Blockchain coalition
Introduction
The hype surrounding blockchain and distributed ledger technology continues as many people that this is the way forward to solve a multitude of challenges facing development issues. We focus specifically on agri-food systems in low and middle-income countries for a number of reasons.
First of all, we can observe a growing gap between the high income countries and low and middle-income countries relative to the ongoing digital revolution. Low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are increasingly participating in the digital world as can be observed in the increasing penetration of cel phones in these geographies and an increasing use of simple smart phones which allow the rise of digital services such as the success story of mobile money transfer in east Africa through MPASA. However, the digital revolution as a way to ensure that poor farmers in resource-scarce settings start profiting of global economic development is not yet being realized.
Blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) is a way to address transparency, governance and trust issues in value chains. The best known initial initiative is Bitcoin, which allowed an informal banking system to emerge outside traditional banking governance structures, through a technological solution to ensure trust in transactions. Beyond bitcoin, DLT offers a set of software engineering solutions to tackle trust and governance issues in value chains that do not necessarily have to entail crypto-currencies.
Working group on Blockchain with the CoP SED
Blockchain or blockchain-like technology potentially offers a solution to some of the seemingly insuperable problems facing value chains in low and middle-income countries, especially when it relates to resource poor actors in agri-food systems. During the Big data Convention in Cali, Colombia, Sptember 2017, a number of members of #CoP_SED formed a loose coalition of organizations interested in piloting these technologies in our target geographies. We believe that in the challenging environments we work in, many proofs-of-concept or pilots will fail, but that valuable lessons can be learned from those failures. Hence it makes sense to coordinate in some way to ensure that this learning takes place.
Getting involved
If you want to contribute to the blockchain coalition whether as a scientists, a blockchain tech developer, development practitioner or private sector stakeholder in an agri-food value chain that can use blockchain or distributed ledger technology to benefit the poor, please contact Gideon Kruseman <g.kruseman@cgiar.org>.
AgrifoodTrust
The testing and Learning Platform for Digital Trust and Transparency Technologies
#BDPHYDERABAD2019
Blockchain enabled transformation of food systems
CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture Convention 2019, Hyderabad.
October 16, 2:00 pm Panel with Rama Iyer, Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt and Gideon Kruseman
Part of the session was live-streamed on youtube. Starts at 28 minutes (see youtube)
The presentation can be found here
The video shown at the start of the presentation can be seen here
Some Twitter reactions to the session:
Strike Two: a testing and learning platform for digital trust and transparency technologies in agri-food
October 17, 4:00 pm Panel with Chris Addison, Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt and Gideon Kruseman
During this session three key partners developing the Strike Two testing and learning platform for digital trust and transparency technologies in agri-food, presented the rationale for the platform and highlighted the key expected features.
To see the presentation click here.
Build your own blockchain
October 18, 1:30 pm Interactive session organized by Gideon Kruseman on how to build a blockchain with Akhil Ageer and Parag Rahangdale of BlockXpert.co and Eleven01
The presenters from BlockXpert demonstrated how a blockchain application is build using the Eleven01 protocol. The example was a certificate. The QR code links to the immutable database entry
The certificate
the verified authenticity of the certificate
Blockchain posts
Strike Two Summit
This fall/winter, three events are taking place showcasing and discussing digital innovations to make our food system more circular, sustainable and future-proof. Each event is focused on a part of the food chain: starting with a consumer-orientated event on building trust, followed by an event entirely for our farming industry and closing with our food supply chain as a whole.
The future of food exists in a world where smart agriculture, smart production, smart logistics, smart trade, smart consumption and smart financing come together. Blockchain is a promising technology to make this happen. It can fundamentally improve our food systems: it provides a ‘single layer of truth’, can better guarantee food safety and stimulate circularity along the supply chain. (read more...)
