
Pioneering a new standard for trust in food retail
Our work with The Co-op takes “source to shelf” to the next level, using real-time data to prove the journey and credentials of fresh produce.
Overview
Today’s digitally savvy shopper expects data to support brand and product marketing. Now that adverts of farms are no longer enough, how can we empower customers with information they can trust? Working with the world’s largest consumer co-operative, we tracked fresh produce from origin to supermarket, proving product claims with data gathered from the entire supply chain.
Working with

Source
Manchester, United Kingdom

THE CHALLENGE
Empowering customers all along the supply chain with data they can trust
The Co-op is known for its values of openness and honesty. But the food industry has seen a rise in false claims, leaving shoppers confused and supply chains at risk. How can Provenance reinforce Co-op values and empower customers with the information they need to make confident decisions?

THE SOLUTION
Passporting produce: Digitally tracking fresh crops and their key claims in real-time
We worked with Co-op food and digital teams to track the journey of fresh produce from source to shelf in real-time. At every point in the journey, we gathered data about supplier and their locations, as well as the environmental and social impact of each business.

THE RESULT
Interactive, product-centric transparency
Provenance linked together data from the farm, factory, Co-op depot and retail branches, building a digital history that store colleagues, the food team, and shoppers can all access. Using sell-by dates as unique batch IDs, we matched each product correctly to its corresponding journey. We also integrated with ERP systems at every point, to ensure there was no disruption to the day-to-day.
The benefits
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Reduce risk
Provenance creates a blockchain-backed digital “handshake” at each point the product is transferred. Every business in the chain gets a digital passport, the confidence to know where the products are, and that their claims have not been duplicated or diluted.
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Grow customer trust
Use Provenance to share real-time product data in a format that shoppers can easily understand. With interactive labels that link physical goods to their digital journeys, brands can convert marketing and product claims into data-powered information to trust.
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Increase efficiency
Through Provenance, businesses can easily store and view verified claims on the blockchain. Our system provides a single source of truth for the most important product claims and certificates, which are traditionally stored in separate silos.

Testimonials
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We’re working with Provenance, a social enterprise using blockchain technology, to enable transparency of data and verification of claims in supply chains.
Cathryn Higgs
Head of Food Policy, The Co-op -
Our work on product transparency and traceability with Provenance could be instrumental in ensuring we remain a brand leader.
Lawrence Kitson
Product Manager, The Co-op
Interested in using our solutions for your own business? Contact us.