Rome, 22 May 2025, the TITAN project held a workshop titled “From Obstacle to Opportunity – Leveraging Digital Transparency and Competitive Advantage in the Food System through the EU Green Deal”.
Matteo Nenciolini, ESC Policy Manager for Sustainability, explained how the Green Deal’s new regulations (including the Deforestation Regulation and CSRD) provide a framework for greater transparency in food supply chains. Nenciolini noted that fragmented digital systems, poor interoperability, and global disruptions hinder traceability. The EUDR burdens farmers who often lack smartphones or internet to prove crop origins. Producers also fear that mandatory geotagging under the EUDR conflicts with privacy laws.
To bridge these gaps, there is the urge co-created solutions and standardised data protocols. There is the need to digitize customs and use customs authorities as “digital gatekeepers” to ensure high quality data. The proposed EU Customs reform exemplifies this shift: a unified Customs Data Hub and a single portal where businesses upload all import data once, reducing duplication and errors.
Governments should invest in technical and financial assistance so farmers can comply. The European Commission notes traceability tools are widely available and that governments, cooperatives, and firms can provide support to smallholders.
In conclusion, transparency mandates are an opportunity, not just an obligation. By building interoperable systems and modern customs processes, Europe’s food sector can gain an edge. An EU impact study found that products meeting these traceability standards will enjoy a competitive advantage in global markets.