BDI helps TRACK share environmental data reliably across the agri-food sector

Growers, transport operators and technology partners are working together through TRACK to reduce administrative work and give businesses greater control over their data. Using the BDI framework of agreements, TRACK is exploring how organisations across the agri-food sector can share data reliably and efficiently throughout the supply chain. In an initial proof of concept, the partners are testing the exchange of data on CO₂ emissions from transport.

Demand for reliable information about the environmental impact of products is growing across the agri-food sector. For example, a greenhouse grower calculating the carbon footprint per kilogram of tomatoes needs data on energy consumption, water use and transport. This information is often spread across different systems and suppliers. The grower must collect it, submit it to several customers and include it in different reports. This takes time and makes it harder to verify the quality and origin of the data.

TRACK stands for Trusted Reporting & Compliance for Horticulture Food Chains. It brings together growers, transport operators and technology partners GreenlinQdata, VAA Data Works and BigMile. The project follows a simple principle: organisations record data once, at the source. With permission, they can then use the same data for multiple purposes.

Automated sharing through authorisations
Authorisations allow organisations to share data automatically. The organisation providing the data retains control over who may use which information and for what purpose. This approach reduces duplicate administrative work, improves data quality and increases confidence in reported environmental performance.

The BDI framework of agreements provides the technical, functional, organisational and legal foundation for this data exchange. Organisations work according to the same agreements, removing the need to develop separate agreements and one-to-one connections for every new collaboration.

Starting with CO₂ emissions from transport
TRACK is starting with data on CO₂ emissions from transport to develop and test the approach in practice. The partners are now developing and testing this technical proof of concept. The findings will provide the basis for expanding the approach to other environmental data, including energy and water consumption. Ultimately, TRACK aims to develop a sector-wide approach for calculating and sharing information on products’ environmental impact, based on primary data collected at source. The partners are also working closely with Data Ecosysteem Agri (DESA) and True Value Language (TVL) to support wider adoption across horticultural food supply chains.