Global buyers now demand verifiable proof of product origin, growing conditions, and supply chain movement, according to TRST01 CEO Prabir Mishra. To address this, technology company TRST01 has developed the Open AgriTrace Stack (OATS), a blueprint for digital public infrastructure (DPI) in agricultural traceability, with an objective to strengthen food safety and improve export compliance, from farm to consumer.
Open Framework Design and Purpose
A media statement reported that this World Bank-commissioned blueprint has been published under a Creative Commons license. The open, interoperable framework sets out how a trusted, tamper-evident record of agricultural produce can be maintained from farm to consumer, serving food safety, consumer confidence, GI protection and export compliance through a single shared layer rather than separate systems for each.
The blueprint further sets out inclusivity as a core design principle, recommending that participation should carry no cost to the farmer, so that small and marginal farmers are not excluded from premium domestic and international markets.
Lessons from India's Digital Public Infrastructure
Drawing on the design lessons of India's DPI programmes such as Aadhaar and UPI that demonstrated the value of common standards and network interoperability at national scale, OATS proposes a shared digital backbone for agricultural traceability, the statement said.
Unlike closed software platforms, OATS is designed as an open framework that allows different digital systems to communicate seamlessly. Farmers, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), processors, exporters, laboratories and regulators would be able to share verified information without duplication of records or repeated compliance submissions.
First Implementation: MahaTRACE
A first implementation, ‘MahaTRACE’, is under consideration by the Maharashtra government, with TRST01 and GS1 India as proposed implementation partners, the statement said, adding, the scope, crop coverage and phasing of any such deployment would be determined by the State government.
What This Means for Procurement Teams
In an era of tightening regulations across Europe, the US, Japan, and other major markets, the OATS blueprint offers a pathway to verifiable compliance without the burden of proprietary vendor lock-in. For chief supply chain officers and procurement directors, the adoption of such open standards could streamline supplier auditing, reduce duplication, and enhance trust in agricultural sourcing. The no-cost-to-farmer principle enhances inclusivity, potentially widening the supplier base to include smallholders who can now participate in premium markets with verifiable credentials.
“Global buyers today are no longer satisfied with declarations. They expect verifiable proof of where a product came from, how it was grown and how it moved through the supply chain,” said Prabir Mishra, CEO of TRST01.
As the MahaTRACE pilot progresses, supply chain leaders should monitor how the framework integrates with existing systems and whether it delivers on its promise of seamless interoperability. The open licensing model means any stakeholder can contribute or adapt the blueprint, which could accelerate adoption across other Indian states and eventually in global supply chains.
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