Blog Permarobotics, AgStack and the Alliance partner to advance open-source solutions for sustainable agricultural supply chains
Permarobotics, an innovative leader in digitalization to support regenerative agriculture, has donated the source code for its TraceFoodChain software to the Linux Foundation’s AgStack initiative. This open-source contribution represents a transformative step toward building more transparent, responsible, and sustainable agricultural supply chains.
TraceFoodChain is a pioneering tool designed to help farmers, cooperatives, and supply chain actors—working across their own data and information systems—trace agricultural products from farm to market. The software provides a cost-effective option for smallholder farmers, supporting their access to global markets, with a special focus on enabling compliance with the European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR) by the end of 2025.
Left: screenshot of recorded transactions from TraceFoodChain. Right: delivery of coffee cherries to Beneficio Rio Frio. Photo credit: Brian King/CIAT.
Breaking Barriers to Compliance and Trust
Interoperability—or the ability of different systems and technologies to work seamlessly together—is a persistent challenge in agricultural supply chains. A lack of interoperability hinders actors from efficiently sharing critical data, such as product origin, production practices, and deforestation status, which is vital for complying with regulations like the EUDR. These gaps increase costs, slow down processes, and create barriers for smallholder farmers and cooperatives to participate in global markets.
“Building trust in agricultural value chains requires systems that can communicate with each other,” said Sumer Johal, Executive Director of the AgStack Initiative. “Without interoperability, smallholder farmers and other supply chain actors face significant challenges in demonstrating compliance with stringent regulations and achieving sustainable outcomes.”
Community-driven open-source solutions like TraceFoodChain are instrumental in resolving these issues. By fostering collaboration among developers, researchers, and producers, open-source technologies enable the creation of interoperable tools that connect disparate actors across the supply chain. These solutions can also promote inclusivity, empowering even the smallest actors to participate in and benefit from sustainable value chains. The tool was co-designed and is being field-tested with organizations spanning the Honduran coffee sector, including: The Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE), Becamo, GrainChain, Confianza S.A., Beneficio Rio Frio, and Beneficio Rosales.
Estimating the percentage of green coffee cherries in the lot. Photo credit: Brian King/CIAT.
For other transactions across the supply chain TraceFoodChain uses QRcode ‘movies’ to send and confirm receipt of transaction data. Photo credit: Brian King/CIAT.
Collaboration to Transform Agriculture
This partnership unites three key organizations:
- Permarobotics: developer of TraceFoodChain, advancing sustainable agricultural technology
- Linux Foundation’s AgStack Initiative: ensuring scalable, open-source digital infrastructure for agriculture
- The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT: a research-for-development organization contributing to food systems and landscapes that sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people
“Open-source technologies are essential to creating sustainable food systems,” said Dr. Christian Hennig, CEO of Permarobotics. “By donating TraceFoodChain to the Linux Foundation’s AgStack, we aim to empower smallholder farmers with the tools they need to meet global standards and thrive in sustainable value chains.”
Field testing with partners at Beneficio Rio Frio. Photo credit: Brian King/CIAT.
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT is field testing TraceFoodChain in collaboration with stakeholders in the Honduran coffee sector: “Value chains that are able to foster collaboration and data sharing are more resilient—not only to regulatory shocks like EUDR but to the array of climatic, financial, and other challenges they must weather. Interoperability is key,” said Brian King, Senior Manager for Technology Integration at the Alliance.
About the Organizations
Permarobotics
Permarobotics is a pioneer in agricultural software solutions, leveraging advanced AI technologies to promote regenerative agriculture and combat climate change. The company empowers farmers with innovative tools to drive sustainability and compliance in global supply chains.
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture is a global public-interest research organization tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity. For over 50 years, Alliance scientists have delivered proven innovations to transform food systems, empower communities, and drive sustainable development. It is a member of the CGIAR network.
The Linux Foundation’s AgStack Initiative
The AgStack Initiative is dedicated to accelerating innovation in agriculture through open-source technologies. By providing digital public infrastructure, AgStack empowers developers and stakeholders to build scalable solutions for food and agricultural challenges.
For more information, visit AgStack.org and TraceFoodChain on GitHub.
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