Blockchain Tech Being Used in Agricultural Supply Chains

When most people think of farming, they usually think about long hours, little pay, and plowing fields from sun up to sun down. Farming has come a long way the past couple of decades and we still work hard but have access to so much technology now that our parents and grandparents didn’t.

Photo by Michael Bourgault on Unsplash

One reason I got involved in blockchain in the first place is because of how much potential it holds for the agriculture community. Blockchain has been a buzzword, that no one really understands, in the media but it is so much more than that to us.

Blockchain isn’t just digital currency, it’s a secure way of recording transactions and keeping track of accounts. We can keep track of our inventory/equipment, make secure transfers without needing a bank, and certify accounts. And if you don’t have access to the keys it’s almost impossible to amend the accounts!

My parents aren’t really tech-friendly so they have a habit of recording all farm business everywhere and have very little organization to their method. They know what their shorthand means but no one else does so trying to understand what they have going on is difficult! Many farmers use this same method of pen and paper, memory, spreadsheets, apps, software, and any compilation of these to try to keep track of everything. Not very effective and very time consuming.

Changing the Game

IF farm managers had one central location that could keep track of everything in one place conveniently, that would completely revolutionize the business and free up so much time! Having to maintain multiple record systems by necessity is time consuming and frustrating, especially if you aren’t tech-friendly.

Blockchain doesn’t look like it will help farmers make extra money but our time is valuable to us and by freeing up our time we can go focus on money making activities instead of paperwork.

Looking at Crop Supply Chains

I’m gonna nerd out here for a second haha!

Photo by Tim Krauss on Unsplash

Blockchain ledgers provide the means to update records every step of the way from planting to harvest to storage to final delivery. This can prevent the loss of loads and ensure that crops don’t go bad while sitting in storage so you can rotate out your supply to ensure quality and freshness. Check the status of all of your crops or deliveries in real time without having to check multiple sources!

How cool would that be?!

Organic farmers have so many regulations they have to worry about in order to stay compliant that its difficult to keep up with. Having a blockchain ledger could help keep track of such vital information, too.

There are so many ways the blockchain can be used to aid in agriculture and we are going to make use of it to save ourselves so much time. Technology is helping in so many industries and its so incredible to watch!

What industries are you seeing changes in already?

Thanks for reading!

Jeff