Agricultural startup GrainChain backed by Medici Ventures, the blockchain venture arm of online retail giant Overstock, plans to unite the coffee industry of Honduras by delivering its blockchain platform to a network of local stakeholders. The firm has signed several agreements with the aim of bringing the entire coffee supply chain of Honduras together on its blockchain platform, according to the press release published on Sept. 24. One of the world’s biggest coffee producers By launching the initiative, GrainChain intends to facilitate multiple processes in the coffee supply chain of Honduras, where coffee has historically been one of the major …

A group of global coffee companies is aiming to launch a blockchain platform to track coffee using an IBM-developed app by early 2020. Building on IBM Food Trust Platform Farmer Connect, a tech startup developing farm-to-client traceability tools, has teamed up with the world’s top coffee firms such as Jacobs Douwe Egberts and Smucker's to apply blockchain to coffee supply chain tracking using the IBM Food Trust Platform, it was announced on Sept. 18. According to a news release by Farmer Connect, the startup has worked with IBM to build the “Thank My Farmer” app, which provides consumers with detailed …

In Brazil, the state of Bahia has launched a blockchain application to track the process of public bidding on government contracts, according to a report by Cointelegraph Brazil on July 12. The blockchain-based solution, called Online Bid Solution (SOL), was reportedly developed by Cayenne Technology and Design. Bids will reportedly be completely transparent and secure due with the application of blockchain tech. According to Bahia government, the intended beneficiaries of SOL appear to be the Brazilian agriculture industry. The solution is designed to help connect agriculture organizations in Bahia with suppliers and workers throughout Brazil, as well as provide transparency …

Brazilian coffee farming cooperative Minasul plans to issue a coffee-backed token, Bloomberg reported on July 11. According to Bloomberg, Minasul’s president Jose Marcos Magalhaes declared at the Global Coffee Forum in Campinas that Minasul intends to launch the token this month. Farmers will reportedly be able to use the coin to buy fertilizer, machinery and other non-farm products — including cars and food — in a digital marketplace. Per the report, farmers will also be able to acquire the token in exchange for current and future coffee beans production: 30% of the current harvest, 20% of the next crop, and …

Tech giant Oracle and the World Bee Project are developing a blockchain-based sustainability assurance system for honey on the supply chain, according to a report by Ledger Insights on July 5. The honey-tracing blockchain will reportedly be developed on the Oracle Blockchain Platform. According to the report, this partnership aims to launch a “BeeMark” label, which is a purported guarantee that so-labeled honey comes from ecological and sustainable sources. In addition to blockchain technology, BeeMark also plans to make use of data science to monitor environmental factors pertaining to the bees’ surroundings. Oracle also plans to install monitoring systems inside …

Decentralized insurtech firm Etherisc has launched a blockchain-based insurance platform for farmers in Sri Lanka The platform is the result of a partnership with the insurance company Aon and the charity Oxfam in Sri Lanka, according to a press release by Aon on July 1. As per the report, the aim of the insurance platform is to provide a way for Sri Lankan farmers to access risk protection in the face of potential crop-obliterating weather conditions. The report states that almost 200 farmers have enrolled to use this platform for “micro-insurance.” According to Michiel Berende, the Chief Inclusive Officer at …

Microsoft has registered a suite of applications in Brazil that are designed to improve efficiency in the agriculture sector, according to an exclusive report by Cointelegraph Brazil on June 6. The technology, known as FarmBeats, uses blockchain, drones, IoT, artificial intelligence and big data to improve productivity. It has already been rolled out on farms in the United States, India, New Zealand and Kenya, achieving a 30% reduction in water consumption. Ranveer Chandra, the scientist who created FarmBeats, recently said that the agriculture sector had been left behind by the benefits big data, AI and blockchain can bring — even …

Blockchain-powered agricultural project GrainChain has partnered with the Mexican state of Tamaulipas to expand its grain tracking service in the country, Forbes reports May 2. According to the report, the Tamaulipas government is now using GrainChain’s software for tracking major grains such as sorghum, soybean and corn. Implementing GrainChain’s blockchain-enabled tracking tools is expected to bring more transparency in the grain supply chain by automating data records and providing more clarity to the way grain is traced from the field to the end marketplace. GrainChain's software can purportedly verify the authenticity of the grain and identify its source. Combined with …

The agricultural division of pharmaceutical and life science giant Bayer AG, Bayer CropScience, is collaborating with ConsenSys-backed Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) startup BlockApps. BlockApps revealed the news to Cointelegraph on March 22. Germany-based Bayer CropScience has been working on a number of blockchain initiatives with BlockApps since early 2018, a BlockApps spokesperson told Cointelegraph. One of the largest pharmaceutical firms globally, Bayer acquired American agrochemical and agricultural corporation Monsanto in June 2018. A BlockApps representative said that more details can be expected during Blockchain for Food and Beverage Supply Chain conference that is set to take place on March 26–27 in San …

The official Colorado legislation portal reveals that a bipartisan bill proposing a study of blockchain use in agriculture has been introduced on March 15. The bill, jointly filed by four Colorado representative and senators, proposes that the commissioner of the department of agriculture should assemble an advisory group to study blockchain application in the industry. The document also specifies some potential use cases that should be studied, including end product tracking, inventory management and monitoring of in-field conditions. Moreover, the proposed regulation also suggests researching blockchain systems for equipment records storage, data verification and certification of organic products, as well …

The Malaysian state of Penang is considering the use of blockchain technology in food and agricultural products supply chains, local English-language newspaper The Star reports on March 1. According to the country’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries, Sim Tze Tzin, cited by the newspaper, the technology can be used for various applications in the industry. For instance, consumers would be able to track the origins of a particular product they purchase by scanning codes. Additionally, the industry can quickly warn consumers about the outbreaks of dangerous foodborne diseases. The minister also stated that the key advantage of using …

French President Emmanuel Macron has advocated the use of blockchain to innovate supply chain management in the European agriculture industry. The president made his remarks during the 56th International Agriculture Fair in Paris on Saturday, Togolese agriculture news site Agridigitale reported on Feb. 23. Macron called for unity among European nations to counter competition from global markets in China, Russia and the United States, underscoring the importance of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in this regard. He identified three broad strategies to advance the continent’s agricultural industry and maintain a competitive edge, affirming that “no farmer or consumer wants …