By Matshediso Motshabi
In order to make it difficult or impossible to alter, hack, or cheat the system, information is recorded using block chain technology. It is used in all aspects of daily life, but is highly common in running the Government, banks, retailers, media, and energy companies. Consumers want to know exactly where their food comes from and how it was grown because there are more people with food allergies today than there were twenty years ago due to the expanding global population and increased demand for food. Agribusinesses are looking for supply chain management software system to enhance food safety, food quality, and the traceability of the entire farming supply chain due to a desire to eat healthily and the widespread adoption of technology across all industries.
Food supply chains are threatened at various points by counterfeit goods, which are brought on by an increase in food demand. Farmers and consumers suffer from a lack of transparency and poor performance. Therefore, distributed ledger technology and block chain farming have the potential to improve the effectiveness, transparency, and trust in agricultural supply chains. By fostering relationships of trust, block chain for agriculture supply chain can empower all market participants. The agricultural supply chain’s use of block chain has the potential to transform the sector by reducing financial risks and promoting inclusive trade, giving farmers and businesses access to agricultural financial services, generating smarter market data for better decision-making with data science in agriculture, legally proving certifications to pertinent parties, and tracking a product along its entire path from farmland to store shelf.
The management of the agricultural supply chain is more complex than other supply chains due to the dependence of agricultural production on unpredictable and difficult to control factors like weather, pests, and diseases. Financial transactions in the agricultural supply chain are slowed down by the lack of traceability, which also results in frequently lengthy manual labour. Additionally, fake products could show up at any point in the supply chain and have dangerous repercussions for all parties involved in the business, including consumers and Governments.
Botswana Animal Information & Traceability System (BAITS), which tracks beef produce from the point of production to the consumer, is one example of block chain technology used in Botswana. In order to guarantee that consumers receive the best produce possible, some of our well-known broiler and egg producers have also embraced this technology. However, there is no indication that block chain technology is being used in our local horticultural and arable sub-sectors. We eagerly await the introduction of legislations and regulations that would compel the use of this technology in crop production and the supply chain, particularly since we intend to export perishables in the near future.
Our nation has made great strides in horticultural production and stocking store shelves since the horticultural produce import restriction went into effect. It should be noted that washing the produce does not ensure its cleanliness. Produce must be tested for pesticide residue content to increase food safety and reduce the incidence of the diseases including all types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases and others. Other advantages of block chain technology in agriculture include better quality control due to greater supply chain traceability, which increases a steady flow of produce due to increased farmer productivity and leads to more equitable payments to farmers.
