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

On 22 April 2026, SME Connect and the TITAN Project convened a working breakfast entitled “Smart strategy, smart policy: advancing digital transparency in the EU food system” hosted by Kristian Vigenin MEP, at the European Parliament to discuss how digital transparency is transforming the EU agri-food system, with a particular focus on the opportunities and operational challenges for SMEs.

The TITAN Project is a four-year Horizon Europe research initiative, funded by the EU and led by ILSI Europe in collaboration with Cardiff University and Wageningen University & Research. It investigates how transparency can be effectively implemented across agri-food supply chains, drawing on evidence from multiple European supply chains including dairy, meat, crops, and horticultural products

Kristian Vigenin MEP, Member of the Committee on the Enviroment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) Board Member of SME Connect; Chair of the AgriNutriCom Working Group at SME Connect, opened the session. He stressed that transparency ‘can mean different things to different actors’ from farmers and producers to policymakers and consumers and warned that without careful design, ‘there is a real risk that they create unintended burdens rather than delivering real value’.

A presentation by Dr Christopher Bear, Reader in Human Geography and Deputy Head of the School of Geography and Planning at Cardiff University, and Dr Dengxiao Lang, Postdoctoral Researcher at Wageningen University & Research, outlined findings from the Horizon Europe TITAN Project. Dr Bear noted that “transparency looks different depending on the actors involved”, with trade-offs between policy expectations and practical realities. Also, added that “political volatility” represents a hidden cost for businesses. Dr Lang emphasised the need for a multi-layer system where “everyone needs to work together”.

Miguel Fernandez, Seconded National Expert – DG AGRI, Unit A4 – Data Governance at the European Commission, presented the EU policy landscape. He argues that while 93% of EU farmers use digital tools and 61% share data, only 17% use advanced technologies. The Commission is addressing this gap through CAP support (investment, advice, training, broadband) and initiatives such as the European Agricultural Data Space and an EU business wallet. Fernandez stressed that value depends on an enabling environment connectivity, data sharing, and interoperability “by design”.

Els Bedert, Director of Product Policy, EuroCommerce, represented retailers and SMEs, noting that “transparency means a lot to consumers who are demanding more and more information”. She stressed the need for “harmonised methodologies” and “global standards”, and added: “Everything needs to also involve SMEs. It has to be designed with, not just for.”

Branimir Perković, Chief Director for Production and Technology at Podravka, spoke about digital transparency from a large food manufactures perspective. He noted how “digital transparency is not something entirely new” alluded that “integrating different systems, ERP, framework requires significant effort”. Furthermore, called for “interoperable and widely accepted data standards”, warning that the alternative leaves companies “duplicating efforts and juggling conflicting requirements.”

Niklas Sannebro, Strategic Operations Director in Deoleo, presented a traceability example involving 158 million litres of olive oil sold under an ESG strategy. A blockchain system allows producers to update data via a portal within ten minutes, with consumers accessing information via QR code. Reflecting on practical challenges, he noted: “the quality of the data is more of an issue than the technology”. He called for “patient partnership models across the value chain”.

Martina Manna, Co-Founder of Benvolio, spoke on behalf of SMEs in the food sector, noted that smaller businesses are “very close to the product” but operate with “limited resources”. She called for realistic expectations within policies, emphasising that what is needed is “relevant data, relevant information that creates real value for the consumer and for the supply chain”.

Christophe De Smet, Founder of Garzini and Easy Yummy, illustrated SME difficulties with a simple peanut butter product. He explained that the same data must be uploaded in different formats for packaging, online marketplaces, and regulatory inspections. “As an SME, it’s super important to have this digital transparency,” he said, “because without it … we cannot sell our product.”

Michael Steininger, Project Manager and Coordinator of Digitalisation at Backhaus Hinterwirth, offered a vivid, grounded perspective from an Austrian bakery. He noted that small bakeries struggle against supermarkets’ vague “regional” claims. If the EU provided a simple, marketable trust mark, “at the end of next week, we would be phoning everyone we can to get it adopted”. His plea: make tools and rules “as marketable and intuitively usable as possible – not only to enable compliance but to empower a mainstream drive towards transparency”.

We also welcomed Maria Grapini MEP and Sunčana Glavak MEP, who contributed to the debate, reinforcing the political relevance of digital transparency in the EU agri-food agenda.

Thus, our event concluded with a call for industry-wide standards, interoperable systems, and policy designed with SMEs in mind. Trust, togetherness and shared benefits were identified as essential to advancing digital transparency in the EU food system.