Emma Weston, chief executive officer of AgriDigital, said blockchain and distributed ledger technologies were already being shown to hold exciting opportunities in agriculture.
“The potential of blockchain to increase efficiency and trust throughout agri-supply chains is broad, including providing back office cost savings, creating digital title to commodities, removing double data entry, proving a clear chain of custody and supporting full traceability of commodities,” Weston said.
CBH and AgriDigital will assess the benefits of blockchain technology in grains handling, with a pilot going live this month at oats processor Blue Lake Milling, a wholly owned subsidiary of CBH, in Bordertown, South Australia.
The pilot will run using AgriDigital’s agri-blockchains and smart contract library, and will be one of the first of its kind globally.
The objectives are to prove the application of blockchain in providing full supply chain traceability, and executing the settlement of commodities on a blockchain by matching title transfer to payment in a single transaction.
“Through the pilot, CBH and AgriDigital are not only proving out blockchain technology, but we are demonstrating that a start-up and a large player in the grains industry can work together and collaborate to solve problems,” Weston said.
Andrew Crane, CEO of CBH Group, said the pilot was one of the first projects to be undertaken as the co-operative explores the possibilities of emerging technology across the business.
“Since being established in Western Australia more than 80 years ago, CBH has continuously evolved, innovated and grown,” Crane said. “We’re continuing that story by exploring options to implement innovative solutions that will improve our supply chain and reduce costs for the benefit of our growers.”
