Certificação e Rastreabilidade no Agronegócio: Instrumentos Cada Vez Mais Necessários

The discussion on the certification and traceability of agricultural products isextremely complex and difficult. The discussion on the right amount of governmentintervention in labeling is current and important. Theory has demonstrated thatmandatory intervention is more adequate in order to counteract problems in marketswhere information is asymmetric; however, it is rarely effective in redressingenvironmental problems or other spillovers associated with food production andconsumption.This paper aims to develop a framework that will seek to analyze the government?srole in food labeling , and, in order to do this, the Segerson model has been used.The framework presented suggests that deciding whether to adopt voluntary ormandatory measures depends on the interaction of a great number of factors.The main question is whether the mandatory or the voluntary approach is thebest one. In order to analyze empirical questions, we have chosen the case study ofbeef chain. Analyzing this sector is a good exercise, since examples of both mandatoryand voluntary labeling are found, and the government has played an important role.In conclusion, this report traces the economic theory behind food labeling andpresents three case studies in which the government?s intervention was essential: beefchain, Sisbov and PIF.