ACE connects industry operations, documentation and traceability into structured evidence that can support certification, inspection, testing and conformity assessment — opening access to both African and international markets.
Certification remains with the competent certification or conformity-assessment body. ACE organises the digital evidence. The assessment and the decision remain with the body that is authorised to make them.
Nothing on this page is a certification, a certificate, or a claim that any specific scheme has been met.
Three roles. Each has a distinct responsibility. None replaces the others.
Farmers, producers, processors, professionals, companies and institutions generate records through their normal activities.
ACE provides identity, records, traceability, documentation, workflows and market infrastructure.
The competent body conducts the applicable audit, inspection, testing or conformity assessment and makes the relevant decision.
Each step produces a piece of the evidence chain. ACE organises the chain. The competent body assesses it.
Person, company, farm, organisation, product or service.
Activities, locations, inputs, production, services, documents and transactions.
Origin, participants, processes, movement and destination.
ACE structures the relevant information into an evidence record.
The certification, inspection, testing or conformity-assessment body evaluates the evidence.
Where applicable, the resulting certification or verified status can support market access.
Ecopia Value Chain demonstrates how operational digitalisation can create the underlying records needed for traceability and certification readiness.
The starting point of the value chain.
Who is producing the product?
Where is the production taking place?
What is being produced and how?
When was it harvested and in what quantity?
How was production collected and consolidated?
What happened to the product after aggregation?
What product resulted from the process?
Can the product be connected back through the value chain?
Can the relevant records and documents be assembled for the applicable assessment process?
The categories below represent the structure of a digital evidence file. They are categories only — not fabricated documents.
Each certification scheme has its own requirements. ACE organises the underlying evidence that may be relevant. Requirements depend on the applicable certification or assessment scheme.
Production and supply-chain evidence relevant to applicable organic certification schemes.
Evidence relevant to applicable social, economic and supply-chain requirements.
Documentation and operational records that may support applicable ISO management-system or other conformity processes.
Laboratory results, inspection records and technical documentation where applicable.
Technical documentation and records relevant to the applicable assessment process.
These schemes are issued by independent certification and conformity-assessment bodies. ACE does not issue any of them. The specific schemes applicable to the pilot are being identified with the industry trail makers. ACE does not endorse, represent or speak for any of these schemes. Names are used only to describe categories of certification.
Illustrative examples only. These examples do not claim that these records automatically satisfy a specific certification scheme.
Farmer identity → farm location → production → harvest → aggregation → traceability.
Plant origin → harvesting → processing → product documentation → traceability.
Ingredients → suppliers → production → batch records → testing → product documentation.
Materials → suppliers → production → product records → relevant social and environmental documentation.
Materials → manufacturing → batch documentation → testing → regulatory documentation.
Organisation → intellectual property → rights → contracts → technical documentation.
Industry trail makers bring the operational knowledge of their sector into ACE.
Digitalises farmers, farms, products and value chains — creating the underlying records for traceability and certification readiness.
Can establish the relevant digital records for fashion businesses, products, materials, production and intellectual property.
Can establish the relevant records for health-service providers and services.
Can establish the relevant pharmaceutical industry records.
Provides the digital infrastructure, marketplace technology, integrations and applications that support these processes.
ACE works with certification and conformity-assessment stakeholders to understand evidence requirements and develop appropriate digital documentation workflows.
EcoCertification is a partner for discussion and development of certification-related requirements and documentation workflows. Its certification pathways support producers and businesses reaching both African and international markets.
Visit ecocertification.eu →The evidence is created while the work happens — not after.
Less fragmented documentation
Better traceability
Clearer evidence history
Easier document retrieval
Better preparation for audits and inspections
Stronger connection between production and compliance
Better information for buyers and market-access processes
Digitalise the business process first. Keep the evidence connected. Prepare for certification, assessment and market access from the beginning.