This publication is a product of the staff of the World Bank Group. The World Bank Group refers to the member institutions of the World Bank Group: The World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development); International Finance Corporation (IFC); and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), which are separate and distinct legal entities each organized under its respective Articles of Agreement. We encourage use for educational and non-commercial purposes. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this volume do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank Group or the governments they represent. The World Bank Group does not guarantee Contents The Basics of Food Traceability 4 Foreword This publication, The Basics of Food Traceability, was produced by the World Bank Group's Ukraine Investment Climate Reform Project with financial support from the Swiss Confederation through the Swiss Development Agency (SECO). This guide sets forth the concept and the main components of a traceability system in the food industry. It lists key traceability requirements, established internationally and within European Union (EU) legislation. It includes Ukraine's experience of implementing a food traceability system at the national level. This publication will be valuable for businesses and government authorities responsible for food safety issues. It aims to facilitate quicker and broader implementation of traceability systems in the food industry. In preparation of this guide, the authors drew from both international and national sources. They examined how traceability issues are handled in international and Ukrainian legislation and analyzed the experience of introducing traceability systems in the EU, China, the United States, Japan, and Australia. All sources are referenced in the guide. This guide was compiled by Zhanna Pastovenska and Kateryna Onul, experts of the World Bank Group's Ukraine Investment Climate Reform Project. The project cordially thanks Victoria Tetyora and Eugen Osmochescu, International Finance Corporation (IFC), for their valuable inputs to preparation and review of this publication. This guide was originally developed for Ukraine. It was translated from Ukrainian at the request of Bovima IFC MAS Advisory Project in Africa. The authors of this guide would like to thank Fred Zake, Senior Private Sector Specialist and Lisa Kaestner, Practice Manager, Advisory Services in Africa, for enabling and funding this translation into English.