Using Blockchain to Enlist Smallholders in the Fight Against Foodborne Disease

By Ken Cottrill, Co-Founder and Research Principal ​​

In countries such as the United States the increasing number of foodborne illness outbreaks is attracting attention, but the issues are by no means confined to wealthy nations. A World Bank study published in October 2018 finds that the impact of unsafe food on low- and middle-income economies amounts to some $110 billion annually in lost productivity and medical expenses. 
 
Companies are developing blockchain solutions to make supply chains more transparent and hence improve food safety. But enabling small-scale farmers with limited resources in developing countries to adopt blockchain technology is a challenge. 
 
Smallholder farmers are a vital link in food supply chains. There are an estimated 500 million smallholder farming households that cultivate five acres or less of land, explains a new eBook from Chain Business Insights LLC titled ​Blockchain in Smallholder Farming: Sowing the Seeds of Growth. In combination, they represent a major part of the world’s agricultural output. 
 
Blockchain technology “can address key smallholder supply chain issues such as a lack of trust, the absence of reliable and permanent systems of records and the need for effective data management systems,” says the eBook.

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