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Walmart worked with IBM on a food safety chain solution and announced today that all suppliers of green leafy vegetables from Sam and Walmart were to send their data to the blockchain by September 2019.
Most supply chains are mired in manual processes. It is therefore difficult and time-consuming to spot a problem like that of E-romaine lettuce. Coli last spring. By placing a supply chain on the blockchain, this makes the process more traceable, transparent and fully digital. Each node in the blockchain can represent an entity that has handled food on the way to the store, making it easier and faster to see if any of the affected farms sold infected supplies to a particular location with much precision. bigger.
Walmart has been working with IBM for over a year on the use of the blockchain to digitize the process of the food supply chain. In fact, the supply chain is one of the first use cases for the blockchain (beyond the digital currency). Walmart uses IBM Food Trust Solution, specially developed for this use case.
"We designed the IBM Food Trust solution using the IBM Blockchain Platform, a tool or feature designed by IBM to help businesses create, manage, and run blockchain networks. It leverages Hyperledger Fabric (open source digital ledger technology) and runs on IBM Cloud, "said Bridget van Kralingen, IBM's senior vice president of global industries, platforms and blockchain.
Before moving the process to the blockchain, it usually takes about 7 days to find the food source. With the blockchain, it was reduced to 2.2 seconds. This greatly reduces the likelihood that infected foods will reach the consumer.
Photo: Shana Novak / Getty Images
One of the problems in the requirement for suppliers to put their information on the blockchain is to understand that there will be a range of approaches ranging from sheets of paper to Excel worksheets , going through sophisticated ERP systems. Molly Blakeman, spokeswoman for Walmart, says it's something they worked hard on with IBM. Suppliers must not be blockchain experts by any means. They simply need to know how to download the data in the blockchain application.
"IBM will offer an integration system that easily directs users to the service. When you receive a new iPhone, think about it: the instructions are easy to understand and you are quickly operational. This is the goal here. Essentially, providers will need a smart device and the Internet to participate, "she said.
After working with her for a year, the company is ready for a broader implementation with the ultimate goal of ensuring that the food sold at Walmart is safe for consumption and, if there is a problem, to make it the insignificant supply chain. activity.
"Our customers deserve a more transparent supply chain. We felt that the one-step and one-step food traceability model was outdated for the 21st century. It's an intelligent, technology-driven approach that will greatly benefit our customers and transform the food system for the benefit of all stakeholders, "said Frank Yiannas, vice president of food safety at Walmart. .
In addition to the blockchain's requirement, the company also requires that suppliers adhere to one of the initiatives of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), internationally recognized as a food safety standard, according to the company.
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