Building trust in the Lika potato supply chain: Blockchain for transparency and fraud prevention - Pilot workshops series
On 6 June 2025, the Lika-Senj County Development Centre hosted the workshop "Building trust in the Lika potato supply chain: Blockchain for transparency and fraud prevention" presenting the results of the Lika potato pilot.
The workshop was opened by Željka Mesić from the Department of Marketing and Innovation in Agribusiness at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, who also leads the Croatian project team. In her introductory speech, she presented the activities and achievements of the project and emphasised the importance of transparency and technological support for the protection of authentic food. Darija Borović, PhD student in the ALLIANCE project, informed the participants about different types of fraud in the food sector and emphasised the importance of implementing traceability systems.
The challenges faced by producers of PGI Lika potatoes were particularly emphasised – from the misuse of the name on the markets to the sale of uncertified products under the protected name. To address these issues, Katarina Sekulić and Nikola Vidaković from the Association of Potato Producers of Lika demonstrated the blockchain system, which allows consumers to verify the authenticity of products and their full traceability by simply scanning a QR code.
Ana Marušić Lisac and Dragana Milosavljević from the Biotechnicon certification body gave a detailed overview of the certification process for Lika potato (Lički krumpir) under the PGI label and emphasised the importance of clear rules, control mechanisms and producer education.
A scientific contribution was made by ALLIANCE Valorisation Board member Prof. Milan Poljak from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Zagreb, who presented the development of a methodology for verifying geographical origin and cultivation methods (conventional vs. organic) as part of the EcoPGO-HRZZ project. This will further strengthen the scientific basis for verifying product authenticity.
Furthermore, Assoc. Prof. Željka Mesić, PhD presented the results of a consumer survey „Consumer perception and acceptance of blockchain technology in food quality labelling systems“, which showed strong support for the introduction of innovative technologies such as blockchain to improve transparency in the food sector and the need for educational measures to ensure a comprehensive understanding and acceptance of these new tools. In addition, she also presented the results of the qualitative interview with ALLIANCE stakeholders on the introduction of a blockchain solution for the traceability of PGI Lika potatoes.
The workshop gathered producers of Lika potatoes, representatives of advisory services, local authorities and other interested stakeholders with the aim of exchanging knowledge and information on certification, legal frameworks and technological tools that can help protect the valuable PGI Lika potatoes brand. With the ALLIANCE project, Croatia has shown that modern technology combined with cooperation between scientists, producers and institutions can be an effective means of combating food fraud, protecting local production and strengthening consumer confidence.
For further details about the PGI Lika potato demonstrator, you can watch this video: