South Korean government to trial blockchain for tracking beef

The government of South Korea is seeking to use blockchain technology for tracking beef throughout its supply chain, Yonhap reported.

A pilot program, on these lines, will be jointly launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Science and ICT. The project aims to improve visibility and transparency for consumers.

The pilot will be launched in cattle farms and slaughterhouses in North Jeolla Province by December. Following the trial period, the system is expected to be officially rolled out in January 2019. In a joint release, the ministries said:

“The 'Blockchain Based Livestock History Management System', which is constructed this time, can simultaneously improve the reliability and promptness of the current history service by storing and sharing the history information and various certificates of the beef circulation stage in the block chain.” (via online translation)

The government also plans to collaborate with the private sector to manage additional information on the blockchain platform.

Recently, leading global retailer Carrefour has launched a blockchain-based food traceability system in Spain for one of its food products – ‘Quality and Origin’ chicken. Last month, IBM announced the launch of its blockchain-based food supply chain network, IBM Food Trust.