5. Outlook

• Make traceability a component of system quality to prevent it from becoming a marketing issue

As we have seen, traceability can contribute to the fairness of transactions, ensure compliance with the specifications of Official Signs of Quality and Origin for agricultural and food products, or reinforce control over the safety of plants, animals and foodstuffs. On the other hand, it is not supposed to directly influence the intrinsic qualities of the product. Its implementation must therefore not lead to the expression of specific claims or allegations on products. Remarkably, the Commission Nationale des Labels et de la Certification des Produits Agricoles et Alimentaires (CNLC) does not allow it to be a "communicating characteristic". It should only be considered as an element of control of the overall production system. It can,...