Arkansas-based Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative has signed a partnership agreement with the British company Provenance in mid-2017 in its bid to integrate Blockchain technology in the monitoring of the origin of meat products.The use of the technology will allow the customers to track the movements of the products from the farms to their tables.According to the farmers’ co-op, the expected transparency on how the products were produced that will be made possible through the use of Blockchain will bolster the confidence of consumers as they will be more educated on the quality and origins of the products they buy.
Other plans of the livestock cooperative
Based on the statement issued by the co-op, the farmers producing the meat products will put QR codes on their products.Customers who buy the products can utilize the codes to track their food on the Blockchain through the platform to be supplied by Provenance.Through the technology, the customers can also learn how the animals were raised, as well as know the different people who were involved in their production.
Changing consumer behavior
According to Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative general manager Cody Hopkins, American consumers are increasingly showing interest in the food they are eating.He cited the data from the 2016 Label Insight Study showing that 83% of consumers seek more information about the contents of their food.Hopkins also believed that Blockchain technology is the solution to meet the demand of the consumers.
“When I learned about this technology, I thought, ‘This is the solution.’ It’s the perfect way for Grass Roots to offer folks total transparency. Provenance has developed a platform that levels the playing field for small-scale farmers and puts information directly in consumers’ hands.”
The same technology that powers Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has been revolutionizing and existing processes in the supply chain including R&D, agriculture, deliveries, among others.