Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TITAN (Transparency solutions for transforming the food system.)
Période du rapport: 2024-03-01 au 2025-08-31
The European Green Deal is the central strategy of the European Union to transform European society with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, while addressing climate and environmental challenges. The Farm to Fork strategy follows the path traced by the European Green Deal, while responding to increased public awareness and the growing demand for a Food System capable of providing healthy, sustainable and affordable food. All players in the Food Value Chain are called upon to contribute to this goal thanks to recent technologies and recent discoveries in the sector. Farm to Fork aims at setting a global standard that can overturn the current paradigm consisting in air, water and soil pollution, loss of biodiversity and climate change and excessive consumption of natural resources.
For such an agri-food system to flourish, consumers must have better access to healthy, sustainable and affordable food, with transparent information about the integrity and true value of a food, so that they can make the better food choices that are necessary to increase demand. Enhancing transparency is an essential element in achieving this goal.
TITAN intends to leverage transparency and digital innovations in the food sector to pursue this paradigm shift: transforming the food system into a demand-driven economy that provides consumers with healthy and sustainable food. To achieve this goal, TITAN provides a broad platform for the development of pre-identified technologies and pilots that have been selected during the project through an open call for proposals. The 23 pilots (15 internals and 8 externals) aims to enhance transparency by deploying innovative technologies in different food supply chains by using Artificial Intelligence, Rapid Detection Methods, Blockchain.
To support this technological effort, key is the involvement of primary and secondary stakeholders in this process. Stakeholders are involved to analyze the actual food supply chains, identifying interactions between primary and secondary actors and the need of transparency among the ones so detected and how technology can fill the gap between them.
Finally, TITAN analyzes the current state of the art of policies related to transparency in order to establish a set of recommendations that are based on relevant stakeholders' perspectives to make the food supply chain more transparent and sustainable.
For such an agri-food system to flourish, consumers must have better access to healthy, sustainable and affordable food, with transparent information about the integrity and true value of a food, so that they can make the better food choices that are necessary to increase demand. Enhancing transparency is an essential element in achieving this goal.
TITAN intends to leverage transparency and digital innovations in the food sector to pursue this paradigm shift: transforming the food system into a demand-driven economy that provides consumers with healthy and sustainable food. To achieve this goal, TITAN provides a broad platform for the development of pre-identified technologies and pilots that have been selected during the project through an open call for proposals. The 23 pilots (15 internals and 8 externals) aims to enhance transparency by deploying innovative technologies in different food supply chains by using Artificial Intelligence, Rapid Detection Methods, Blockchain.
To support this technological effort, key is the involvement of primary and secondary stakeholders in this process. Stakeholders are involved to analyze the actual food supply chains, identifying interactions between primary and secondary actors and the need of transparency among the ones so detected and how technology can fill the gap between them.
Finally, TITAN analyzes the current state of the art of policies related to transparency in order to establish a set of recommendations that are based on relevant stakeholders' perspectives to make the food supply chain more transparent and sustainable.
TITAN is a European research project focused on improving transparency and traceability in the agri-food system through the use of digital technologies. It brings together a diverse group of partners from across Europe to explore how innovation can make food supply chains more open, reliable, and trustworthy.
The project began by analysing the needs and perspectives of different actors in the food system. This work showed that roles, incentives, and expectations around transparency vary widely depending on the context. Researchers identified several key barriers, including concerns about data confidentiality, the lack of shared standards, and the costs faced by small businesses. At the same time, they highlighted the importance of collaboration across the entire supply chain, as no single actor can achieve transparency alone. This work is being further developed through a deeper analysis of selected supply chains and stakeholder dynamics, which will lead to a set of strategic recommendations tailored to support small and medium-sized enterprises in adopting transparency practices.
Building on this understanding, the project developed a flexible framework to help match transparency needs with the most suitable digital tools and approaches. This framework takes into account how people, processes, technologies, and external factors interact in real-world settings. It was shaped through continuous dialogue with experts and stakeholders, ensuring that it reflects practical challenges as well as technical possibilities. Researchers also worked to ensure that different systems can communicate and function together smoothly, bridging the gap between social and technological perspectives.
In parallel, the project examined how policies and regulations can support greater transparency without placing unnecessary burdens on businesses. The work focused on how data-driven approaches can strengthen trust in the food system while remaining practical and accessible. The resulting recommendations aim to clarify what transparency means in practice, encourage better data sharing, and support a balanced approach that fosters both innovation and compliance. In the next phase, these policy recommendations will be tested and refined in real-world contexts, ensuring their relevance and usability for both policymakers and industry actors.
At the same time, new technologies were tested in real-world conditions, showing that these solutions can work effectively across different contexts. These activities helped improve how systems interact with each other and ensured that end users were actively involved in shaping the tools. As a result, several solutions are now close to being ready for wider adoption, demonstrating the project’s potential to make a tangible impact on the future of food transparency.
The project began by analysing the needs and perspectives of different actors in the food system. This work showed that roles, incentives, and expectations around transparency vary widely depending on the context. Researchers identified several key barriers, including concerns about data confidentiality, the lack of shared standards, and the costs faced by small businesses. At the same time, they highlighted the importance of collaboration across the entire supply chain, as no single actor can achieve transparency alone. This work is being further developed through a deeper analysis of selected supply chains and stakeholder dynamics, which will lead to a set of strategic recommendations tailored to support small and medium-sized enterprises in adopting transparency practices.
Building on this understanding, the project developed a flexible framework to help match transparency needs with the most suitable digital tools and approaches. This framework takes into account how people, processes, technologies, and external factors interact in real-world settings. It was shaped through continuous dialogue with experts and stakeholders, ensuring that it reflects practical challenges as well as technical possibilities. Researchers also worked to ensure that different systems can communicate and function together smoothly, bridging the gap between social and technological perspectives.
In parallel, the project examined how policies and regulations can support greater transparency without placing unnecessary burdens on businesses. The work focused on how data-driven approaches can strengthen trust in the food system while remaining practical and accessible. The resulting recommendations aim to clarify what transparency means in practice, encourage better data sharing, and support a balanced approach that fosters both innovation and compliance. In the next phase, these policy recommendations will be tested and refined in real-world contexts, ensuring their relevance and usability for both policymakers and industry actors.
At the same time, new technologies were tested in real-world conditions, showing that these solutions can work effectively across different contexts. These activities helped improve how systems interact with each other and ensured that end users were actively involved in shaping the tools. As a result, several solutions are now close to being ready for wider adoption, demonstrating the project’s potential to make a tangible impact on the future of food transparency.
It will be provided in the last Reporting Period