Cotecna commits to Gafta's Agri Commodity Trade Digitalisation

Cotecna is pleased to announce our commitment to supporting Gafta’s digitalization of agriculture commodities trade. A move that will see the trade of agri commodities transition from paper to electronic documents. This follows a recent update in British law that gave an electronic bill of lading the same status as the paper version.

Torsten Sievers, Cotecna Vice President of the Agriculture Business Line & Europe Commodities, represented Cotecna as one of the Gafta signatories. The signing deadline was the 29th of January, followed by a signing ceremony held in Geneva on the 4th of February 2025. Over 70 members gathered for the in-person ceremony.

The current paper system is slow, creating inefficiencies and logistical bottlenecks. In addition, paper documents are vulnerable to manipulation leading to fraudulent practices and losses in the agricultural commodity industry. Digitalization will empower businesses with improved efficiency, more control, instant transfer of cargo ownership, and more transparency in the supply chain.

Also, by transitioning to a digital process this will help promote sustainability in the industry through the elimination of millions of paper documents.

To learn more about Cotecna Agriculture Services or our Gafta accreditations, please contact us.

About Cotecna

For over 50 years, we have been supporting agriculture, food and pharma, minerals and metals, and consumer products supply chains all over the world. We provide testing, inspection, and certification services to help our clients navigate evolving regulations, ensure product compliance, and support their sustainability journey.