Trustless Accountable Data Sharing for Supply Chains: A Reference Architecture and MoreMedDiet Proof-of-Concept

Abstract

Modern supply chains are increasingly dependent on the exchange of sensitive business data between heterogeneous stakeholders who do not trust each other. %under partial trust. Conventional integration approaches typically rely on centralized intermediaries or require extensive data disclosure, which hinders collaboration, compliance, and innovation. We propose a generic reference architecture for privacy preserving, trustless data sharing in supply chains. The architecture combines permissioned distributed ledgers, IoT-based evidence ingestion, and modular privacy mechanisms to enable controlled transparency: stakeholders can extract verifiable insights and support audits while minimizing data exposure. We instantiate the architecture in the context of the MoreMedDiet project, which promotes sustainable farm-to-fork food systems and adoption of the Mediterranean diet. By mapping the MoreMedDiet use case into our architecture, we demonstrate how channel topologies, IoT-to-ledger data flows, and smart contract-based quality assurance (QA) can support secure data exchange, transparency, interoperability, and regulatory alignment. Our proof-of-concept illustrates how Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and W3C Verifiable Credentials (VCs) can provide portable and auditable access governance over Hyperledger Fabric channels. The resulting design offers a reusable blueprint for multi-actor supply chains, including agri-food and pharmaceutical domains. Moreover, the performance achieved -- presenting a verified credential to the next stakeholder in the supply chain in 130 ms -- is promising and demonstrates the potential applicability of the approach in real-world supply chain environments.