The J.M. Smucker Company, also known as Smucker’s, has announced that blockchain technology will be implemented in their system to trace Colombian coffee beans directly back to their source, all the while enabling consumers to support coffee farmers through the platform.
The American food manufacturer collaborated with Farmer Connect to leverage IBM Blockchain to trace the coffee beans of Smucker’s popular 1850 Coffee brand. Farmer Connect is an organization dedicated to increasing transparency and sustainability in agriculture supply chains. Smucker’s 1850 Coffee brand will be the first brand in the United States to introduce Farmer Connect’s very own “Thank My Farmer” mobile app. This mobile application will allow consumers to trace coffee products they bought back to its original source.
Farmer Connect introduced and launched the “Thank My Farmer” app at the Consumer Electronics Show this year and demonstrated how a personalized QR-code found on the app could be scanned in order for a consumer to follow the journey of a coffee bean.
The company operates by having a personalized QR-code attached to each bag of coffee. The electronic code can then be scanned by a smart device. Once scanned and processed, consumers will be directed to the “Thank My Farmer” website, which provides information regarding where the coffee bean in question was planted, roasted, processed, and exported.
While J.M. Smucker Company is not officially a part of IBM’s Food Trust Network, the coffee manufacturing firm will use the same technology platform as Food Trust. The network in question is powered by Hyperledger Fabric. The coffee company believes that consumers are seeking transparency in supply chains more so now than ever and that they are committed to the sustainability and environmental implications of commodities they consume.
Senior Vice President and General Manager at J.M. Smucker Company Joe Stanziano said:
“Our work with Farmer Connect and IBM not only helps connect coffee lovers to the producers who provide their favorite morning drink, it also gives them the opportunity to support these hardworking smallholder farmers and their families.”
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