How Proof works
Proof gives agriculture a structured record of what happened.
Farms and advisers record what they know, add to it over time, and keep control of how it can be used. When enough relevant records exist, they can be brought together to support wider learning and analysis.
Inside a Proof Record
A Proof Record is built from a small number of parts. Select any of them to see what it can hold.
A record does not need every type of information to exist. It records what is available and can grow as more information is added.
As simple as today. As detailed as the evidence allows.
A Proof Record can be as simple as what is known today, and as detailed as the evidence allows.
Six pieces of information. Enough to exist.
Completeness is not the entry requirement. Structure is.
How a record moves through Proof
One record, followed from the day it is created. The record on the left changes as you read.
Permissions
Anonymous group
Yield monitor calibration information added. The original record stays as it was.
Create
A farm or authorised adviser starts a record with the information they have.
Add
More observations, actions, evidence and outcomes can be added as they happen.
Lock
A version can be locked so it cannot be silently changed.
Permit
The farm decides how the record can be used and for which purposes.
Compare
Where relevant permissions exist, records can be brought together for a defined question or analysis.
Preserve
The original history remains visible, with any later corrections or additions recorded as addenda.
Your record stays here. What you permitted can contribute over there.
What the farm controls
Creating a Proof Record does not give Proof or anyone else unrestricted access to it.
The farm decides:
- Who can see the private record
- Which named people or organisations can access it
- Which programmes or purposes it can contribute to
- Whether it can contribute to group comparisons
- Whether a redacted public view can be published
- Whether future permission for a particular use is withdrawn
- What remains private even when the record contributes to wider evidence
The private record. It stays here whatever is permitted around it.
How can this record be used?
Permissions and permitted use
Permission in Proof is not a blanket share-my-data switch. It defines what a record may be used for, by whom, and for what purpose.
Same Proof Record. Different permissions.
The earlier history remains visible.
Permission does not mean:
- anyone can access the private record
- one permission applies to every future purpose
- payment overrides the permission
- a previously agreed purpose can quietly be expanded
A farm can stop future use for a permitted purpose. Previous authorised use remains part of the audit history.
Every use has a purpose. Every permission has a history.
How records become comparable
Every farm is different. Proof does not try to remove those differences.
When a question is asked, Proof identifies the parts of the record that matter to that question and finds records with enough relevant context to compare. That might include crop, soil, rotation, timing, weather, field practice, machinery or the way an outcome was measured.
A record that does not fit one comparison is not a bad record. It simply may not be relevant to that particular question. The comparison is built from the records that match the defined criteria, with the differences and limitations kept visible.
7 records matched the comparison
Included because
- Winter wheat
- Drilled 21 Oct to 8 Nov
- Comparable soil context
- Comparable establishment practice
- Compatible outcome measurement
Known differences
- Variety
- Rainfall
- Previous crop
- Farm management
Other records remain in Proof. They are not used for this question. Select any record above to see why it was included or left out.
How group evidence is produced
Once a relevant group has been formed, Proof brings the permitted data together without exposing the individual farm records.
The output shows what was recorded across the group, how many records were included, how they were selected, and the important differences and limitations within the data. Proof does not decide what the evidence means. It provides the group evidence so farmers, advisers, researchers and organisations can interpret it for the question they are asking.
The private records stay here
Group evidence
| Record | Drilling | Soil context | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 24 Oct | Clay loam | 9.4 t/ha |
| B | 28 Oct | Clay | 7.9 t/ha |
| C | 2 Nov | Clay loam | 8.1 t/ha |
| and four more anonymous records | |||
The permitted fields, brought together. A recipient receives the aggregate evidence below, not the rows.
This group used
- 7 of 18 available records
- Defined crop criteria
- Defined drilling window
- Comparable soil context
- Compatible outcome measurements
Known differences
- Variety
- Rainfall
- Previous crop
- Management
Where Proof draws the line
Proof can preserve a record without deciding whether the underlying observation, decision or outcome is true.
When records are used for a particular question, Proof checks the things it can verify: who submitted them, their authority, provenance, permissions, record history, and whether they meet the defined requirements for that comparison.
Proof does not certify that a product worked, that an agronomic decision was correct, or that one recorded event caused another. And if the permissions, privacy rules or requirements for a particular comparison are not met, Proof does not produce the group evidence.
What Proof verifies
- Contributor identity
- Authority
- Provenance
- Permissions
- Version history
- Record integrity
- Comparison criteria
What Proof does not claim
- “This product works”
- “This adviser was correct”
- “This treatment caused the outcome”
- “This record is scientifically complete”
Where Proof stops
4 eligible records. Minimum privacy threshold: 5.
Or: outcome methods are not sufficiently comparable.
The records remain in Proof. They simply are not used for that purpose. Proof refuses the use, not the record.
Published records, addenda and removals
A published Proof Record is designed to remain part of the evidence history.
Once published, the original record is not silently edited. If something needs correcting or new information becomes available, it is added through an addendum. Sensitive information can be removed where necessary. In exceptional circumstances where there is a legal requirement to remove the published content, the Proof Record ID remains visible with an explanation of why the content was removed.
The history stays clear: what was published, what changed, when it changed, and why.
PRF-26-003917
Published 14 Aug 2026
Locked 21 Jul 2026 · Version 1
PRF-26-003917
Published 14 Aug 2026 · Version 1
Yield monitor calibration information added.
PRF-26-003917
Removal recorded: 03 Dec 2026
Removing content does not erase the fact that the record existed.
Privacy and redaction
A Proof Record can contain information that should never need to become public.
Farm and field names, exact locations, personal details, raw files and other sensitive information can remain private while the record is still used for an authorised purpose. When a public view is created, Proof shows only the information permitted for publication. Sensitive fields are removed or generalised, while the useful evidence and context remain.
The private source record and the public view are separate. Publishing a redacted view does not publish the underlying record.
- Long Meadow Removed
- Green Farm Removed
- 52.XXXX, -1.XXXX Generalised
- Exact field boundary Removed
- Agronomist name Removed
- Raw machinery file Restricted
- Detailed soil results Generalised
- Observation · Action · Outcome · Evidence Published
- West Midlands
- Winter wheat
- Clay loam · pH 6.6
- Drilled October 2026
- Observation
- Action
- Outcome
- Published evidence · Limitations
Private by default
Not everything needs to be private forever. The point is that publication is deliberate.
Proof does not make a private record public. It creates a separate permitted view from it.
Frequently asked questions
Who controls a Proof Record?
The farm controls how its private record can be used. Permissions are given for defined purposes and can be changed for future use.
Does a Proof Record need to be complete?
No. Proof records the information that exists. Some records may be highly detailed, while historic or older records may contain much less. Missing information remains visible rather than being filled in.
Does Proof make farm records public?
No. A private Proof Record is not automatically published. A separate redacted public view can only be created where permission has been given.
Does Proof verify that what happened was true?
Proof verifies things such as contributor identity, authority, provenance, permissions, record history and integrity. It does not certify that an agronomic decision was correct, that a product worked, or that one event caused another.
What happens when records are used together?
Proof identifies records that are relevant to the question being asked and brings the permitted data together. The individual private farm records are not handed over.
What happens if a published record needs correcting?
The original published record is not silently changed. Corrections and new information are added through an addendum so the history remains visible.
If you would like to talk about Proof, get in touch.
Contact