The South Korean government will use blockchain technology for tracing beef and providing consumers with information from the food supply chain, Yonhap News Agency, the largest news agency in South Korea, reported yesterday, Nov. 20. Blockchain technology has been implemented into the pilot program that is to be launched jointly by the Ministry of Science and ICT and Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. The testing phase of the program is scheduled for December and the official launch of the system is to be in January 2019. According to Yonhap, the ministries are planning to use the distributed ledger …

International charity Oxfam officially launched its BlocRice blockchain supply chain solution for Cambodian rice Nov. 15, Cambodian daily media outlet Khmer Times reports. BlocRice, which aims to use smart contracts to provide transparency and security between rice growers and purchasers in the Netherlands, has been under development and should expand to 5,000 farms by 2022, the outlet notes. “The project aims to test blockchain technology and its smart contracts, a digital 3-way contract farming arrangement between primary producer, Cambodian rice exporter and retailer in Europe, to improve farmers’ livelihood and their supply conditions,” an information brochure from Oxfam explains. The …

U.S. fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen has announced a second funding round to raise $200 million, mentioning blockchain among its key development areas, according to a press release published Tuesday, Nov. 13. Throughout the first round, closed late October, the company managed to raise $200 million, becoming valued at over $1 billion. During the second round led by major asset management company Fidelity Investments, the salad chain aims to raise an equal amount. The сapital raised, in particular, will enable Sweetgreen to focus on technology and supply chain development, the release states, with blockchain mentioned as the “most viable solution available” …

Food’s a necessity for all of us – and as a result, you’d think that the restaurant industry would be one of the most resilient on the planet. But although overall revenues are set to grow in the coming years in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, it’s not going to be a money-making story for everyone. Competition is on the rise – and in some cases, casual dining is facing a crisis. In the UK, an estimated eight restaurants, pubs and bars closed every day from June 2017 to June 2018 – with the number of eateries falling …

The world’s four largest agriculture companies, commonly known as ABCD, have partnered to digitize international grain trading by using blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, Reuters reports Thursday, Oct. 25. ABCD, composed of Archer Daniels Midland Co., Bunge Ltd., Cargill Inc., and Louis Dreyfus Co., states that blockchain implementation could make trading more efficient and transparent, as well as reduce costs. The conglomerate aims to digitize the system that has previously relied on paper contracts, invoices, and manual payments. According to grain industry news outlet World-Grain.com, blockchain and AI will be initially used to automate grain and oilseed post-trade execution …

Canada-based blockchain and crypto company DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. (DMG) has announced the development of a global supply chain management platform for the legal cannabis industry, according to an announcement published Oct. 17. As reported by Canada’s national public news and information service CBC, the country’s government officially legalized recreational marijuana as of today. Cannabis was previously available only for medicinal use within the country. According to Health Canada, there are currently over 120 licensed cannabis producers in Canada, where one of the top producers has already stated that labor shortages and supply chain issues could lead to scarcity soon …

The Thai Ministry of Commerce has begun to conduct feasibility studies on the use of blockchain in copyright, agriculture, and trade finance, English-language Thai newspaper Bangkok Post reports Tuesday, Oct. 9. A Thai official from Thailand’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO), Pimchanok Vonkorpon, told the Bangkok Post that the study is being conducted with the help of the British embassy in Bangkok. As per the article, the ministry wants to find out whether decentralized solutions can boost the country’s competitiveness and credibility, especially in relation to small business. Vonkorpon added that blockchain feasibility studies will also refer to processing …

Overstock.com’s venture capital subsidiary Medici Ventures has invested in Israeli-based technology company VinX to develop a blockchain-powered wine futures platform, according to a press release published October 4. The exact amount of the investment was not disclosed. Per the announcement, VinX plans to develop a token-based digital wine futures platform based on the Bordeaux futures model, that will enable the trade of wine futures on a blockchain platform. The initiative purports this will create a secure supply chain that assures product provenance and thus reduces fraud in the wine industry. According to the press release, 20 percent of wine globally …

The blockchain in agriculture and food supply chains market will be worth over $400 million in the next five years, according to a new report. Authored by Reportlinker, a report released this week “Blockchain: Agriculture Market Forecast until 2023” foresees the sector growing from its current worth of $60.8 million to $429.7 million at a compound annual growth rate of 47.8 percent. “Blockchain technology is revolutionizing the food and agriculture sectors by enhancing the decision-making capabilities of organizations,” a summary press release reads. “The blockchain market is expected to grow, owing to the increase in the demand for supply chain …

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a U.S. national milk marketing cooperative, has teamed up with food fintech startup ripe.io to pilot a blockchain-powered project aimed at improving the food supply chain, according to an announcement published September 25. DFA is a cooperative owned by dairy farmer-members in 48 states, the net income of which totalled $127.4 million in 2017, while its net sales were over $14 billion. In 2017, the cooperative directed the marketing of 64.4 billion pounds of milk, representing approximately 30 percent of the total milk production in the U.S. Now, DFA is embracing blockchain technology in order …

Albert Heijn, Holland’s largest supermarket chain, has revealed it is using blockchain to make the production chain of its orange juice transparent, International Supermarket News reports September 21. Albert Heijn will reportedly launch the new blockchain system in partnership with its supplier, Refresco. To give customers’ maximum information about the source of Albert Heijn’s own-brand “sustainable” product, they will be able to scan a QR code on the orange juice carton that will trace the end-to-end route of its production, from Brazil to the Netherlands. The system will reportedly store data that reveals the quality and sustainability ratings held by …

Food safety firm ZEGO is using blockchain to test products for residue of a deadly chemical tied to a recent $289 million Monsanto lawsuit, according to a press release published August 16. Earlier this month, Monsanto was fined $289 million in damages after a court ruled in favor of a plaintiff’s claims that the company’s use of a herbicide containing glyphosate had caused his cancer. ZEGO reportedly has a patent-pending blockchain system that would allow companies to test foodstuffs for glyphosate. The company says it had initially developed the solution to enable consumers to make better informed choices about the …