GIT for Supporting Food Supply Traceability
Modules:
Companion Instructor Guide
Module links:
https://connect.rit.edu/traceability1/
https://connect.rit.edu/traceability2/
1.
2.
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
Activities ..................................................................................................................... 1
Food Supply Problem Investigation (~1.0 – 1.5hr) ........................................................ 1
Creating a layer from x,y coordinates Tutorial (~0.5 – 1hr) ........................................... 2
Trace a Product Back to the Farm (~0.5 – 1hr) .............................................................. 2
Food Tracking Technology (~1.5 – 2hr)......................................................................... 3
Geodatabases and Table Operations Tutorial (~1.5 – 3hr) ............................................. 3
Traceability in practice (~1.5 – 3hr) ............................................................................... 4
3. Articles and Readings ................................................................................................. 4
4. Websites ...................................................................................................................... 5
1. Introduction
This companion guide is designed to accompany the GIT for Supporting Food Supply
Traceability Modules (both Part 1 and Part 2). It provides additional activities and resources that
can be used to further explain concepts covered in the modules and expand students’
understanding of geospatial information technology and how it can be used in the food and
beverage manufacturing and processing industry in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State.
2. Activities
These suggested activities will vary in scope based on the nature of the course and the knowledge
base of the instructor.
Food Supply Problem Investigation (~1.0 – 1.5hr)
Anticipated Outcomes:
Upon completion of this activity, students will have an understanding of how GIT can be used to
help identify the potential locations when problems arise in the food supply chain such as
mapping the locations of people who have become sick from consumption of a product and
nearby sources of product distribution.
Overview:
This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative as implemented by
the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not
necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or
assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including,
but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or
ownership. This solution is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an
individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
1
Create a scenario where a large number of individuals throughout your area have become sick.
All speculation points to some type of food-borne illness, but the exact product and the source of
distribution are not yet known. Students are tasked with finding the likely source(s) of
distribution. Have students visually analyze the spatial distribution patterns of these sick
individuals and their proximity to nearby grocery stores and other retail food outlets. To support
the scenario, the instructor will need to create a table or database that contains addresses or x,y
locations of the sick individuals. Have students map the incident locations from the addresses or
x,y location of these individuals using Google Earth or ArcGIS Desktop or another appropriate
GIS application. Then have them map the locations of nearby grocery stores and convenience
stores. Have students analyze the patterns between the individuals and the proximity to the
stores. Are some of the incident locations clustered around one or more stores?
In preparing the table of sick individuals, it is recommended to create a cluster in one area, with
other incident locations placed more randomly. Or perhaps create several clusters around
multiple grocery stores of a given store chain. This will help students recognize the stores where
further investigations will need to be conducted by health officials to determine the exact product
that caused people to become sick.
For guidance in mapping x,y locations and doing more than just a visual analysis of locations in
ArcGIS Desktop, complete the activity ‘Create a layer from x,y coordinates’ in this module.
Activities related to address geocoding are provided in Mapping Supply Chain Business and
Market Information Module.
Resources Needed:
ArcGIS Desktop software or Google Earth, hypothetical table of sick individuals that you create.
Creating a layer from x,y coordinates Tutorial (~0.5 – 1hr)
Anticipated Outcomes:
Upon completion of this activity students will have an understanding of how to map information
that contains x,y coordinates using ArcGIS Desktop software.
Overview:
Have the students complete Tutorial 2-1 ‘Create a layer from x,y coordinates’ in the GIS Tutorial
II on pages 45-49 of ESRI’s GIS Tutorial II: Spatial Analysis Workbook.
Resources Needed:
ESRI’s ArcGIS Desktop software and GIS Tutorial II: Spatial Analysis Workbook for ArcView 9 by
Allen.
Trace a Product Back to the Farm (~0.5 – 1hr)
Anticipated Outcomes:
Upon completion of this activity students will have an understanding of how GIS can help
visualize and quantify the spatial extent and complexity of the food supply chain.
This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative as implemented by
the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not
necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or
assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including,
but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or
ownership. This solution is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an
individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
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Overview:
Have students purchase some type of fresh produce at a local store. Have them research where
the product came from and who distributed it. Have students map its origin and final destination
in Google Earth, Google Maps, or Bing Maps. Perhaps students will select several items and look
at variations within a single type of product (e.g., apples, spinach, lettuce, etc.). Have students
talk about the spatial disparities between the source and final destination. Are there other
possible locations that this product might have passed through (e.g., distribution warehouse on
the opposite side of the country)?
For an extended activity, students can investigate their product further through discussions with
the produce or store manager about that product, or they might conduct more research to
identify and map the various locations that the product stops along its path from point of origin
to point of retail distribution. Additional questions to ask the students might be how perishable
the products are and how that influences the speed at which a product must move to arrive at its
final destination before it spoils, What modes of transportation might have been used to transport
this product? What spatial differences exist between the locations students mapped?
Resources Needed:
Google Earth, Google Maps, or Bing Maps.
Food Tracking Technology (~1.5 – 2hr)
Anticipated Outcomes:
Upon completion of this activity, students will have an understanding of the current state of
tracking technology, the future of tracking technology, and the potential value that it brings to
the food and beverage industry.
Overview:
Have students reflect upon and discuss the readings related to Radio-frequency identification
(RFID), barcode scanners, and tracking software. What influence might these technologies be
having on the food and beverage manufacturing supply chain? Discuss whether these
technologies are worth the cost and how they may be integrated with geospatial information
technologies for application in the food and beverage industry supply chain.
Resources Needed:
Internet access, Geo-Temporal Visualization of RFID – Part 1, Geo-Temporal Visualization of
RFID – Part 2.
Geodatabases and Table Operations Tutorial (~1.5 – 3hr)
Anticipated Outcomes:
Upon completion of this activity students will have an understanding of how relational databases
are managed, their value in GIS, and how to manipulate them using ArcGIS Desktop software.
This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative as implemented by
the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not
necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or
assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including,
but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or
ownership. This solution is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an
individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
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Overview:
Have students complete GIS Tutorial 4, Geodatabases and associated assignments on pages 105136 of ESRI’s GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9.
Resources Needed:
ESRI’s ArcGIS Desktop software and GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9 by Gorr and Kurland.
Traceability in practice (~1.5 – 3hr)
Anticipated Outcomes:
Upon completion of this activity, students will have an understanding of the range of the type of
systems and/or databases that food and beverage industry supply chain members are using to
track the sources and destinations of products they handle.
Overview:
Have students interview a local retailer, distributor, or processor to find out what, if any,
systems (manual or automated) they are currently using or are planning on using to track the
sources and destinations of products they handle. They should also inquire if the business has
had any particular situations arise where it would have been useful for them to be able to trace
product paths more easily. Students should be prepared to share and discuss in class what they
have found.
Resources Needed:
N/A.
3. Articles and Readings
These readings provide more case studies and information about how existing businesses are
utilizing GIT to improve their business.
 Geo-Temporal Visualization of RFID – Part 1:
http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=951
 Geo-Temporal Visualization of RFID – Part 2:
http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=1954
 GIS Tutorial: Workbook for ArcView 9. Gorr, W.L., and K.S. Kurland. ESRI Press, Redlands,
CA. 2005
 GIS Tutorial II: Spatial Analysis Workbook. Allen, D.W. ESRI Press, Redlands, CA. 2009
 Slashing Supply Chain Risk: http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=2635
 Trade and Investment Program for a Competitive Export Economy:
http://events.esri.com/uc/2009/sag/list/?fa=Press&SID=907
 Wine Supply Traceability - GS1 Application Guideline:
http://www.gs1.org/docs/traceability/GS1_wine_traceability.pdf
This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative as implemented by
the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not
necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or
assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including,
but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or
ownership. This solution is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an
individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
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4. Websites
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About joining and relating tables:
http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/index.cfm?id=754&pid=745&topicname=Abou
t_joining_and_relating_tables
Access to Better Information for Public Health:
http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/0405/umbrella_30.html
Bing Maps: http://www.bing.com/maps/
ESRI ArcGIS Desktop: http://www.esri.com/products/index.html
ESRI GIS for Logistics page: http://www.esri.com/industries/logistics/index.html
ESRI Supply Chain Management page:
http://www.esri.com/industries/logistics/business/supply_chain.html
GIS-Based Distribution Network Management for Agricultural Businesses:
http://www.esri.com/industries/agriculture/business/distribution.html
Google Earth: http://earth.google.com/
Google Maps: http://maps.google.com
This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative as implemented by
the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not
necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or
assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including,
but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or
ownership. This solution is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an
individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
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