farm Foundation, Agricultural and Food Policy Systems Information Workshops.
    2. Konduru, Srinivasa & Kalaitzandonakes, Nicholas G. & Magnier, Alexandre, 2009. "GMO Testing Strategies and Implications for Trade: A Game Theoretic Approach," 2009 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, 2009, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 49594, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Henson, Spencer J. & Sparling, David & Herath, Deepananda P.B. & Dessureault, Simon, 2005. "Traceability in the Canadian Dairy Processing Sector," Economic and Market Information 55303, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
    4. Schulze, Holger & Albersmeier, Friederike & Spiller, Achim & Jahn, Gabriele, 2006. "Audit risk factors in certification: How can risk-oriented audits improve the quality of certification standards?," 98th Seminar, June 29-July 2, 2006, Chania, Crete, Greece 10108, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Monier-Dilhan Sylvette & Poméon Thomas & Böhm Michael & Brečić Ruzica & Tomić Maksan Marina & Csillag Peter & Donati Michele & Veneziani Mario & Ferrer-Pérez Hugo & Gil José M. & Gauvrit Lisa & Hoàng , 2021. "Do Food Quality Schemes and Net Price Premiums Go Together?," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 19(2), pages 79-94, December.
    6. Anders, Sven M. & Souza Monteiro, Diogo M. & Rouviere, Elodie, 2007. "Objectiveness in the Market for Third-Party Certification: Does market structure matter?," 105th Seminar, March 8-10, 2007, Bologna, Italy 7894, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Cuffaro, Nadia & Di Giacinto, Marina, 2015. "Credence goods, consumers’ trust in regulation and high quality exports," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 4(2), pages 1-19, August.
    8. Sladana Pavlinovic, 2013. "Signalling Green Technology Through Price And Eco-Label," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 6, pages 87-94, December.
    9. Fabrice Etilé & Sabrina Teyssier, 2012. "Signaling Corporate Social Responsibility: Third-Party Certification vs. Brands," PSE Working Papers halshs-00736551, HAL.
    10. Giovanni Anania & Rosanna Nisticò, 2004. "Public Regulation as a Substitute for Trust in Quality Food Markets: What if the Trust Substitute cannot be Fully Trusted?," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 160(4), pages 681-701, December.
    11. Grolleau, Gilles & Caswell, Julie A., 2006. "Interaction Between Food Attributes in Markets: The Case of Environmental Labeling," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 31(3), pages 1-14, December.
    12. Etilé, Fabrice & Teyssier, Sabrina, 2013. "Corporate social responsibility and the economics of consumer social responsibility," Review of Agricultural and Environmental Studies - Revue d'Etudes en Agriculture et Environnement (RAEStud), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), vol. 94(2).
    13. Samuele Trestini & Alice Stiletto, 2020. "Does Italian origin really determine a price premium for fluid milk? Evidences from a hedonic price analysis," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 22(1), pages 1-22.
    14. McCluskey, Jill J. & Loureiro, Maria L., 2005. "Reputation and Production Standards," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 30(1), pages 1-11, April.
    15. Athearn, Kevin R., 2003. "Can Eco-Labeling Do More Harm Than Good? A Comparative Statics Analysis," 2003 Annual Meeting, February 1-5, 2003, Mobile, Alabama 35105, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    16. Waris, Idrees & Hameed, Irfan, 2019. "Using Extended Model of Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Purchase Intention of Energy Efficient Home Appliances in Pakistan," MPRA Paper 109612, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Yu-Hui Chen & Kai-Han Qiu & Kang Ernest Liu & Chun-Yuan Chiang, 2020. "Are Consumers Willing to Pay a Premium for Pure Rice Noodles? A Study of Discrete Choice Experiments in Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-18, July.
    18. Gabriele Jahn & Matthias Schramm & Achim Spiller, 2005. "The Reliability of Certification: Quality Labels as a Consumer Policy Tool," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 53-73, December.
    19. Gilles Grolleau & Lisette Ibanez & Naoufel Mzoughi, 2007. "Industrialists hand in hand with environmentalists: how eco-labeling schemes can help firms to raise rivals’ costs," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 215-236, December.
    20. Chang, Hui-Shung (Christie), 2004. "Labelling issues of organic and GM foods in Australia," 2004 Conference (48th), February 11-13, 2004, Melbourne, Australia 58392, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:agribz:v:20:y:2004:i:4:p:397-415. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1520-6297 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.