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Showcasing ALLIANCE solutions for organic products

30 June, 2025
Apostolos Apostolaras, University of Thessaly
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The European Commission’s workshop “EU-funded Research and Innovation for Organic Farming: Leading the Transition towards Sustainable Farm and Food Systems” held on 17–18 June 2025 at the Research Executive Agency (REA) in Brussels provided a unique forum for projects across Europe to showcase their latest results, engage in policy dialogue, and explore synergies. The ALLIANCE project consortium was represented by Apostolos Apostolaras from the University of Thessaly, who presented the innovations developed by the project for combating food fraud and contributing to shaping research priorities for organic agriculture.

The two-day event assembled policymakers and researchers to:

  • Present project outcomes to Directorate-General experts and Commission officials.
  • Gather policy feedback to align R&I efforts with the Farm to Fork and Green Deal objectives.
  • Foster collaboration by mapping complementarities among EU-funded initiatives.

Sessions combined plenary panels—featuring high-level speakers from DG Agriculture and Rural Development with thematic groups on topics included but not limited to fraud and traceability, digitalization and digital tools, animal production and animal welfare, weed management,  climate change and organic practices.

ALLIANCE highlighted the following key outcomes:

  • Analytical DNA Fingerprinting: A novel  approach that generates a DNA “fingerprint” of produce, enabling the rapid detection of the provenance of the EVOO.
  • Hyperspectral Imaging: NIR–HIS spectroscopic scanners trialed in PGI faba-bean use case as on-site “filter” tools, with suspicious samples referred for laboratory use.
  • Digital Knowledge Base: Empower control bodies, policy makers and producers get informed and make evidence-based decisions and streamline best practices adoption
  • Blockchain-Enabled Traceability: An open-source prototype allowing stakeholders—producers, certifiers, retailers—to record every transaction and quality check along the supply chain.
  • Machine‐Learning Predictive Models: Algorithms trained on historical FDC's performance data to forecast points of vulnerability where fraud is most likely, guiding targeted inspections.


These innovations complement policy goals by strengthening consumer trust in organic labels and reducing economic incentives for fraud. Interactive demonstrations of our blockchain dashboard drew particular interest from fellow projects focusing on digitalisation and circular bio-economy.

During roundtable discussions, ALLIANCE exchanged experiences with EU-funded projects identifying areas for future joint cooperation. 

Policymakers and other researchers emphasized the need for validated, interoperable tools and welcomed ALLIANCE’s outcomes as a pathway to wider adoption of digital tools to safeguard the food value chains.

Building on the workshop’s momentum, the ALLIANCE consortium will:

  • Finalize field validations of our protocols across pilot sites in the EU.
  • Launch an expanded pilot of the blockchain platform.
  • Organize a final event in autumn 2025 to refine use-cases and drive standardization.


ALLIANCE loooks forward to continued collaboration with EU institutions and fellow research projects to accelerate the transition to truly sustainable, transparent, and resilient organic and quality labelled farming systems across Europe.