Collaboration and Technical Solution
The Hashgraph Group, together with Merck, and with advisory and implementation support from PwC Germany, is piloting a cocoa traceability solution. The system integrates Merck's M-Trust physical authentication technology with a TrackTrace digital product passport platform based on the Hedera network, designed to verify cocoa origin, authenticity, quality, recall needs, and compliance data from farm to consumer.
Regulatory Context and Scalability
Cocoa is one of seven commodities covered by the EU's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Under a further extension agreed in December 2025, large operators and traders must comply by December 30, 2026, while micro and small operators have until June 30, 2027. The solution also aligns with the direction of the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) regarding digital product passports, though food and feed are currently explicitly excluded from ESPR's scope. For cocoa, EUDR due diligence remains the near-term binding requirement.
The partners noted that the architecture is not limited to cocoa and can be extended to pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, and industrial components. Husen Kapasi, head of enterprise blockchain at PwC Germany, stated that the solution offers verifiability and could play a key role in food recalls or compliance investigations.