Farming is a primary livelihood for the rural population and rice production is a source of income for more than 65 million people in the Mekong River Basin. Almost all countries in this region are top exporters of rice in the global market with one-third of the rice exports
coming from the region in the last five years. Increasing regional competitiveness by offering high-quality rice that meets international standards to the global market would contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals in the region.

The rise of digital agriculture in the previous years has transformed the landscape of food production in the world. Aside from increased efficiency, digitalization now offers value addition through methods and processes to ensure that safe and high-quality food is being offered in the market, and to address the increasing demands for health and sustainability.
Given the vulnerability of the food ecosystem and the growing concerns on food safety and management, a traceability system in place improves agrifood value chain by connecting one actor to another.

Using real time data, a traceability system verifies information, location, application, or requirements of a product along its processes from harvesting, manufacturing, shipping,transporting, receiving to selling. Consumers from one location to another can trace the origin
of the product from farm to market, increasing trade efficiency and transparency. It is both a risk management tool and value addition method which are valuable in trade, especially if products like rice are intended for global export.
Having it as a top export commodity and a staple food of most people in the region, a traceability system for rice post-pandemic will not only build confidence and trust in consumers about the quality of food they buy but will also provide ease in doing business nationally, regionally and internationally. With a common traceability system for rice in the region, regulatory compliance such as standards is achieved, food wastage and trade disruptions are minimized, and product competitiveness is increased.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) through the Rice Department (RD) partnered with Mekong Institute (MI) is implementing a three-year project “Development and Implementation of Common Rice Product Standard in Lancang-Mekong Countries” which is being funded by the LM Cooperation Special Fund. Under the project, a workshop to increase the awareness of relevant rice value chain stakeholders on the importance of the traceability system and the existing traceability platform in the region was conducted. During the workshop, the participants identified the need to create a mutual recognition of traceability platforms in the Lancang-Mekong Region.
As the first step, RD and MI are organizing a training program on traceability system for rice.
The expected result of the course is a white paper which details the traceability data standard
for the region.

The five-day training program is designed to develop the traceability data standard for the
Lancang-Mekong Region. Specifically, it will:

    1. Increase the participants’ knowledge on traceability systems and its importance in trade facilitation;
    2. Familiarize key stakeholders on international trade data standards and the integration to the data field of traceability system;
    3. Introduce platform for key actors to share experiences and work together in creating traceability standards to promote mutual                                  recognition for the existing traceability platforms in the region; and                                                                                                                          4. Increase engagement of participants in promoting the use of traceability system to benefit small-to-medium enterprises in their country

Module 1: Digital Traceability Overview
Supply chain players in the agri-food industry must deal with extensive documentation and information requirements. A traceability system is a crucial instrument for enhancing the performance of the supply chain and providing details on product authenticity, production methods, and food safety precautions. Transforming paper-based systems into electronic ones can promote trade and encourage confidence and transparency among supply chain participants. This session will reinforce the importance of digital traceability data in the global agri-food trade system and how it improves food safety and sustainability in agri-food production.

Module 2: International Trade Standards
It is challenging for supply chain actors to share or access data easily because of many standards and platforms. Traceability solutions that are standardized, digitalized, and harmonized can promote transparency and make it possible for all parties to collaborate and exchange information quickly and effectively. This module will cover technology data standards and recommendations for creating traceability data standards by using a case study of the National Single Window.

Module 3: Overview and data field of GS1 traceability system
GS1 traceability standard is widely used for supply chain identification. It provides the common language for traceability solutions to track products from the property to the consumer. This module will cover an overview of the GS1 standard and its framework that defines minimum traceability system requirements for companies across industry sectors.

Module 4: Traceability Platforms and How They Work
This module will introduce participants to a blockchain-based traceability system. As an example, Trace Thai, which was, developed by The Trade Policy and Strategy Office(TPSO), Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, will be presented. Trace Thai is a system for tracking and tracing of products through all steps in the supply chain involving the crop area, production, gathering, packaging, and distribution to
consumers. Consumers can trace back the product’s origin and certification. Operators can use this system as a tool to manage or control the production process or forward organic certificate data to vendors via the platform safely. To end the module, the participants will be brought to two rice companies in Chiang Mai that use Trace Thai: Phrao Agriculture Cooperative Limited and The Cooperative Federation of Lamphun Limited. The two companies will present their rice products for exports, partner countries, best practices on international standards compliance, experiences on global rice trades, and participation to Trace Thai.

Module 5: Development of the Traceability Data Standard for the Lancang-Mekong Region
Agreed standards and interoperability of traceability systems are critical to facilitate international trade including transparent and effective implementation of the traceability solution. This module will provide the draft white paper of the rice traceability data standards. The participants will give feedback and develop key traceability data requirements for the region as a part of their action plan.

Four (4) participants from the rice department, rice federation or rice companies, trade division, and other key stakeholders involved in traceability systems will be invited per Lancang-Mekong country. Working group from Mekong Institute and Thailand Rice Department will also join the workshop