In recent decades, a number of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks have occurred in countries that had been FMD-free for many years. The last FMD outbreak in the United States occurred in 1929 and the country contains a naïve livestock population, meaning it is susceptible to an outbreak. In the event of an FMD outbreak in the United States, the speed at which the source and contacts between livestock can be identified impacts both the implementation and effectiveness of mitigation strategies. The purpose of this thesis was to analyze the impact of higher levels of animal traceability on the immediate welfare losses resulting from an FMD outbreak originating in Utah. An epidemiological model was used to simulate the spread of the disease throughout the livestock population of Utah and estimate a mean number of animals depopulated over 1000 iterations for low, medium and high levels of trace intensity. This number of animals depopulated was then used to create supply shocks in an equilibrium displacement model. This model revealed the welfare losses across four marketing levels for beef, three for pork and two for pork. The research contained in this thesis determined that the adoption of a high intensity trace system can prevent immediate welfare losses of between $131 and $190 million for the United States beef industry, including $49 million to the Utah fed cattle, feeder cattle and market hog marketing levels

隨全球經濟發展、環保意識抬頭，以及食品安全衛生議題的日益重視，運用資訊科技維護人們食的安全已是一股不可擋的趨勢。本論文以資訊科技導入農產品生產控管以及維護生產品質、建立所謂農產履歷為研究目的；並以豬隻生產為例，深入探討在豬隻的生產過程中如何導入這新的科技技術，以及所搭配的生產履歷資訊平台。 文中首先針對所謂「農產履歷」作一詳細介紹，其中包括農產履歷的來由、推動農產履歷原因，以及目前各國所推展的農產履歷的現況如何。另外，在導入農產履歷之前也必須先了解所謂的「追溯系統」，在農產品整個生產過程中有哪些東西或流程是必須追蹤記錄。 本研究案在眾多的農產品中選擇以豬隻的生產過程作為導入「農產履歷」的研究標的其原因是因為： 1、 豬隻為我國農產品中產值最高。 2、 豬隻的生產過程短，從出生到送入屠宰僅六個半月。 3、 豬隻的生產過程中所需控管的項目較多，例如：飼料、添加劑、藥品、種源等。 本研究選擇以RFID作為農產履歷的記錄介質，在豬隻的身上打上所謂的RFID晶片，借以控管並記錄豬隻的生產過程，然，RFID晶片的外在形式有兩種，一種是外在耳掛式的晶片，稱之為「RFID耳標」，另ㄧ種是皮下植入式的，我們稱之為「植入式晶片」，本研究亦會針對這兩種不同的晶片同時導入加以評估，選擇一個最適合於豬隻生產所應搭配的形式。 除此之外，搭配RFID晶片所需的生產資訊系統，意即「畜牧場管理系統」也是不可或缺的，本研究案同時也針對了該管理系統有一深入的研究並提出該系統的設計理念，以及相關的系統設計方式，以期在本研究結束後能夠提出一套完整的豬隻生產過程的「農產履歷系統」。 / As the global economic development, environmental awareness and the attention to food safety, applying technology to safeguard people's food security is an irreversible trend. The purposes of this paper are to addresses the methods of introducing technology into agricultural production and control, and the maintenance of production quality. Take the production of pigs for example to investigate the introduction of technology to agricultural production as well as the operation and usage of information platform. The thesis is aimed at so-called “agro-biographical”, containing the origins, the motivations and the current status of introduction of agro-biographical all around the world. On the other hand, the so-called "tracing system" is acknowledged before the introduction of agro-biography, which indicates what and how the detailed data should be included or recorded. The case studies were selected in many agricultural production processes as a force to pigs "agro-biographical" because of the research subjects: 1. Pigs generate the highest value among Taiwan’s agricultural products and they are the necessity. 2. The production process of pigs is short, only six and a half months from birth to slaughter. 3. The more attentions are required to pigs production process and control, such as feed, additives, drugs, plant sources. The study selected RFID as agro-biographical recording media, which control and record pig production process. These RFID chips are in two forms, one is the external ear TAGs, the so called “RFID ear TAG”, and the other is in subcutaneous implantation style in the heads, known as “Subcutaneous Implantation TAG”. The study made comparison between these two kinds of RFIDs and the evaluated them to choose the better one. In addition, the mix of RFID chips for the production of information systems, namely, “The livestock management system” is also indispensable. The research also investigated in the management system , concepts of design, and related systems topics. Finally, the results are hoped to make contribution to the introduction of technology to agro-biography.

Purpose – This study aims to explore, and suggest solutions to, the gap between the supply of information from organic meat producers and the demand of information from consumers regarding traceable characteristics (attributes) of meat in a limited geographical area in order to maximize the utilization and value of collected data. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods research design is applied to collect both quantitative data from consumers and qualitative data from suppliers to produce empirical results of the supply and demand of information. A theoretical framework of organic food purchase intent is used for the quantitative study as well as the correlation between consumers’ perceived importance of attributes and their willingness-to-pay for meat. The results of the empirical studies are compared to each other in an effort to expose a possible gap using a gap analysis. Findings – Meat is shifting from a price based commodity to a product based on characteristics. This study reveals that there is now a gap between the information made available by organic meat producers and the demand of information from consumers that needs to be recognized in order to maximize the value of collected data. Information regarding environmental impact of raising and transporting the animals is not extensively collected. A substantial amount of data about attributes of perceived importance, such as safety and handling, animal welfare and medication or other treatments is collected but not extensively shared with consumers. Research limitations/implications – The small sample size in a unique area and the scope of the survey data does not provide a result that can be truly generalized. It is therefore suggested that future studies produce results from a larger sample that incorporates the perceived accessibility of important information for consumers. Practical implications – This contributes to the emerging literature of organic food production by comparing both the supply and the demand of information regarding attributes of meat. This information is valuable to organic meat producers and marketers as well as developers of agricultural systems and databases that should shift their focus to consumer oriented traceability systems. Originality/value – This study goes beyond the substantial body of literature regarding attributes of organic food and consumers preferences by comparing these factors to the available supply of information by meat producers and by suggesting solutions to bridge the gap between them. Keywords – Organic meat, Organic agriculture, e-Agriculture, Traceability, Traceability systems, Consumer oriented, Consumer behavior, Willingness-to-pay, Supply and demand, Information gap, Gap analysis, Business development, United States of America, Sense-making theory, Mixed methods Paper type – Research paper, Bachelor’s thesis