Examples of Traceability Methods
Explore the illustrative examples below to see how different traceability methods are being used for the goods profiled in the Supply Chain Typology. Click on the hyperlinked words and phrases to visit relevant content on other pages of the STREAMS Matrix site and to learn more about how different traceability approaches can be used to achieve due diligence goals.
This page is meant to provide diverse, illustrative examples of traceability methods and approaches in different supply chain contexts and is not intended to serve as a comprehensive database of all traceability initiatives or pilots. It does not seek to provide technical details on how examples operate, to evaluate or endorse them, or to highlight them as best practices. Users should consult the additional resources provided and specific implementers for further and the most up to date information.
This page includes diverse types of examples including traceability pilots that utilize multiple technologies; traceability technologies being applied to specific commodity supply chains; and traceability in the context of standard-based sustainability or certification programs. To learn more about assessing standard-based sustainability programs for their relevance to addressing labor rights risks, see the Responsible Sourcing Tool’s resource on Evaluating Voluntary Sustainability Systems on Anti-Trafficking Requirements.
| Example | Supply Chain Typology Good(s) | Traceability System Element | Technology Used | Description | More Information | Useful Search Terms for Finding Similar Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel, footwear, and equipment traceability using supply chain mapping | Garments, Footwear | Supply Chain Engagement | Supply Chain Transparency & Management | Nike maintains a Manufacturing Map which identifies the independent factories and material suppliers who produce Nike's products. This supply chain map example also includes worker demographic information at Tier 1 finished goods facilities. | Learn more about and see Nike's Manufacturing Map: | Supply chain mapping |
| Aquaculture Stewardship Council | Fish | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certifies aquaculture farms as environmentally and socially responsible that meet the ASC standards addressing the environmental impacts of farming, workers’ rights, and communities. Products with the ASC label can be traced back to ASC-certified farms. The ASC uses the Marine Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Standard, which outlines requirements for ensuring that certified products are kept separate from non-certified products and are appropriately identified, verified, and recorded throughout the supply chain by supply chain actors. | Learn more about the Aquaculture Stewardship Council: | Certification program; chain of custody standard |
| Beef traceability using tags and blockchain | Meat, Beef, Cattle | Product Tracking | Blockchain, Tags, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning | Aglive offers a blockchain-based, digital traceability platform that can track cattle throughout their lives and then track animal products through various transformations, from the point of processing to consumption. The platform utilizes blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to support product tracking across the supply chain and product integrity. | Learn more about Aglive: | Digital platform; Blockchain; QR codes |
| Beer traceability using blockchain | Alcoholic Beverages | Product Tracking | Blockchain | Sweden-based Ängöl Brewery released Helt Spårat, a beer traced using IBM Food Trust's blockchain solution. Using this technology, consumers have insight into the entire production process from farm to bottle. Ängöl Brewery is using blockchain to showcase farms’ various sustainability initiatives and to increase the assurance behind sustainability claims. | Learn more about Helt Spårat: | Blockchain; Product tracking |
| Best Aquaculture Practices | Fish | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification program addresses environmental, social, food safety, and animal health & welfare issues at each step of the aquaculture production chain, including processing plants, farms, hatcheries, and feed mills. The BAP label indicates that seafood products were produced in BAP-certified sites. | Learn more about Best Aquaculture Practices: | Certification program; Chain of custody standard |
| Better Cotton | Cotton, Thread/Yarn, Textiles | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | Better Cotton is a sustainability initiative for cotton with a mission of helping cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. One approach to mass balance is the chain of custody model that Better Cotton utilizes as part of their Better Cotton Standard System. Better Cotton cotton is physically segregated from farm to gin; as cotton flows downstream from the gin to traders, spinners, mills, and manufacturers, an administrative mass balance system is used to ensure that the amount of Better Cotton purchased doesn’t exceed the volume produced without adding complexity to the supply chain. | Learn more about Better Cotton: | Chain of custody; Mass balance |
| Blockchain for Made in Italy Traceability Pilot Project | Textiles | Product Tracking | Blockchain | The Italian Ministry of Economic Development and IBM developed and tested a blockchain traceability solution for Made in Italy textile products. | Learn more about the Blockchain for Made in Italy Traceability Pilot Project: | Blockchain |
| Brick kiln monitoring using satellite imaging | Bricks | Scientific Validation | Satellite Imaging | The article Slavery from Space: Demonstrating the role for satellite remote sensing to inform evidence-based action related to UN SDG number 8 (ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 2018) demonstrates how the use of remote sensing can be used to estimate the number of brick kilns in the “Brick Belt” of Asia. The authors suggest that this information can be used to calculate the scale of modern day slavery in brick production in this geographic location; such evidence can help drive evidence-based action and policy development. | Learn more about this article:
| Satellite Imaging |
| Bonsucro (Mass Balance) | Sugarcane | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | Bonsucro is a sustainability platform and standard for sugarcane. Bonsucro has developed production standards to guide the sustainable production of sugarcane. The Bonsucro Mass Balance Chain of Custody Standard sets the requirements for the mass balance chain of custody model, in which volumes of certified Bonsucro product are monitored throughout the supply chain and compliance claims are tracked to ensure that volumes of Bonsucro certified outputs match volumes of Bonsucro certified inputs even if physical certified Bonsucro product is mixed with non-certified product. | Learn more about Bonsucro and their Mass Balance Chain of Custody Standard: | Chain of Custody; Mass Balance |
| Cashew Traceability using Product Tracking | Cashews | Product Tracking | Digital Chain of Custody Platform | A consortium of leaders in the cashew industry have launched a Management Information System called Securing Sustainable Supply (3S). Using ChainPoint's technology, the system captures various sustainability indicators in the cashew supply chain while offering full traceability. | Learn more about this initiative: | Digital chain of custody platform |
| Cattle traceability using RFID tags | Cattle | Product Tracking | Tags | RFID tags are regularly used to track cattle from farm to slaughterhouse. Recent research has shown that data from the original tags could be transferred to RFID hide tags which are applied after slaughter. In the case of leather, these RFID hide tags are valid until the tanning process. | Learn more about this research and using RFID tags for cattle: | RFID tags |
| Child Labor in Cotton Supply Chains: Action-Based Collaborative Project to Address Human Rights Issues in Turkey | Garments, Cotton | Supply Chain Engagement | Supply Chain Transparency & Management Platforms | In 2016, Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Development Workshop Cooperative (DW), a civil society organization based in Turkey, implemented a pilot project to "trace the garment and cotton supply chains of seven multinational companies sourcing from Turkey and doing business in the Netherlands." FLA and DW used supply chain mapping and assessments to engage with suppliers, trace cotton supply chains, and identify areas of risk for child labor. | Learn more about the pilot project:
| Supply chain mapping; risk assessment |
| Confectionary traceability using supply chain mapping | Cocoa | Supply Chain Engagement | Supply Chain Transparency & Management Platforms | The Hershey Company uses Sourcemap's supply chain visualization platform to map their Reese's Peanut Butter Cup supply chain. The platform indicates the locations of factories, suppliers, cooperatives, and projects that are part of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup supply chain. | Learn more about and see the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup supply chain map: | Supply chain mapping |
| Cotton and garment traceability using additive tracers | Garments, Cotton | Product Tracking | Additive Tracers | Clothing brand Reformation has partnered with FibreTrace to create a traceable line of jeans. FibreTrace's luminescent traceable pigment is applied to Good Earth cotton in New South Wales, Australia and then scanned for at every step of production. | Learn more about Reformation's traceable jeans and FibreTrace's technology: | Additive tracers |
| Digital Chain of Custody platform for cotton product tracking | Cotton | Product Tracking | Digital Chain of Custody Platform | Under their Responsible Environment Enhanced Livelihoods (REEL) Cotton program, CottonConnect uses a digital chain of custody platform called TraceBale to track cotton along the supply chain. Transactions are monitored through the program, and are supported by physical documentation of the transaction. | Learn more about CottonConnect's REEL Cotton Chain of Custody: | Digital Chain of Custody |
| Emerald traceability using additive tracers | Emeralds | Product Tracking, Scientific Validation | Additive Tracers, Blockchain | The Gubelin Gem Lab's Emerald Paternity Test uses DNA-based nanoparticles (a type of additive tracer) to record and embed origin information about emeralds in the gem itself. DNA-based nanoparticles are applied to rough gem crystals at the mine; these nanoparticles can be retrieved and decoded at any point along the supply chain. Information, such as the mining location, miner, and mining time, is encrypted and stored in the DNA tags. When decoded, the information can prove the provenance of the gem and be recorded on the Provenance Proof Blockchain, recording the chain of custody as the gem moves through the supply chain. | Learn more about Gubelin Gem Lab's Emeral Paternity Test: | Additive tracers; artificial DNA tracer; blockchain |
| Fair Rubber Association | Rubber, Rubber Gloves | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Fair Rubber Association (FRA), a multi-stakeholder initiative, focuses on improving working and living conditions of rubber producers by applying the Fair Trade principles and a Fair Trade premium to rubber produced by FRA member suppliers. FRA member suppliers must also be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), or an equivalent program. FSC certification requires following the FSC Chain of Custody Standard, which allows products to be traced from rubber source to end product. | Learn more about the Fair Rubber Association: | Fair Trade Premium; Chain of Custody |
| Fairmined Gold Standard (Fairmined Incorporated) | Gold | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Fairmined Standard for Gold and Associated Precious Metals was developed to support sustainable development of artisanal and small-scale mining communities. There are two trading options offered under the Fairmined Standard, Fairmined Labeled and Fairmined Incorporated. Fairmined Incorporated offers a mass balance approach that allows Fairmined gold to be mixed with non-Fairmined gold after it has been delivered from a certified mining organization, as long as purchases and uses of Farmined gold are documented and follow the Fairmined License Agreement. | Learn more about Fairmined: | Mass Balance |
| Fairmined Gold Standard (Fairmined Labeled) | Gold | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Fairmined Standard for Gold and Associated Precious Metals was developed to support sustainable development of artisanal and small-scale mining communities. There are two trading options offered under the Fairmined Standard, Fairmined Labeled and Fairmined Incorporated. Fairmined Labeled requires full physical traceability from mine to retail; under this trading option Farimined gold cannot be mixed with non-Fairmined gold. | Learn more about Fairmined: | Identity Preservation product tracking |
| Fairtrade International (Mass Balance) | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Fairtrade mark means that producers and businesses have met Fairtrade’s social, economic, and environmental standards. Fairtrade uses a Mass Balance Chain of Custody approach for some products: cocoa, tea, sugar, and fruit juices. These Fairtrade products can be mixed with non-certified products throughout the supply chain, as long as the volumes are tracked and audited to ensure the volume of certified output matches the volume of certified input. | Learn more about Fairtrade International's Mass Balance process: | Chain of Custody; Mass Balance; Certification Program | |
| Fairtrade International (Segregated/Bulk Commodity) | Bananas, Cashews, Cocoa, Cotton, Grapes, Strawberries, Tomato, Tomato Products, Vanilla | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Fairtrade mark means that producers and businesses have met Fairtrade’s social, economic, and environmental standards. In this example, Fairtrade-produced products are kept separated from non-Fairtrade produced products from the farm or field through to the final Fairtrade labeled end-product and can be traced back to the farm level. Supply chain actors must follow commodity-specific Fairtrade standards and traceability guidance. | Learn more about Fairtrade International: | Certification program; Segregated/bulk commodity supply chain; Chain of custody standard |
| Fairtrade Textile Standard | Cotton, Garments, Textiles, Thread/Yarn | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Fairtrade Textile Standard applies to supply chain actors who employ hired workers in textile supply chains and process Fairtrade certified cotton and/or other responsible fibers; it also applies to brands purchasing finished Fairtrade textiles. The Fairtrade Textile Standard sets out conditions that must be met in order to produce and buy Fairtrade textiles. The Fairtrade Textile Standard and the Fairtrade Trader Standard outline the traceability requirements producers must follow to ensure that finished products bearing the Fairtrade Production mark were produced under Fairtrade terms throughout the supply chain. | Learn more about the Fairtrade Textile Standard: | Certification Standard |
| Fiber-forward traceability using digital twin blockchain technology | Cotton, Garments, Textiles, Thread/Yarn | Product Tracking | Additive Tracers, Blockchain | TextileGenesis uses Fibercoins, digital tokens that represent sustainable fiber and mirror their flow through the supply chain, to create an end-to-end traceability solution. Fibercoins are created at the point of fiber origin and help control the amount of certified material entering a network. The TextileGenesis platform and Fibercoin approach can be used alongside any type of tracer technology. | Learn more about TextileGenesis: | Blockchain; Additive tracers |
| Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Certification | Timber | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody certification applies to forest-based materials; the FSC label signals that forest-based materials have been produced according to FSC standards and requirements, including core labor requirements, along the supply chain. | Learn more about FSC and their Chain of Custody Certification: | Chain of Custody certification |
| Glass container traceability using tags | Glass | Product Tracking | Tags | Multiple companies now offer tagging solutions for glass containers so that individual containers can be traced, along with its manufacturing data. Each bottle is printed with a unique code using heat or laser marking. These markings are generally designed to maintain the integrity of the container through various manufacturing stages. Current examples of this technology being used include on pharmaceutical containers and on wine bottles. | Learn more about glass container traceability:
| Laser marking; heat marking |
| Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) | Garments, Silk Cocoons, Silk Fabric, Silk Thread, Thread/Yarn | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | GOTS provides a global textile processing standard for organic fibers. The Standard outlines requirements for ecological conditions and labor conditions in textile and apparel manufacturing using organically produced raw materials throughout the supply chain. | Learn more about GOTS: | Certification standard |
| Grape traceability using blockchain | Grapes | Product Tracking | Blockchain | GrapeNet is a traceability software system that traces grapes from India to the European Union. Developed in response to the 2007 Indian grape crisis when grapes were being turned away from the EU market due to pesticide residues, GrapeNet captures all relevant data about the grape production process. This online traceability system has now been integrated with blockchain to preserve the security and integrity of the data. | Learn more about GrapeNet: | Blockchain; Digital chain of custody platforms |
| Grape traceability using tags | Grapes | Product Tracking | Tags | The Australian Table Grape Association (ATGA) partnered with Result Group and its traceability partner EVRYTHNG to implement product traceability for fresh grapes. GS1 Digital Link-enabled QR codes are applied to cartons and bags of grapes so that buyers along the supply chain can access information about the grapes' origins. The tags also collect other supply chain information such as consumer pack units, cases and pallet codes, as well as time and temperature logging, which are captured through the EVRYTHNG Product Cloud database. | Learn more about this project:
| Tags; QR codes; GS1 |
| Halal fashion traceability using blockchain | Footwear, Footwear (sandals), Garments | Product Tracking | Blockchain | Halal ethics require that commodities including garments and footwear are produced hygienically with approved materials. By 2026, all wearable clothing in Indonesia are required to have halal certification and labeling. Blockchain technology has been proposed and studied as a mechanism to collect data on clothing and clothing inputs to ensure that they conform with the Halal requirements. | Learn more about this initiative:
| Blockchain |
| Identifying forced labor risk on fishing vessels using machine learning and satellite data | Fish | Scientific Validation | Satellite Imaging, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning | In 2020, researchers published an article describing how they used satellite data and machine learning to develop a method for remotely detecting forced labor risk on fishing vessels. Researchers combined information on vessel behavior from human rights practitioners with satellite vessel monitoring data, finding that vessels “reported to use forced labor behave in systematically different ways from other vessels” (McDonald et al. 2020). Machine learning was used to analyze vessel data and identify high-risk ships, based on their behavior and movement. | Learn more about how researchers used satellite data and machine learning to identify forced labor on fishing vessels:
| Satellite data; machine learning |
| Leather & Cotton traceability using supply chain mapping | Cotton, Garments, Leather, Leather Goods, Textiles | Supply Chain Engagement | Supply Chain Transparency & Management Platforms | Sourcemap's Responsible Leather Platform uses supply chain mapping and other digital tools to map hides and skins to their origins. Supply chain mapping can be used to maintain a supply chain map of tanneries, slaughterhouses, and farms in a supply chain. The platform can also be used to manage supplier certification documentation and to monitor sourcing regions for deforestation risk. Sourcemap's supply chain mapping, visualization, and management platforms can also be applied to cotton supply chains and in other industries, for example Food and Agriculture and Mining and Minerals. | Learn more about Sourcemap: | Supply chain mapping |
| Leather footwear tracing using RSiD tags | Footwear | Product Tracking | Tags | Using Responsible Systems RSiD technology, Josefin Liljeqvist produce shoes from leather that is traceable back to the farm. Following delivery of their purchase, consumers can add the RSiD to their account in order to see the origins and traceability of the leather product. Josefin Liljeqvist uses this traceability system to source from farms committed to animal protection. | Learn more about Responsible Systems: Learn more about Josefin Liljeqvist: | Tags; identity preservation product tracking |
| Leather traceability using additive tracers | Leather, Leather Goods | Product Tracking | Additive Tracers | Under Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.’s CertainT Platform, materials and products are tagged with a unique molecular identifier (a SigNature T tag). This tag can be tested for throughout the supply chain. The CertainT platform can be used to trace animal hide from farm to in-store product; it can also be used for other products including textiles and the pharmaceutical and personal care industries. | Learn more about Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.'s SigNature T tags and CertainT Platform: | Additive tracers; artificial DNA tracer |
| Leather traceability using automatic laser marking | Leather, Leather Goods | Product Tracking | Additive Tracers | CTC’s Industrial Automatic Laser Marking System is a 4-phase leather traceability system based on transferring animal identification numbers from the animal to the hide at the slaughterhouse; the hide is then laser marked with a 14-character code, a kind of additive tracer, which can be automatically read throughout the stages of leather processing. | Learn more about CTCT and their leather traceability solution: | Additive tracers |
| Oeko-Tex's MADE IN GREEN Traceable Product Label | Leather, Silk Fabric, Silk Thread, Textiles | Product Tracking | Tags | MADE IN GREEN by Oeko-Tex is a traceable product label for textiles and leathers; products with the MADE IN GREEN label are made from materials that have been tested for harmful substances (through certification to Oeko-Tex’s other standards including STANDARD 100 and LEATHER STANDARD), and that were produced in environmentally friendly facilities that met safety and social responsibility benchmarks. Products with the MADE IN GREEN label can be traced using a unique product ID or quick response (QR) code which provides information about the facilities involved in the production of the product. | Learn more about Oeko-Tex and the MADE IN GREEN label: | Certification standard; tags |
| Palm oil supply chain monitoring using satellite imagery | Oil (Palm) | Scientific Validation | Satellite Imaging, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning | The Starling Project, created by Earthworm Foundation and Airbus, utilizes a combination of high resolution imagery, radar data, and machine learning to monitor for deforestation in commodity supply chains. Numerous brands use Starling to monitor their palm oil supply chains and the implementation of No Deforestation policies. | Learn more about the Starling Project in palm oil supply chains: | Satellite imagery; machine learning; deforestation |
| Palm oil supply chain monitoring using satellite imagery and geolocation data | Oil (Palm) | Scientific Validation | Satellite Imaging, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning | Unilever is conducting a pilot with Orbital Insight, a company that uses geolocation data to identify farms and plantations that are supplying palm oil mills in Unilever’s supply chain. The pilot combines geolocation data, satellite images, and artificial intelligence to predict the likelihood of a specific farm or plantation supplying to a particular mill. Unilever intends to use their enhanced understanding of exactly which farms and plantations are supplying palm oil mills to predict where deforestation issues might arise and take action. | Learn more about Unilever and Orbital Insight's pilot: | Satellite images; geolocation data |
| Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Chain of Custody Standard | Timber | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Chain of Custody standard includes traceability requirements, which include minimum requirements for health, safety, and labor issues. The goal of the standard is to track certified timber across the supply chain to market. | Learn more about PEFC's Chain of Custody Standard: | Certification program; chain of custody |
| Rainforest Alliance (Identity Preservation) | Bananas, Cashews, Cocoa, Coffee, Oil (Palm), Strawberries, Tea, Vanilla | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Rainforest Alliance Certification Program certifies commodities against sustainability standards covering environmental, economic, and social well-being. In this example, Rainforest Alliance certified commodities from specific sources are kept separate from certified commodities from other sources and from non-certified commodities throughout the entire supply chain. Rainforest Alliance certified organizations are required to maintain paper-based, online, and on-site traceability documentation in accordance with Rainforest Alliance guidance and standards. | Learn more about Rainforest Alliance: | Certification program; identity preserved supply chain; chain of custody standard |
| Rainforest Alliance (Mass Balance) | Cocoa | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Rainforest Alliance Certification Program certifies commodities against sustainability standards covering environmental, economic, and social well-being. In this example, eligible Rainforest Alliance certified commodities are kept separate after harvesting and can be mixed together with non-certified commodities after they reach the first buyer, as long as the volumes are tracked and audited to ensure the volume of certified output matches the volume of certified product produced. | Learn more about Rainforest Alliance and mass balance sourcing:
| Chain of Custody; certification program |
| Rainforest Alliance (Segregated/Bulk Commodity) | Bananas, Cashews, Cocoa, Coffee, Oil (Palm), Strawberries, Tea, Vanilla | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Rainforest Alliance Certification Program certifies commodities against sustainability standards covering environmental, economic, and social well-being. In this example, individual Rainforest Alliance certified commodities from different certified sources are mixed together and kept separate from non-certified commodities throughout the supply chain. Rainforest Alliance certified organizations are required to maintain paper-based, online, and on-site traceability documentation in accordance with Rainforest Alliance guidance and standards. | Learn more about Rainforest Alliance: | Certification program; segregated supply chain; bulk commodity supply chain; chain of custody standard |
| Rainforest Alliance MultiTrace End-To-End Traceability | Coffee, Tea | Product Tracking | Digital Chain of Custody Platforms | Rainforest Alliance's digital platform, MultiTrace, offers Identity Preserved, Mixed Identity Preserved, and Segregated traceability models for numerous certified commodities, including tea. Identity preserved volumes of tea have a single origin per volume traded and make producing farm information available throughout the supply chain. Mixed identity preserved volumes include tea from multiple producing farms, but make producing farm information available throughout the supply chain. Segregated volumes can come from multiple certified producing farms, including farms in different geographies and do not make individual producer information available to actors throughout the supply chain. | Learn more about Rainforest Alliance's MultiTrace platform: | Digital traceability platform; identity preserved; mixed identity preserved; segregated |
| Re|Source Pilot Project - Enabling Sustainable Cobalt Industry | Cobalt Ore (Heterogenite), Electronics | Product Tracking | Blockchain, Tags | The Re|Source Solution is a pilot project designed to trace responsibly produced cobalt from mine to electric car utilizing blockchain technology and unique codes assigned to sealed bags of mined cobalt. The Re|Source Solution pilot is supported by numerous partners including metals and mining companies, battery material suppliers, electric vehicle manufacturers, and standards initiatives. | Learn more about the Re|Source Solution Pilot Project: | Blockchain; tags |
| Recycled Cobalt Blockchain Traceability Pilot Project | Cobalt Ore (Heterogenite), Electronics | Product Tracking | Blockchain | This pilot, conducted by Kumi (a consulting group), Circulor (a technology firm) and Volvo, tested an end-to-end blockchain traceability system for recycled cobalt used in Volvo's electric vehicles. |
| Blockchain; supplier engagement |
| ReshaMandi - Silk traceability using artificial intelligence | Silk Cocoons, Silk Fabric, Silk Thread | Product Tracking | Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning | ReshaMandi is an AI & IoT led ecosystem for the silk supply chain and natural fibers in India. It offers an app and web-based platform for connecting silk supply chain actors, advising farmers and producers on good agricultural and marking practices, and enabling digital transactions. | Learn more about ReshaMandi: | App-based platform; artificial intelligence; Internet of Things |
| Responsible Jewellery Council | Gold | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) is a standard setting organization for the jewelry and watch industry. RJC has developed a Code of Practice covering ethical, social, human rights, and environmental practices as well as a Chain of Custody standard which enables traceable supply chains and describes requirements that certified RJC members must meet to keep eligible, certified materials segregated throughout the supply chain, including gold. | Learn more about the Responsible Jewellery Council: | Chain of Custody standard; certification |
| Responsible Minerals Assurance Process | Cobalt Ore (Heterogenite), Gold, Tantalum Ore (Coltan), Tin | Supply Chain Engagement | Technology Agnostic | The Responsible Mineral Initiative’s Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) supports responsible sourcing by focusing on points in global metal supply chains where there are relatively few actors, which they call a “pinch point.” RMAP utilizes independent third-party assessments of the management systems and sourcing practices of pinch point actors (smelters/refiners) to validate conformance with RMAP standards and validate company-level management processes for responsible mineral procurement. | Learn more about the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process: | Mid-tier Gatekeeping |
| Responsible Sourcing Network's Yarn Ethically and Sustainably Sourced (YESS) Initiative | Cotton, Thread/Yarn | Supply Chain Engagement | Technology Agnostic | The Responsible Sourcing Network’s Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced (YESS) initiative aims to eliminate the market for cotton produced with forced labor and increase the use of ethical and sustainable cotton. The YESS approach focuses on building the capacity of mid-tier actors in cotton supply chains – yarn spinners and textile mills – to implement effective due diligence of suppliers and cotton inputs and leverage farm-level efforts to identify and address forced labor. | Learn more about RSN's YESS Initiative: | Mid-tier gatekeeping; Due diligence; Supply chain engagement |
| Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (Certificate Trading) | Oil (Palm) | Product Tracking | Online Trading Platform | The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has developed a set of environmental and social criteria which companies must comply with in order to produce Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO). In this example, RSPO certified palm oil is not separated, mixed, or monitored throughout the supply chain; instead, manufacturers and retailers purchase Credits from RSPO-certified supply chain actors. This allows them to support the production of RSPO-certified palm oil, but it does not require tracing or tracking of physical palm oil. | Learn more about the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil: | Certificate Trading; book and claim |
| Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (Identity Preservation) | Oil (Palm) | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has developed a set of environmental and social criteria which companies must comply with in order to produce Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO). In this example, RSPO certified palm oil from a single identifiable source is kept separate from RSPO certified palm oil from other sources and from conventional palm oil throughout the supply chain. | Learn more about the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil: | Identity preservation; chain of custody; certification program |
| Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (Mass Balance) | Oil (Palm) | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has developed a set of environmental and social criteria which companies must comply with in order to produce Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO). In this example, RSPO certified palm oil from certified sources can be mixed with other conventional palm oil throughout the supply chain, as long as the volumes are tracked and audited to ensure the volume of certified output matches the volume of certified input. | Learn more about the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil: | Chain of Custody; mass balance; certification program |
| Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (Segregation) | Oil (Palm) | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has developed a set of environmental and social criteria which companies must comply with in order to produce Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO). In this example, RSPO certified palm oil from different certified sources is mixed together and kept separate from other conventional palm oil throughout the supply chain. | Learn more about the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil: | Segregated supply chains; chain of custody; certification programs |
| Russian King Crab Sourcing and Traceability Pilot Project | Shellfish | Product Tracking | Supply Chain Transparency & Management Platforms, Tags | In 2019, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Orca Bay Foods, LLC conducted a pilot to explore how traceability tools could be used to reduce the risk of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing of king crabs in Russian waters and to support responsible king crab sourcing by US importers. The pilot utilized numerous mechanisms, including Quick Response (QR) codes. QR codes containing key data elements (for example, fishing vessel name and number, date, etc.) were printed on board vessels and attached to boxes of processed crab. Fishing vessel-related key data elements contained in the QR codes were later checked against Global Fishing Watch’s open platform (which tracks automatic identification system signals generated by vessels’ transponders) in order to confirm validity. | Learn more about the Russian King Cran Sourcing and Traceability Pilot: | Quick Response codes; key data elements; automatic identification system signals |
| Seafood traceability using blockchain technology | Fish | Product Tracking | Blockchain | The Fishcoin Project provides a decentralized, peer-to-peer network that incentivizes data sharing by seafood supply chain stakeholders and provides a secure structure for data sharing. | Learn more about the Fishcoin Project:
| Blockchain |
| Shaktigarh Textile & Industries Ltd. & Borlaug Web Services Blockchain traceability for Jute supply Chains | Textiles (Jute) | Product Tracking | Blockchain | This partnership between a blockchain SaaS provider and jute manufacturer in West Bengal, India uses a blockchain solution to trace jute from origin to thread. | Learn more about this partnership and using blockchain to trace jute: | Blockchain |
| Supporting sustainable sugar using certificate trading | Sugarcane | Product Tracking | Online Trading Platform | The Bonsucro standard and Credit Trading Platform provide a platform for companies to support the sustainable production of sugarcane around the world. The platform connects producers and purchasers who sell and buy Bonsucro Credits (as opposed to physical product), which indicate that a unit of sugarcane, raw sugar, ethanol or molasses has been sustainably produced according to Bonsucro’s Production Standard. | Learn more about the Bonsucro Credit Trading Platform: | Credit training; sustainable production |
| Sustainable Rice Platform (Identity Preservation) | Rice | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) has developed a Chain of Custody Policy and Standard as well as an Assurance Scheme that focuses on verification for rice produced using sustainable practices. In this example, rice that complies with the SRP Standard can be traced back to the farm of origin. | Learn more about the Sustainable Rice Platform: | Chain of custody standard |
| Sustainable Rice Platform (Mass Balance) | Rice | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) has developed a Chain of Custody Policy and Standard as well as an Assurance Scheme that focuses on verification for rice produced using sustainable practices. In this example, rice that complies with the SRP Standard is mixed with other conventional rice throughout the supply chain, as long as the volumes are tracked and audited to ensure the volume of certified output matches the volume of certified input. | Learn more about the Sustainable Rice Platform: | Chain of custody standard |
| Sustainable Rice Platform (Segregation) | Rice | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) has developed a Chain of Custody Policy and Standard as well as an Assurance Scheme that focuses on verification for rice produced using sustainable practices. In this example, rice that complies with the SRP Standard (from different farms) is kept separate from conventional rice. | Learn more about the Sustainable Rice Platform: | Chain of custody standard |
| Tantalum traceability using supply chain mapping and blockchain | Tantalum Ore (Coltan) | Product Tracking, Supply Chain Engagement | Blockchain | Circulor, a UK-based company, mapped supply chains of tantalum mined in Rwanda and then built a blockchain-based system on Hyperledger Fabric and designed a protocol to trace tantalum from mine to final product. | Learn more about the protocol and approach: | Blockchain; supply chain mapping |
| Textile and garment traceability using an additive tracer and digital chain of custody | Garments, Textiles | Product Tracking | Additive Tracers, Digital Chain of Custody Platforms | Artistic Apparels and Diamond Denim by Sapphire have partnered with FibreTrace. The garment manufacturer and vertically-integrated textile mills will use FibreTrace's Verified platform that combines their luminescent traceable pigment with a digital chain of custody platform to validate and trace GoodEarth cotton through their supply chains. | Learn more about this partnership: Learn more about FibreTrace: | Additive tracers; digital chain of custody; physical tracer |
| Textile Exchange's Content Claim Standard (CCS) | Cotton, Garments, Textiles | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | Textile Exchange's Content Claim Standard (CCS) is a chain of custody standard that lays the foundation for all of Textile Exchange's standards. It requires certification at every stage of production and enables the verification of raw material inputs in final products. Under the CCS, transaction certificates are issued each time a product is shipped. | Learn more about Textile Exchange and the Content Claim Standard: | Certification standard; chain of custody |
| The GoodWeave Standard | Carpets, Fashion Accessories, Textiles (Hand-Woven) | Product Tracking, Supply Chain Engagement | Tags, Supply Chain Transparency & Management Platforms | GoodWeave is a nonprofit organization focused on stopping child labor in global supply chains. The GoodWeave Standard is tailored to specific products, including carpets, home textiles, apparel, fashion jewelry, and fashion accessories and specifies that child labor, forced labor, and bonded labor are not allowed in production and that workplace conditions must be documented and verifiable. The GoodWeave standard requires a fully traceable supply chain for all in-scope production processes. The GoodWeave Label is issued to licensed carpet producers (producers who meet the requirements detailed in the GoodWeave Standard) who sell products to licensed importers. Each GoodWeave Label includes a unique code that can be traced back to a licensed producer. GoodWeave uses a standard, supply chain mapping, inspections, audits, and product tags (for carpets) to ensure a traceable product produced without child or forced labor. | Learn more about GoodWeave: For guidance on the traceability requirements of the standard: | Certification standard; unique codes for certified producers; supply chain mapping |
| The Marine Stewardship Council | Fish | Product Tracking | Technology Agnostic | Fisheries that meet the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard are certified as sustainable. Wild caught seafood and products with the MSC blue label can be traced back to MSC-certified fisheries. The MSC Chain of Custody Standard outlines requirements for ensuring that certified products are kept separate from non-certified products and appropriately identified, verified, and recorded throughout the supply chain by supply chain actors. | Learn more about the Marine Stewardship Council: | Certification program; chain of custody standard |
| The WWF Pilot Project - Fiji Tuna Supply Chain Solution | Fish | Product Tracking | Blockchain, Tags | In 2018, the World Wide Fund for Nature, working with numerous partners, piloted the use of blockchain technology and RFID tags and QR codes to create a transparent and traceable supply chain for fresh and frozen tuna. | Learn more about the Fiji Tuna Supply Chain Solution project: | RFID tags, QR codes, blockchain |
| Timber traceability using isotope analysis | Timber | Scientific Validation | Forensic Tracing | World Forest ID, an international consortium of five organizations, is building a reference database of plant samples from around the world. This will enable consumer products to be analyzed (using numerous scientific methods, including isotope analysis) and tested against the database in order to confirm that their geographic origin is consistent with the claimed origin. World Forest ID’s approach is designed to be applied to timber and agricultural products linked with deforestation. | Learn more about World Forest ID: | Isotope testing and analysis |
| Tin product tracking using blockchain pilot project | Tin | Product Tracking | Blockchain | MineSpider, a traceability startup, has partnered with Google and LuNa smelter, a responsible tin smelter in Rwanda, to pilot Minespider’s OreSource tool. This online program allows smelters to upload sensitive data like chain of custody documents and invoices into a digital blockchain certificate, which is then affixed to a shipment of minerals through a QR code. | Learn more about the tin product tracking pilot project: For more information on MineSpider: For more information on a previous pilot run with MineSpider, Google, and other participants: | Blockchain; QR codes |
| Tomato blockchain pilot project | Tomato Products | Product Tracking | Blockchain | In collaboration with a digital solutions provider and numerous producer organizations, the Italian National Association of Fruit and Vegetable Canning conducted a pilot project to use blockchain technology to record and communicate information about the origin of tomatoes in Italian tomato products. In addition to guaranteeing origin information, the pilot also focused on tomato quality and the social values of producers. | Learn more about the Tomato Blockchain Pilot Project: | Blockchain |
| TraceMet Pilot Project - Traceability for sustainable metals and minerals | Copper | Product Tracking | Blockchain | SveMin's TraceMet pilot project created an IT-system to follow certified metals along the whole value chain (for copper, from mine to use in electrical products). The system uses a Mass Balance model recorded on a blockchain, with third-party auditors to verify input claims entering the blockchain. | Learn more about the TraceMet pilot project: | Mass balance supply chain; third party auditors; blockchain |
| Tracing Organic Cotton from Farm to Consumer Pilot Project | Cotton | Product Tracking | Additive Tracers, Blockchain, Forensic Tracing | Implemented by a consortium of technology providers, philanthropic partners, multi-brand platforms, brands, retailers, and manufacturers, this 2018 pilot tested several different tracers including fluorescent technology, a DNA tracer, and forensic tracers in organic cotton supply chains in India. Traceability data was recorded and managed on a blockchain platform provided by Bext360. | Learn more about the pilot project: | Additive tracers; forensic tracers; blockchain |
| UNECE Blockchain Traceability Pilot Projects - Cotton and Leather Value Chains | Cotton, Garments, Leather, Leather Goods | Product Tracking | Additive Tracers, Blockchain | As part of their work under Traceability for Sustainable Garment and Footwear, and in collaboration with 48 partners around the world, the UNECE is developing a blockchain system for traceability and due diligence in the cotton and leather value chains. The UNECE-UN/CEFACT standards are being tested in this blockchain environment. | Learn more about the UNECE Blockchain Pilots: | Blockchain; due diligence |
| Vanilla product tracking pilot with blockchain | Vanilla | Product Tracking | Blockchain, Tags | Aveda has partnered with Wholechain to pilot blockchain technology with 450 smallholder vanilla farmers in Madagascar. The pilot uses mobile phones and QR codes to trace vanilla beans through the supply chain. | Learn more about this pilot project : | Blockchain; QR codes |
| Whiskey and rum traceability using blockchain | Alcoholic Beverages | Product Tracking | Blockchain | Waterford Whisky Distillery and Renegade Rum Distillery have developed a custom blockchain, ProTrace, using open-source code to trace their products from farm through to maturation. The blockchain collects information about the names and locations of growers, dates of harvest, dates of bottling, and length of maturation. A nine-digit code is attached to each bottle that enables customers to access this information, as well some visual data about the production process. | Learn more about this pilot project: Learn more about ProTrace: | Blockchain; product tracking |
| Wine traceability using blockchain | Alcoholic Beverages | Product Tracking | Blockchain | eProvenance launched VinAssure, an IBM blockchain platform that enables tracing wine from farm to consumer. This technology was developed to preserve the quality of wine as it moves throughout the supply chain by collecting information about production, transportation, and storage conditions. Using an identifier linked to the blockchain data, consumers can also learn about the wine's provenance, flavor profiles, and certifications. | Learn more about VinAssure: Learn more about eProvenance:
| Blockchain; product tracking |
| Wine traceability using forensic tracers | Alcoholic Beverages | Scientific Validation | Forensic Tracing | Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) technology to verify traceability and authenticity of wines. This technology has proven to be useful in verifying not only the origin of wines, but also the grape varieties, type and length of maturation, vintage, and taints. | Learn more about FT-IR technology and how it can be used with wine: | Forensic tracers; FT-IR |
| Zinc ingot tracking using laser markings | Zinc | Product Tracking | Tags | Researchers have shown that single-mode fiber lasers can mark lead and zinc, enabling the addition of QR codes, barcodes, or other tracking mechanisms directly on zinc ingots. This enables markings on the zinc products, which facilitates traceability down the supply chain. | Learn more about this technology and how it used with Zinc:
| QR codes; laser marking; barcodes |
