NAITS
Georgia’s National Animal Identification and Traceability System
Description
Georgia’s National Animal Identification and Traceability System (NAITS) is a comprehensive animal health and food safety platform for the collection and recording of mandatory information on animals, their keepers and their locations all over Georgia. It connects approximately 1000 users across state institutions and other actors along the value chain (e.g., vets, inspectors, farmers). NAITS was first launched in the country in 2012 and handed over to the Government in 2021. The system covers all mandatory identifiable species in the country (ruminants, pigs, equids and bees), as well as other relevant animal holdings (poultry and aquaculture establishments), and stores data, for example, on over 1 million registered bovines, including birth and origin data, vaccination status, health and slaughter conditions. NAITS is also used for the electronic recording, storage and analysis of data on non-food animals (pets and strays) by municipal or regional Animal Management Agencies, and can be used to improve the population management of stray dogs and cats in Georgia. NAITS is fully compliant with the requirements of the EU Animal Health Law (EU Regulation 429/2016), and it is the key tool supporting the protection and development of the livestock sector in Georgia.
Technology
NAITS is a customizable, flexible open-source system that facilitates data exchanges between stakeholders in the animal sector and the national authorities, allowing the sharing of information with interested parties via web services or through QR codes (e.g. private sector financial service providers and consumers). NAITS is also accessible via an Android application that allows field operators to upload data to the system in both online and offline modes. The system, which currently comprises 30 modules, makes use of open-source software (Java 8, PostgreSQL), and can be accessed via any fixed or mobile device with an Internet connection via the main server. A NAITS consumer module has also been introduced through which consumers can access essential information about the animals from which their purchased products originate by scanning a QR code.
Target
The main users of NAITS are all stakeholders in the livestock sector, from official authorities to livestock farmers, vets, food safety inspectors, slaughterhouses, municipal animal shelters, milk processors and collectors, trade actors, etc.
Business model
NAITS is free to use, and was developed using public money and with donor support from international organizations.
Impact
NAITS provides significant savings in time and effort in the collection and storage of data, and targets the full replacement of the paper forms traditionally used in Georgia. The system facilitates the tracking of animals and animal-origin products in a prompt and timely manner, and is an important part of the complex food safety chain. It ensures the delivery of safe food to consumers and has improved the overall food system in Georgia, facilitating trade and contributing to the effective implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement. As of January 2024, some 1 million users were registered on the system (veterinarians and inspectors), as well as more than 250 000 animal holdings, and the data of more than 1 million bovines was being held.
Partners
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC); Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Four Betters
Better production
Better nutrition
