What is Blockchain Agriculture? 

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You have most likely heard of Blockchain technology, but how is it used in agriculture exactly? In this article you wil learn: 

• what is blockchain
• how is it currently used in agriculture
• what are the downsides of blockchain agriculture

Ready to go? Let's get started! 

What is blockchain? 

Blockchain is defined simply as software which creates a ledger of accounts, also known as a database, whose transaction history is very difficult to change. Because of how difficult blockchain software is to manipulate, it is a highly secure way to transfer data online. One well known example of how blockchain technology is used is bitcoin, a digital currency which is stored via blockchain technology as opposed to a bank.

In an age where data security is more important than ever before, the security of blockchain is very attractive to many different industries. How is blockchain used in agriculture? 

To find out, follow us to the next section! 

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How is Blockchain Used In Agriculture?

According to Remi Schmaltz, CEO of Decisive Farming, a Canadian company that works with agricultural applications of blockchain, blockchain offers: 

"a single source of truth about the state of your farm, inventory, and contracts"

Because agriculture is becoming more and more hi-tech and technology plays a larger role in modern farming than aver before, blockchain provides a highly secure method of managing all the data involved in running an agricultural business. In some types of farming such as vertical farming, automation, data, sensors, and other technology are essential to successful farming, and may have even more use of blockchain as a result.

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Other uses of blockchain in agriculture include: 

• Traceability: As food safety becomes more and more important, the integrity of where crops came from and their authenticity is highly important. For example, organic produce records can be stored via blockchain to ensure that when produce arrives at the supermarket, buyers are confident produce is truly organic. If there is a food safety outbreak regarding contaminated food, the source of the contamination can be traced back to the exact field location and harvester of origin.

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• Precision agriculture: One concept about blockchain which has not yet been discussed is that it is decentralized. This is very important, as Schmaltz states: 

Any updates made become part of the ledger and every participating device receives the updated record. Even out in the field, disconnected from internet access, any changes will sync to the network as soon as the device regains internet access.

• Quality control: For indoor farming and vertical farming applications, climate control is crucial to success. This is also the case in cold chain transport in the supply chain. Blockchain allows a method for many different sensors to collect data securely, sync when internet access is available, and provide a secure, holistic picture of how temperature, humidity, and other factors have impacted crops, giving visibility that was previously difficult or even impossible.

What are the Downsides of Blockchain Agriculture

• Currently, one challenge to blockchain agriculture is that many parts of the agricultural supply chain have not developed enough technologically to use it. As time goes on, adoption will only increase

• Understanding: Your average farmer most likely does not understand blockchain agriculture and its potential value. That's where education will become necessary to survive as a farming business in the 2020's. Farmers who do not understand blockchain and other new technologies will be less competitive and eventually die off.

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Interested to learn more about blockchain agriculture, vertical farming, and more? 

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