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Emerging under the auspices of the Oxford Internet Institute and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the proposed Fair Tracing Project would increase commercial transparency by allowing consumers to track the flow of raw materials and finished products. The group hopes that the integration of information technology into the supply chain will make shoppers more cognizant of the ethical implications of purchases: from issues that affect both consumers and producers such as the use of pesticides to problems that remain hidden by distance, such as unsafe working conditions or low wages.
When active, the plan would allow the exchange of far more information than the long-established tagant programs for tracing everything from grain to ordnance that first received widespread public attention in the mid-1990s. Products will include either a bar code or a tracking number that can be used to look up information via cell phone, giving consumers information about the area of origin, production conditions, and other factors–including biographical data about individual producers. Planners envision a data system that expands and evolves along each step of a product’s journey, giving users an in-depth picture of the complexity of global trade.
In addition to a discussion of the program’s development and potential, the project’s website features an extensive blog exploring issues related to fair trade, sustainable economic development, and collaborative business models that promote local working conditions
. Historian Shae Davidson's research interests include public policy and the relationship between culture and civil society. His publications range from articles on industrial history to absurdist poetry.
Emerging under the auspices of the Oxford Internet Institute and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the proposed Fair Tracing Project would increase commercial transparency by allowing consumers to track the flow of raw materials and finished products. The group hopes that the integration of information technology into the supply chain will make shoppers more cognizant of the ethical implications of purchases: from issues that affect both consumers and producers such as the use of pesticides to problems that remain hidden by distance, such as unsafe working conditions or low wages.