- AgriLedger is a London-based AgTech startup
- Social enterprise project using DLT and mobile apps for agricultural producers
- Records and transacts all processes in the food supply chain
Do you know where your food comes from? Other than the label on the fruits and vegetables, nothing else really tells us about the origin of what we buy. Just as we don’t have access to this information, millions of farmers worldwide struggle too.
In scenarios where numerous untrusted actors get involved in the distribution of resources, blockchain and its transparency becomes beneficial. Two important areas stand out – agriculture and the food supply chain. Up to now, more than 500 million farmers do not have access to markets, relevant information and financial services.
The lack of traceability not only negatively influences farmers who do not get a fair remuneration. It also affects the end customers – if food becomes contaminated, there is no way of being able to recall it throughout the supply chain. The DLT solution from AgriLedger allows to trace each item, from seed to the end customer.
About AgriLedger
Farmers often do not get a fair share from what they produce. AgriLedger aims to transform the agricultural industry using its blockchain-based platform.
In one particular case, AgriLedger works together with mango farmers at the inception and with the logistic providers, trying to obtain all the required certifications. Once the customer in the US or Canada actually gets that mango, they will be able to scan it and see where it came from and how much the farmer actually made from it.
Everyone Deserves a Fair Share
The food is not scarce, just unequally distributed. The number of undernourished people is rising since 2015. Meanwhile, if just one-fourth of the food currently lost or wasted globally could be saved, more than 800 million people could be fed. The DLT solution developed by AgriLedger provides immutable information providing trust and transparency throughout the supply chain. It allows farmers to keep records and prove their earnings.
In 2018, it is estimated that over 1 billion people were unable to prove their identity. Without official identification, farmers across the globe lose access to financial services which leads to losing a significant part of potential income. The startup provides tools for all the participants in the agricultural supply chain.
How it Works
Genevieve Leveille, the founder & CEO of AgriLedger, told us more about the technology they’re using: “As a base technology, we are using a company called ACCHAIN, which is the side chain of Ash. Ash is a Chinese blockchain company that allows for side chains to be created. What we’re doing, however, is we’re changing a modicum to actually have the side chains multi chains, but also a main chain, which is capturing the information. So it allows on the side chain to be able to have permission and on the main chain the information which is public to all. Furthermore, we are also going in the P2P aspect to where the information is in the hand of the producer and so you can push it as needed. And one of the key things, because we’re working with farmers who will not always have a telecommunication access, is that we allow for the system to actually write the block when disconnected. So actually we’re moving it from being blockchain to more block-graph. So that part of it would be the the chain of course, but a lot of it will be data related.”
Why Blockchain?
Genevieve Leveille explained the benefits of using blockchain: “I think that the blockchain provides a certain level of assurance of data and also that what you’re getting and what you’re paying for is actually what you expect it to be. And, as a result, it also creates the right reward for those who are using it. Now, that’s one aspect of it. Another aspect is around food security. One of the Sustainable Development Goals is really about nutrition and food, making sure that food is available to those who need it in the right places. Plenty of time, we see a lot of waste. So how can we help reduce the waist and get that through to those who are starving. Or if the food is bad, how do we make sure that that food gets out of the circulation?”
Founders and team members of AgriLedger consist of thinkers, writers, designers and experts connected by the love for food and innovative technologies. The idea was born in just 48 hours during a London Hackathon in 2015.