E-platform technologies for the European agro-food supply chain
e-mensa
The European Union and many businesses have realised that the current agrofood supply chain is hard to manage on a European scale, and that safety and quality suffer as a result. To help solve this problem, the EU's Specific Support Action (SSA) e-MENSA gathered ten partners from six European countries and one international organisation. It aimed to constitute a knowledge-exchange platform that will help create a food supply chain management infrastructure based on information and communication technology (ICT).

Food chain monitoring through an e-platform will make it possible to manage emergencies, preventing market disturbances from amplifying downstream to the consumer. Coordination of all the food chain's component processes will ensure that quality and safety standards are applied at the lowest possible cost to all players. Increased time efficiency and precise commodity flows will expand product choice at the point of sale and improve freshness, boosting consumer satisfaction and confidence. This will help increase employment in the agro-food industry, particularly in rural areas.