A mandatory nationwide group traceability and mobilization control system

The project created a mandatory nationwide traceability system with mobilization control for the tracking of cattle movements throughout the country. This required close interaction between every sector of the cattle production chain, thus creating a robust public-private cooperation structure as well as a strengthened national cattle industry. Furthermore, the newly established traceability requirements align Costa Rica's regulations with OIE recommendations - the benefits of which continue to be reaped. Not only is Costa Rica now in compliance with its SPS obligations, but it has also gained credibility in international commerce, thereby expanding its trading opportunities, especially to profitable external markets. Aside from the potential monetary gains, Costa Rica has seen the opportunity to improve its internal public health as well. The program has not only increased the level of quality assurance provided to consumers, it has also expanded the opportunities for public health surveillance in order to quickly track and rectify any potential public health threats related to beef consumption. Human populations were not the only beneficiaries of this system; in fact, overall animal welfare within the cattle industry has increased as the project allowed for greater control over cattle producers and transporters throughout the production chain. 

A new regulatory framework

The project coincided with the passage of Law 8799, the Control Act for Cattle and its Prevention and Punishment of Robbery, Theft and Receiving Stolen Goods. The law's passage required that subsequent regulatory action be taken. Seeing the potential for the creation of a unified regulatory system that incorporated facets of the project, government officials worked to create a single regulatory framework that met the needs of the law as well as those of traceability and monitoring. This system created a more easily identifiable regulatory structure and placed into law features of traceability and monitoring that legitimized the program as well provided transparency to actors within the cattle production chain. This additional clarity allowed for a more effective use of the system and the mandatory nature of the regulations made the project more sustainable and nationally applicable. This opportunity to harmonize the structure of the program with national law has streamlined the project as well as laid the groundwork for future expansion and development.

Updated and harmonized full record-keeping system                   

The process of establishing the mandatory nationwide traceability system and monitoring controls required an analysis of previously held records as well as their update. Records held prior to the project's inception were poorly organized, often resulting in overlapping and outdated records. The project offered a solution to this problem by creating a centralized bank of information from which details about groups of cattle can be extracted from any point on the cattle-production line. This electronic system, managed by SENASA and MAG offices, is accessible across the nation, allowing for immediate access to data anywhere. This system follows cattle across the production chain through the use of individual and unique cattle brands by all producers. Furthermore, the recognition of individual cattle brands has provided the basis for the prevention and punishment of cattle theft - a widespread problem within Costa Rica.