Blockchain technology caught the world by storm almost a decade ago. The appearance of cryptocurrencies made us skeptical, but there are many now who would love to have been able to invest in Bitcoin again while it was still cheap.
As it turns out, digital money was just the tip of the iceberg. We are just beginning to tap into the full potential of the tech, and agriculture is going to start utilizing it pretty soon, possibly without the regular Joe even noticing that it’s happening. Online gambling has already jumped on the bandwagon, even though we are still far from getting the Videoslots bonuskode 2019 in bitcoin. So, what is blockchain and how can we use this technology in the service of agriculture?
What Is It?
Blockchains are lists of data and records, packed into neat little blocks. Every bit of relevant info is stored and passed on to the next block. You can’t change the data in the block without affecting the blocks that follow it, which makes it difficult to tamper with the data.
Think of a receipt that you get when you buy something. For the sake of this analogy, imagine those ridiculously long receipts you get for a small pack of gum. Now, imagine that this receipt holds the info on all the transactions before your packet of gum. Not only that, but this info is public and easily accessible.
Managing Waste
Food waste is a serious issue. The thing is that it’s not just the consumer’s fault – there are many instances where food is wasted due to faulty production, transportation, and storage.
Blockchain technology can easily track down every individual grain, giving us more info on which sectors are wasting food which could allow us to account for that next time we try to manage food waste.
Transparency
Many businesses fib. It’s just what they do. I’m not calling it good or bad, necessary or illegal – I’m just stating a fact. If each and every transaction, product declaration and price are visible from the beginning until the end, there is very little room for maneuvering through the record books. Real info on the product becomes public knowledge, like whether or not it’s really gluten-free. This also protects the consumers and businesses from the unfair pricing of products.
Tracking Produce
You could see where every individual grain comes from. This will allow companies to track down the sick food, as well as damaged food and the food past its BBD. You could potentially crack down on the origin of the outbreak and stop it from happening in the future.
Not only that but figuring out the logistics of food transport becomes a simple matter. It may very well turn out to be significantly easier to plan the delivery of food with a short shelf life, based on previous experiences.
