In China, Walmart, JD.com, IBM, and Tsinghua University National Engineering Laboratory for E-Commerce Technologies announced the Blockchain Food Safety Alliance, a collaboration designed to enhance food tracking, traceability and safety in China. The goal is a standards-based method of collecting data about the origin, safety and authenticity of food, using blockchain technology for real-time traceability throughout the supply chain.
This will encourage accountability and give suppliers, regulators and consumers greater transparency into how food is handled. This has traditionally been challenging due to complex and fragmented data sharing systems that are often paper-based and can be error-prone.
IBM will provide its IBM Blockchain Platform and expertise, while Tsinghua University will act as a technical advisor in the key technologies and the China food safety ecosystem. IBM and Tsinghua will collaborate with Walmart and JD to develop, optimize and roll out the technology to suppliers and retailers that join the alliance.