Blockchain, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), and the supply chain industry have been flirting for quite some time now. These new technologies can heavily improve almost any supply chain and give end consumers added peace of mind when it comes to their ethically sourced products. One Ugandan coffee producer has gone the extra mile to incorporate DLT into its supply chain, so that end users of its coffee beans can verify the authenticity of the beans and the fact they have been responsibly farmed.
Coffee is an Ethical Minefield
The coffee farming industry has come under intense scrutiny over the last few years, with many large-scale providers using child labor and irresponsibly sourced beans. In a bid to help keep its brand image clean, Carico Cafe Connoisseur is using DLT to allow end users to verify that the beans are authentic, were farmed responsibly in the correct location, and that no child labor was used in the process of getting the beans into your coffee cup. DLT is helping to ensure every cup of coffee you drink is good for the planet and your taste buds.
Cobalt Following Suit
Cobalt is another product that shares the same level of scrutiny. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has the largest natural reserves of cobalt, but it’s fraught with war and child labor. In a bid to ensure that its supplies of cobalt are free from any of these influences, Ford has teamed up with IBM to create a blockchain to trace the supply of cobalt from mine to factory. Cobalt is used in most of Ford’s electrical components, making it incredibly important for Ford to ensure its cobalt is ethically sourced, otherwise it could face hefty fines and outrage from consumers.
Verify Your Wine with DLT
After a long day of driving your Ford pickup truck and sipping on fresh coffee from the slopes of Mount Elgon, what better way to put your feet up and enjoy a nice glass of wine. Ricci Curbastro, Ruffino Wines, and West Wind Wines have teamed up with VeChain to help end consumers gain a deeper insight into each bottle of wine. VeChain’s DLT tags allow wine consumers to view a deep and personal story into each bottle, with information such as grape variety, growing region, where the bottle was stored, and the owner of the vineyard.
DLT is starting to have its impact felt as supply chains become more secure and end consumers have the power to validate the authenticity of the manufacturer’s claims. This new technology is empowering consumers and helping to pull manufactures into line with current ethical trends – something regulators have long struggled with.
