An insightful post. It is the first time really I read about the problem of traceability vs smallholders. I can easily believe that some INGOs push for the former and ignore the latter. Nevertheless, the future may not ask us to choose between the two.
I think multinational corporations have enough resources to push traceability to the remotest places with a smart strategy that would make use of 'ICTs'. Even with suppliers along the chain. You say the corporations have the power to influence national policy making: they can surely influence suppliers, goverments at all levels to do more (as they, the corps, should too) to help smallholders understand traceability, master a number of simple yet custom made 'ICT-based' tools, and gather the mandatory data needed for certification.
'ICTs', a somewhat vague narrative it's true, can provide smart solutions that push traceability up to small-scale plantations. Now we need inventive minds to build such traceability systems.
An insightful post. It is the first time really I read about the problem of traceability vs smallholders. I can easily believe that some INGOs push for the former and ignore the latter. Nevertheless, the future may not ask us to choose between the two.
I think multinational corporations have enough resources to push traceability to the remotest places with a smart strategy that would make use of 'ICTs'. Even with suppliers along the chain. You say the corporations have the power to influence national policy making: they can surely influence suppliers, goverments at all levels to do more (as they, the corps, should too) to help smallholders understand traceability, master a number of simple yet custom made 'ICT-based' tools, and gather the mandatory data needed for certification.
'ICTs', a somewhat vague narrative it's true, can provide smart solutions that push traceability up to small-scale plantations. Now we need inventive minds to build such traceability systems.