The case study investigated how the AATP could assist Australia’s grains sector in sharing credentials for canola throughout the supply chain.
To demonstrate the ‘art of the possible’ in terms of digitally linking sustainability and traceability claims to consignments of grain, using established regulations in international markets.
The Credentials: Business Identity, Origin, Land Management, Emissions Profile, Yield Validity
The Technology: Digital Product Passport, AgTrace Industry Demonstrator Platform, Cibo Labs Land Management Assessment System, Data Farming Crop Yield Forecasting Tool, National Grower Registry
The Australian Grain Industry Code of Practice states that participants in the supply chain should have procedures in place to trace grain one step forward and one step back.
However, this is almost completely reliant on paper-based methods of data capture and recording. Importantly, due to the ‘commodity’ nature of grain, it is handled as a bulk product. Individual consignments of like product are ‘co-mingled’ and are accumulated as they move through the supply chain.
Australia exports the vast majority of its grain production annually and grain buyers are increasingly demanding evidence-based assurances of environmental and ethical practices.
As such, producers often operate at a disadvantage, such that they are unable to prove their sustainability credentials, access higher-value markets, or respond to evolving compliance demands from importers international markets.
AgTrace Australia approached this case study with a hypothetical scenario that:
- Demonstrated enhanced traceability of canola through the domestic and export supply chains.
- Standardised the identification of business entities in the grains industry.
- Delivered a Guarantee of Origin for grain consignments, including validation, consistent with current market expectations.
- Developed a standardised approach to reporting emissions of a consignment of grain.
- Assessed a ‘strawman’ governance model for the Australian Agriculture Traceability Protocol (AATP).
- Captured and used real data from commercial operators in the canola supply chain to demonstrate actual costs and benefits.
- Defined chain of custody categories as outlined by the UNTP that are relevant to the grains sector within Australia.
The final report is currently under review and will be publicly available when appropriate.
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