GS1 Sweden is now launching a pilot project to increase traceability in the coffee supply chain. Together with Arvid Nordquist and ICA Sweden, the project will identify and suggest on how GS1 standards can be implemented to enable compliance with traceability requirements in connection with upcoming EU legislation.
Several upcoming EU legislations currently impose new requirements for improved transparency and traceability in the supply chain. Examples of such legislation include the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the EU Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR). In the EUDR example, companies responsible for putting products on the EU market that contain, for example, cocoa, coffee or palm oil need to prove upstream in the supply chain that the products have not caused deforestation.
“Ensuring traceability is an integrated part of our sustainability work and enables us to take responsibility for our supply chain. It is also an important prerequisite for being able to meet future legal and consumer requirements for our products,” says Peter Dannqvist, Supply Chain Director from Arvid Nordquist.
In order to meet new traceability requirements, global GS1 standards can play an important role as they enable identification, data sharing and traceability of products, locations and deliveries. In the spring of 2024, GS1 Sweden therefore initiated a prestudy for a pilot project focused on traceability in the coffee supply chain. Partners in the project are Arvid Nordquist and ICA Sweden.
Based on traceability, the project will create a framework for how GS1 standards can support traceability processes, which will be validated against the EUDR regulation. The project will also provide guidance on how business processes, data needs and organization are affected.
Traceability is central to ICA’s business and plays a crucial role from many perspectives. Traceability data is a prerequisite for consumer safety, quality control, transparency and sustainability. Last but not least, it is important to be able to meet all current and future legal requirements, says Susanne Forsberg, Manager Data Quality at ICA Sweden.
A project for the benefit of many
GS1 Sweden has in recent years collaborated in several successful projects where traceability has been in focus. Trace4Value, The Fiber Traceability Initiative and ProPare are examples of collaborations that have succeeded in delivering solutions and structures for Digital Product Passports (ESPR). And where the results have been of use to many stakeholders.
The coffee traceability project will run until early 2025 and in the next phase will identify relevant data formats and map system solutions and business processes for traceability requirements. The focus of the project can be summarized in two areas:
- Traceability: Based on upcoming sustainability regulations, create a framework that describes how GS1 standards support processes and systems to comply with traceability needs.
- The recall process: The project will use the recall process to verify traceability.
The project results and framework will be presented in a way that can be used generally by other actors and other supply chains than coffee. More communication about the project and its implementation will be published in GS1 Sweden’s channels.
“Our ambition with this project is to show how GS1 standards can enable traceability in the supply chain as many new legislations right now require traceability. We and our partners look forward to sharing more about the project and the lessons we will learn along the way,” says Helene Kraft, acting Head of Core Sales, GS1 Sweden.