Smart strategy, smart policy: advancing digital transparency in the EU food system

This working breakfast aims to bring together SMEs, policymakers, researchers and supply chain experts to discuss how digital transparency is transforming the European agri-food system and what this means in practice for small and medium-sized enterprises. The session will explore both the opportunities and the operational challenges that transparency requirements pose for SMEs, and identify practical ways to align policy ambitions with business realities. The initiative is organised in collaboration between SME Connect and the TITAN Project. The event aims to achieve the following objectives:

• Explore how digital transparency tools can create value for SMEs, improving traceability, consumer trust, and operational efficiency across food supply chains.
• Identify key barriers faced by SMEs, including compliance costs, data governance concerns, interoperability issues, and administrative burdens.
• Provide evidence-based insights for EU policymakers on how transparency frameworks can support sustainability objectives while remaining practical and innovation-friendly for businesses.

The TITAN project is a four-year Horizon Europe research initiative led by ILSI Europe, in collaboration with Cardiff University and Wageningen University & Research. The project investigates how transparency can be effectively implemented across agri-food supply chains and how digital tools, governance mechanisms and organisational strategies can support this transition. Drawing on evidence gathered through the project, including analysis of multiple European supply chains (such as dairy, meat, crops and horticultural products), the discussion will focus on how transparency requirements affect different actors in the food system and how SMEs can successfully adapt to a more data-driven environment. The working breakfast will provide a space for open dialogue between policymakers and practitioners, allowing participants to exchange experiences, identify practical solutions, and contribute to shaping future approaches to digital transparency in the EU food system.