At this year’s AGRA fair, held from August 24 to 29, 2024, in Gornja Radgona, in addition to traditional quality awards, verifiable digital certificates were issued for the first time. These certificates enable quick and easy verification of authenticity, strengthening trust in the awarded products and enhancing the reputation of the awarded companies. The technology that enables the issuance of verifiable credentials and sharing achievements in the digital world is applicable in various fields – from awards and certifications to attendance confirmations.
The AGRA fair, which has brought together key players in the agricultural and food sectors for 62 years, attracted 1,720 exhibitors from 35 countries this year. The fair showcased the best crops, food products, and wines, offering a glimpse into the future of innovation in agriculture and food industries. One of the central features of the fair is the international product quality assessment, where renowned experts evaluate products in various categories. Awarded products receive prestigious accolades that have long been a symbol of quality both domestically and internationally, and companies have successfully used them to promote their leading products.
Digital and Verifiable Awards: New Opportunities and Benefits
This year, in addition to traditional awards, winners also received verifiable digital certificates, offering numerous advantages. Companies can store these certificates in their digital wallets and share them with key stakeholders. End consumers can verify the authenticity of the awards by scanning a QR code. The QR code displays the type of award (silver, gold, grand gold, bronze, or champion) and leads to the AGRA online catalog, where consumers can check if the award was genuinely granted to the product and whether it is still valid. This reduces the chances of misuse, increases trust in awarded products and companies, and improves accessibility and promotion of award-winning products.
Boris Nicolas Erjavec, CEO of Pomurski Sejem and the AGRA fair, explains:
“In an increasingly digital world, companies and event organizers are seeking solutions for authentic representation of awards, achievements, and certifications. Verifiable awards allow companies to easily showcase them to partners, customers, and other stakeholders who trust this information. This significantly simplifies the verification process for users and applicants, providing easy access to the catalog of awarded products while reducing the chances of misuse. Our system, which includes the award issuance, digital identity of companies, and QR link to the online catalog, strengthens trust among stakeholders. We are pleased to have found a reliable partner in Netis for this project.”
Innovative Technology for Trust in Information: Verification is Key
The organizers partnered with Netis and their MyNextID platform to issue verifiable awards. This advanced technology uses verifiable credentials to ensure digital awards are tamper-proof, enhancing trust and credibility. Netis is already deploying these solutions in projects with the European Union and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Sebastjan Pirih, CMO & Head of Business Development at Netis, explains: “With advanced technologies, we can issue awards that allow instant verification of the issuer and their authenticity. Our collaboration with AGRA demonstrates how award processes can be modernized to strengthen trust. Why not keep key credentials at your fingertips? We believe this approach will inspire other organizations to adopt these innovations, as digital verification is becoming vital for trust in today’s information-heavy world.“
This approach not only modernizes award processes but also fosters a culture of transparency and accountability in the digital space. Verifiable awards are a step toward greater transparency, benefiting all stakeholders in the information age. “Online trust is the backbone of digital interactions, and digital identity is now essential for collaboration. Using digital wallets and verifiable credentials for issuers, verifiers, and users, we offer tools to digitize and simplify certificate issuance and verification. This marks a new era of sharing and validating information, key to improving the accessibility and quality of online services,” concludes Pirih.
Links:
Learn more about MyNextID at www.mynext.id.
By digitizing its awards, the AGRA fair is setting new industry standards, enhancing the value and visibility of its accolades, and paving the way for future innovations in information verification. The online catalog of award-winning products for 2024 is available at katalog.sejem-agra.si.
The organizer also plans to digitize past awards and enhance the 2025 catalog, which will include detailed descriptions and product photos in collaboration with award recipients.