National Animal Identification and Traceability System

National Animal Identification and Traceability System

Rome/FAO [ENA] Tracing animals and animal-origin products in a prompt and timely manner through NAITS is an integral part of the food safety chain. By registering and verifying the origin and health of the animals at every step of the value chain, NAITS ensures the delivery of safe food from farm to table. Birth, origin, vaccination status, health condition and even colour of the animals are now easily searchable online.

The information helps buyers to make informed and healthy choices when selecting meat and other animal-origin products. For example, customers can find QR codes on the product that link to NAITS where they can look up the origin, age and other basic information related to the product they are about to buy. Inputting all data into Georgia’s online National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS), which has revolutionized the country’s animal traceability scheme in the past five years is very important. Implemented by the Government of Georgia, with the technical assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), NAITS records the data of all livestock that must be registered by law,

their keepers and keeping locations. Currently, NAITS holds information about more than one million bovines, thanks in large part to the veterinarians and technicians who are the pillars of the project, working in the field to collect and record the data. With the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Austrian Development Cooperation, FAO and Georgia’s National Food Agency implemented this traceability project, making Georgia the first country in the region to introduce an animal identification and registration system. Several states, including North Macedonia, Albania, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and countries in the Caribbean, have expressed interest in sharing the electronic system or system development

experiences. Spreading NAITS best practices and sharing experiences will be beneficial both for Georgia and the countries now implementing animal registration systems. In the meantime, the women veterinarians diligently do their jobs with dedication and passion, ensuring that, in the end, customers can make informed choices and that animal-origin food is safer for all.