California Giant Berry Farms Deploys Blockchain for Increased Supply Chain Transparency
Leading California-based fresh produce firm – California Giant Berry Farms – is using the Glasschain blockchain platform to track the movement of its berries along the supply chain. Notably, California Giant is also blockchain compliant with the IBM Food Trust allowing all points of the firm’s berry supply chain to access data at all times, The Packer reports, May 17, 2020.
California Giant Leverages Blockchain to Track Berries
Watsonville, California-based California Giant has turned to distributed ledger technology (DLT) to ensure the freshness and safety of its farm-produced berries. Per sources close to the matter, the company is utilizing Glasschain software – an “all-encompassing event database” that links the firm and its customer ERP software with all the details on harvest location and time and shipping throughout the supply chain.
According to Thomas Taggart, senior director of operations, California Giant, the development will enable the firm and its multiple partners to streamline and identify opportunities for improvement around operational efficiencies while at the same time focusing on the goods’ freshness.
Similarly, retail giant Walmart welcomed the development by praising California Giant’s decision to adopt blockchain technology to streamline its supply chain infrastructure.
Tejas Bhatt, senior director of global food safety innovation for Walmart, said:
“From leafy greens to bell peppers, Walmart has been digitizing its food supply chain using blockchain.”
Adding:
“This enables us to track food from farm to store and helps ensure it is fresh and safe when our customers buy it.”
Blockchain: An Ideal Solution to Tackle Supply Chain Inefficiencies
Blockchain technology’s immutability and the ability to maintain a secure ledger of transactions makes it an ideal fit for the typically fragmented global supply chain fabric. In fact, private blockchains also provide the added benefit of rapid transactions and enterprise-grade scalability which has made them considerably popular among firms looking to deploy DLT-based solutions to better their supply chains.
As BTCManager reported on January 8, 2020, IBM, in partnership with Farmer Connect had launched a blockchain-based consumer app called “Thank My Farmer” to enable coffee drinkers to track the supply chain journey of their cup of coffee.
On a recent note, BTCManager informed its audience about Malaysia’s decision to use blockchain technology to enable increased transparency and traceability in its local palm oil supply chain ecosystem.
