Supply Chain Integrity

Trusting data collected on the farm

To validate provenance claims at the start of the supply chain, we need to collect data from sensors and devices on animals and on the farm. Data from these devices should not be trusted by default, but a reputation for trust in that data can be created through corroborating evidence. Our trust in temperature and location data collected from a smart device on an animal can be enhanced using weather data from BOM and location data from nearby animals. To ensure data trust, CSIRO is designing a system that will reliably collect, validate and securely communicate and store data from multiple devices on the farm and from multiple sources in the cloud.

Reducing regulatory burden through automated compliance

By automatically verifying compliance against standards and guidelines, we can replace manual checks and reduce regulatory burden for producers. Working with domain experts, CSIRO has transformed a set of industry rules on animal handling, water access, feeding and animal transport into quantifiable data that can be used to determine compliance automatically. CSIRO has developed systems that can identify and monitor animal behaviour. For example the data collected by an on-ear device can determine if that animal has access to enough water complying with industry welfare standards.

Identifying the biological origin of an agricultural product

CSIRO is investigating techniques to confirm the authenticity of a claim that a product comes from Australia, or a specific region in Australia. Using Australian beef and cherries, we are testing which unique biogeochemical signatures or markers (including geochemical, biochemical, isotopic, lipidomic and genomic) can be used to validate biological origin. This information will be used to develop a model that can predict the biological signature of a product from a distinct growing region. To maintain privacy and protect commercial interests, we are developing a model that ensures unique information about an individual farm cannot be deduced from the data.

Tracking individual cuts of meat

Traceability in the red meat supply chain goes beyond the farm. As individual cuts of meat are being handled in a processing facility it can be challenging to keep track of each piece and trace it back to the source animal. As individual cuts of meat are being handled in a processing facility it can be challenging to keep track of each piece and trace it back to the source animal. CSIRO has developed a computer vision algorithm that allows traceability of individual cuts of meat through aggregation and disaggregation during processing.

Detecting fraud in the supply chain

To detect irregular activity as goods move through the supply chain, CSIRO is developing new methods to analyse the rich data in digital supply chains. Sensors capture motion, temperature and location data to characterise a normal transport route, enabling detection of potentially fraudulent activities when they occur and distinguishing between different types of irregular events. We are investigating using green sensors that generate their own energy replacing the need for a battery, making it a low-cost option for industry.

Facilitator: Mark Hedley

In September, MLA commissioned a report analysing product integrity systems in the Australian red meat industry. Our panel members will discuss a key finding from the report –

‘The industry views on the need for investment in enhanced supply chain integrity systems are at odds with those of researchers and technology/service providers.’

Export value built on Australia’s brand will need data to validate the safety, production and origin of our products. But how can we trust the data and ensure it can’t be modified? And how can we fulfil government requirements without being overwhelmed by regulatory burden? Provenance, Trust and Automated Compliance are proposed and demonstrated as technologies towards achieving this.

The technology components of the Automated Farm Provenance Demonstrator are listed in the rows below.