IBM's blockchain raises trust in global food supply chain

The concept has been proved in trials in the USA and China, claims IBM

In a move aimed at increasing consumer trust in the global food industry, IBM has partnered with a consortium of firms to identify areas where the supply chain can benefit from blockchain implementation.

According to the World Health Organisation, 10 per cent of people are made ill by contaminated food each year - and 400,000 die. By improving the traceability of food, IBM and its partners think that they can make the supply chain safer. All stakeholders in the chain, from growers to consumers, can use it to trace the origin and state of food.

Walmart, Unilever and Nestlé are all involved in the work, along with at least seven other companies. With IBM, they will 'identify and prioritise' areas in the supply chain where blockchain can be used. At the same time, the project will draw on other IBM pilots and production networks.

The concept has been proved in trials in the USA and China, where IBM and Walmart used blockchain to track products from the farm to the retail shelf.

Walmart's vice president of food safety, Frank Yiannas, said: "Walmart looks forward to expanding on our initial work by collaborating with others to accelerate exploration on how this technology can be used as a more effective food traceability and food safety tool.

"Blockchain technology enables a new era of end-to-end transparency in the global food system - equivalent to shining a light on food ecosystem participants that will further promote responsible actions and behaviours.

"It also allows all participants to share information rapidly and with confidence across a strong trusted network. This is critical to ensuring that the global food system remains safe for all."

IBM's blockchain is already being used in applications including banking, file management and personal data storage. Many of these are enabled by the company's Blockchain Platform, available through the IBM Cloud.