Food Studies Matter, Meaning, Movement Case Food Traceability, Blue Miaoran Dong

CASE FOOD TRACEABILITY BLUE DONG FROM FARMS AND FOOD FACTORIES TO FOOD DATA FACTORIES Blue Dong holds a MA in of tion and Data Science Studies from University . Her thesis on Chinese food traceability system , The Political of the Chinese Food Traceability System Cultivating Trust , or Constructing a Technocratic Certainty Machine ?

illustrates the power relations between the Chinese government , the big three Chinese technology giants , foreign capital , food merchants , and Chinese citizens . It also addresses the embedded information and power asymmetry . She is a student at School of and Communication at University . She is also the conference coordinator of the Food Matters and 698 FOOD DATA FACTORIES

Critical Understandings of Food Cultures ence and conference of the Annual cation Graduate Caucus Conference . is keen on digital agriculture , food and data equity , rural broadband , and the development of the platform ecosystem . Learning Outcomes After reading and discussing this text , students should be able to Identify food traceability technologies , infrastructures , and corporate capitals that compose the Chinese food traceability system . Describe the limitations of the food traceability system relative to its public claims ( like perfect transparency ) Explain the potential harm and environmental impacts stemming from the food traceability system . INTRODUCTION Chinese Citizens are increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from and seeking information about the in which their food is produced . But how much detail is necessary ?

Do you need to know who is growing your crops , or how farmers feed the animals they raise ?

Would you be willing to pay a premium price for that information ?

Both the Chinese government and Chinese corporations are convinced that the answer to all of these questions is a resounding yes . BLUE DONG 699 CONTEXT Mounting food safety incidents and food fraud can endanger citizens and cost the global food industry billions of dollars every year . Traceability apps claim to give you the entire life story of your food by simply scanning a unique identification code attached to the food package . For instance , the identification code on an egg would allow you to know whether that egg was laid by the fittest hen . The hen would wear a device like a on her ankle , which transmits live footstep numbers and other biometric data . Some premium egg farmers even have surveillance cameras and , to help you identify the hens in their farming environment . As the consumer , you can even choose a customized feeding plan for the hen , to ensure it lays eggs with a specific taste profile . On the one hand , this technology helps ensure animal , that the hen has a nice environment for exercise and food to eat . On the other hand , this comes at a hefty price of for consumers and augments social inequalities . The Chinese government is enthusiastic about its food ability system , which allows the government to pinpoint the source of food contamination more accurately , thus mitigating the risks of , disease outbreaks . But ability also works as a goldmine for corporations to learn about their customers , to extract their personal information and expand the reach of their own business . There is a distinct between the Chinese and Canadian food traceability , in that the Canadian system does not trace forward to the customer . In other words , the Canadian system does not keep detailed consumer food preferences and purchasing habits it only traces the food from origin to sales point . The Chinese food traceability system enables food corporations , food traceability technology providers , and the government to trace and track all kinds of consumer food preferences and eating habits . This 700 FOOD DATA FACTORIES

information allows food corporations to create new hit products , or only produce those food items that sell in the greatest ties , which in turn can decrease food diversity in the long run . TRACING THE TRACERS My interest in this rapidly developing technology sector led me to examine the financial reports of the big three Chinese corporations , and which are playing essential roles in developing , distributing , operating , and forming the Chinese food traceability system . This tion accumulates substantial revenue in the hands of corporate actors . In the last ten years , food traceability apps available in China through Apple App Store have grown from to 12 , and from being available in cities to 21 . While this development trajectory prioritized coastal , eastern , and urban regions , it neglected rural and western regions , where citizens are still struggling to have an adequate internet connection and delivery service on which digital economies heavily depend . Amazingly , eggs with food traceability technology are to times more expensive than regular eggs . Evidently , not everyone can afford the food , and this is especially the case for people who live in rural regions . and are among the top thirteen most valuable publicly traded internet companies in the world . has the highest monthly active user accounts , at 1165 million , and 50 million active merchant accounts among the big four internet companies ( AR , has 846 million monthly active user accounts ( AR , 21 ) has 449 million active user accounts ( AR , but has 417 million active user accounts and is more involved in the food traceability system than ( ID AR , 10 ) holds of and of , which are considered as operating under the same platform ecosystem . they are referred as . To simplify the , in the figures , is referred to as Ali . BLUE DONG 701

ANALYSIS Figure provides an overview of the food traceability gies available as of 2021 . The technologies include infrastructure hardware , the Internet of things HOT ) and computing ties . For instance , the navigation system enables the edge computing system to coordinate with Kinematic ( signal transmitter , rover station , and radio antennas , which connect the transmission to the satellite . It also nates water sprinkler drones , loT sensors , animal tracking lars , and plant monitoring devices to transmission base stations that coordinate orders for loT sensors in the rural regions where internet connections are poor . Last , satellite systems combine satellite image , sensor data , and artificial intelligence analysis to generate an optimized irrigation action plan , provide animal early sickness alerts , and reduce insurance premiums with this heavily monitored and automated technology system . 702 FOOD DATA FACTORIES

I ( In me ) I . 11 . man . mu . I . mu mu ' Food Traceability ) An A . Figure An overview of the food traceability technologies available as of 2021 . click to enlarge ) Figure portrays the extent to which the dominant technology companies , Ali ) and ( have spread their over the various sectors of the food ability system in China . First and foremost , Ali and the platform ecosystem both invest and collaborate with a Chinese telecom company , China , to obtain an unfair advantage with internet connections and better telecom vice rates . Furthermore , Ali and the platform ecosystem have invested in information technologies and services like cloud computing . By investing in cloud computing companies like Ali Cloud , the retail technology , and the intelligent car system , Ali has built a solid foundation to amplify traceability technology for commercial applications and actively promote the national code economy . Moreover , Ali and the platform ecosystem have invested in many food traceability BLUE DONG 703

forms with a high level of daily active user rate , like Ele , and Fruit Day . I High I ) a , ily Users DA ' we loud Computing i ) Supermarket ' Lu ' Chain I , A Figure An overview of the actors implicated in the food traceability system . click to enlarge ) Ali directs and generates consumer traffic from one site to another , fosters symbiotic relationships , and strengthens the work effect . Their seamless integration also reaches , from supermarkets and supply chains to delivery and logistics systems . The Ali and platform ecosystem grate almost every aspect of the business . By luring consumers into scanning codes , can potentially connect 555 direct procurement sources , 200 market chains With 1700 traceable food items , free delivery , and traceable robot restaurants , all within the ecosystem . Essentially , food traceability systems connect chants with the consumer through the integrated platform design from online to . This model has now expanded 704 FOOD DATA FACTORIES

beyond the scope of food , replicating the same business model in other sectors and sharing data with other diversified businesses within the same platform ecosystem . For instance , invested in the travel business , vehicle company , coffee franchise Tim , and film producer Wanda . Ali then uses the data collected and consumer traffic in the game try , business , and . It creates an ultimate , convenient access center with four categories financial , daily needs , travel and transportation , shopping , and entertainment , all embedded in the platform to further their monopoly and make it more robust . In a nutshell , if you came in for the food traceability information , the big corporations try to keep you around for four essential needs that they also own . The ambitious market model promoted in this manner promises to deliver perfect transparency , but so far , it has only magnified information and power asymmetry . Specifically , between urban and rural regions , there is an imbalance in the development of food safety systems . The food safety and quality tests associated with the current traceability system revealed that twelve provinces were below the national average in food safety . The food safety and quality tests also found that most of the food that was turned down by the city and coastal markets ( for having failed the essential food quality and safety test ) was then sold back to rural regions . More information does not equal more certainty and transparency . And after all , does the average want time they sit down for a the entire biography of the hen that laid the egg they are about to eat ?

Or do they typically just need the peace of mind to enjoy their meal without doubt and concern ?

Both the Chinese government and Chinese corporations are convinced that there is a need to build a food traceability system as a market solution to this increasing need . BLUE DONG 705 They also believe consumers are willing to pay a premium for the excessive details and data generated by the food traceability tem . However , not every Chinese citizen can afford the increased premium , and not everyone feels the need to know the entire life story of a hen before feeling safe enough to eat an egg . Chinese consumers can still buy the conventional egg without an identification code attached to now . But this is only the beginning . The egg is likely just one example of the future of food consumption . Technology corporations are gradually ing significant inroads into the food supply chain , from farms to transportation to retail . They are also exporting loT and the accompanying business model to other parts of the world . Food , of course , is not unique in this , as this trend can be seen in other sectors as well , such as the health and insurance industries . The next time you are about to eat an egg , consider the story one egg can tell , the industry one egg can change , and the impact one egg can make beyond the act of eating . Discussion Questions What are the potential benefits of the Chinese food traceability system ?

What are the backs ?

Is there anything in Chinese system that the Canadian food traceability system can adopt or avoid ?

706 FOOD DATA FACTORIES Additional Resource Government of Canada . 2020 . Traceability Safe Food for Canadians Regulations . References . 2020 . 2019 annual report . Group . 2021 . 2020 annual Group . 2020 . 2019 annual report . 2021 . 2020 annual report . 2020 . 2019 annual report . Holdings Limited . 2020 . 2019 annual report . BLUE DONG 707