A group of global coffee companies aims to launch a blockchain platform to track coffee using an IBM-developed app by early 2020.
Building on IBM Food Trust Platform
Farmer Connect, a tech startup developing farm-to-client traceability tools, has teamed up with the world’s top coffee firms such as Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) and Smucker to apply blockchain to coffee supply chain tracking using the IBM Food Trust Platform, the firm announced on Sept. 18.
According to a press release by Farmer Connect, the startup has worked with global tech giant IBM to build the “Thank My Farmer” app, which provides consumers with detailed data about coffee products, including origin and pricing.
The first version of the app will be available to test users in select markets operated by the group of partners before launching the service to the entire coffee community in 2020, the press release notes.
Big coffee expected to benefit from transparent connectivity
Other participants include Colombian Coffee Growers Federation, ITOCHU Corporation, RGC Coffee, Beyers Koffie and Swiss coffee-trading firm Sucafina. Following the launch of the app, the company plans to expand to other commodities, according to the report.
Rajendra Rao, General Manager for IBM Food Trust, expressed confidence that Farmer Connect will be the platform of choice for the coffee industry. The exec stated that the new blockchain-powered approach targets to support all stakeholders in the industry ecosystem, and both farmers and consumers are expected to benefit from transparent connectivity.
In April, Cointelegraph reported that United States food and drug chain Albertsons Companies has become a client of IBM Food Trust. The platform was first launched for testing in 2016 with Walmart in China. Other food giants such as Nestle subsequently came on board as the pilot program attracted more participants.
Yesterday, Cointelegraph reported on Dutch company Waste2Wear conducting the world’s first exhibition of recycled fabrics, made from ocean plastics, that can be traced using blockchain technology.
