FROM DATA SILOS TO VERIFIABLE DIGITAL TRUST

The global agri-food sector is moving away from a landscape of fragmented, siloed databases where data is often trapped within isolated corporate systems, making end-to-end verification nearly impossible. The current transition is toward decentralized Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), which allows for “digital notarization”—the creation of data regarding product origin, safety, and sustainability that is incorruptible and accessible across the entire chain. While “private blockchains” often replicate the limitations of internal silos, the industry is increasingly looking toward Public Blockchains to provide an independent layer of trust that no single entity can manipulate.

For international consortia, the goal is to integrate these systems to ensure full compliance with the EU Official Controls Regulation (Reg. EU 2017/625). By utilizing blockchain for verifiable record-keeping, operators can move past fragmented documentation to achieve a “trusted status” with competent authorities. This evolution is not merely a marketing asset; it is a regulatory tool that can optimize the frequency of official audits, allowing for a more efficient and transparent oversight of the agri-food supply chain.

OUR FOCUS: TECHNICAL-LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR DIGITAL TRUST

Our focus is directed toward the legal requirements for digital notarization, where we bridge the gap between regulatory mandates and blockchain implementation. We specialize in identifying the evidentiary standards that data must meet to be legally recognized under EU food law and international traceability norms. By mapping these requirements, we help consortia ensure that their digital ledgers provide “policy-ready” data necessary for institutional reporting, audit trails, and official controls.

A central pillar of this focus is the alignment of DLT with European transparency regulations. We examine how the “trusted status” defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/625 can be operationally supported by immutable digital records that break down traditional data silos. This focus ensures that the move toward decentralized systems is grounded in a solid legal framework, helping partners navigate the transition from manual, disconnected auditing to a modern, digitally-notarized compliance model.

Finally, we prioritize the legal integrity of “farm-to-fork” data. Our focus extends to defining the rules for data entry and validation that ensure the immutability of the chain is matched by the accuracy of the information provided. By providing a professional perspective on digital trust, we help consortia build systems where transparency is not just a claim, but a legally-defensible reality.

PROVEN IMPACT: FROM REGULATORY MAPPING TO TRUSTED STATUS

Our contribution to blockchain initiatives demonstrates our focus on applying technical-legal frameworks to digital transparency through specific operational benchmarks:

Defining Legal Requirements for Digital Registries:

In the WASTELESS project, we focused on the technical-legal requirements for a Blockchain-Based Electronic Registry. Our role was to ensure that the tracking of surplus and waste met the functional and legal standards required for EU reporting and valorization recommendations.

Architecture for Public Blockchain Integrity:

Through our self-funded WIISE Chain project, we independently developed a proof-of-concept for agri-food traceability based on the Bitcoin protocol. We acted as the technical-legal architect, defining the interoperability layer needed to link legacy ERP systems with a public ledger to ensure that sustainability and origin data remain incorruptible.

Advocating for Decentralized Standards:

Through our technical-legal analysis on Food Times, we have focused on the importance of public, non-permissioned ledgers as a means to prevent “greenwashing” and ensure that environmental claims are supported by verifiable, unalterable evidence.