Attested is a DRG4FOOD Open Call project delivering an open traceability platform for cooperative food systems, enabling verifiable field-to-fork data capture and presentation. Developed by Commonslab, Valdibella and FiBL and carried out from My 2024 to April 2025.
This repository serves as the official DRG4FOOD Toolbox reference for Attested providing links to its open-source ESP32 firmware, FIWARE bridge module, consumer UI, and KiCAD hardware design files. All source code and hardware designs remain hosted in the Attested GitLab space; this page provides a structured overview and direct links to those resources.
Attested is a traceability platform that brings transparency, accountability, and autonomy to food supply chains. Designed for small cooperatives and conscious consumers, it offers a practical, privacy-respecting way to document and share every step of a product's journey - from field to fork - using verifiable data.
At its core lies a modular hardware-software stack that combines handheld RFID/QR scanners, environmental sensors, and a FIWARE-based backend. Producers use it to record cultivation, processing, and transport events, while consumers can scan a QR label to access an interactive webpage showing where, when, and under what conditions a product was made.
The architecture supports local or cooperative-owned hosting, giving small producers full control of their data and reducing dependency on proprietary, data-extractive traceability platforms.
Attested demonstrates how open, affordable digital tools can make food traceability both ethical and accessible for small actors:
- In the field - Handheld QR/RFID scanners and IoT sensors capture key events (harvest, storage, transport) and environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity).
- In processing and logistics - Products are re-scanned at each processing or packing step, building a complete digital footprint linked to a unique identifier.
- At the point of sale and beyond - Each unit carries a QR code that opens a consumer-facing webpage, turning raw traceability data into a clear, human-readable story about origin, handling, and conditions.
By combining an ESP32-based device firmware, a FIWARE Orion bridge, a consumer UI, and open hardware designs for a handheld scanner, Attested provides an end-to-end reference implementation for digitally responsible traceability.
The Attested stack is developed and maintained in the Attested GitLab space. The main components are:
A flask-based python program that implements a web interface visualizing the data gathered for a specific product, for the consumer-facing webUI thia shows the data previously collected using the hand-held QR/RFID scanners. https://gitlab.com/commonslabgr/attested/consumer-webui
A python script to fetch changes from the Orion FIWARE Context Broker and insert them into an SQL database. https://gitlab.com/commonslabgr/attested/orion-sql-bridge
Firmware intended to run on the Espressif ESP32 Wrover-E embedded in the hand-held data-collection device. Makes use of the Arduino framework. https://gitlab.com/commonslabgr/attested/qrfid-scanner-fw
Hardware design files for producing the printed circuit board (PCB) as well as the casing of the ATTESTED hand-held scanner for QR-codes and RFID tags. https://gitlab.com/commonslabgr/attested/qrfid-scanner-hw
Attested’s components are designed to be reusable and adaptable across different short food supply chains.
- Capture real-time data on cultivation, processing, and transport using handheld scanners and field sensors.
- Host the backend locally or on cooperative-controlled servers to maintain data sovereignty.
- Use cooperative dashboards (built on FIWARE) to monitor key conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity, timing) across the production chain.
- Link each product’s QR code to a dynamic digital page that shows verified origin, handling steps, and environmental conditions.
- Use the same verified data for both in-store communication and compliance reporting.
- Scan a product’s QR code to see where, when, and under what conditions it was produced, processed, and transported.
- Access transparent stories about cooperatives and their members, backed by verifiable data rather than generic claims.
- Reuse and extend the firmware, bridge, UI, and hardware designs under open licenses (AGPLv3 / CC for hardware).
- Integrate Attested with other traceability tools or digital product passport initiatives using FIWARE-compatible interfaces.
- Fork and adapt the stack for new cooperatives, regions, or product lines.
Attested contributes to the DRG4FOOD Toolbox by providing:
- Open-source hardware toolkit for environmental and logistics sensing (handheld QR/RFID scanners, IoT sensor nodes, PCB designs, and bills of materials).
- Firmware and backend services built on FIWARE Orion, supporting data minimisation, local hosting, and strong privacy-by-design principles.
- Consumer and cooperative-facing interfaces that translate complex traceability data into clear, human-readable stories.
- A reference architecture for digital responsibility in short food supply chains, operationalising DRG4FOOD goals such as privacy, data fairness, transparency, and human agency.
These components offer a replicable model for accessible, inclusive, and digitally responsible traceability across Europe’s evolving food ecosystem.
Unless otherwise noted in the individual component repositories, Attested software is released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0) or later.
Please refer to the specific LICENSE files in:
- the firmware repository
- the bridge module repository
- the consumer UI repository
- the hardware design repository (for hardware and documentation licenses)