Walmart, JD.com Found First Blockchain Food Safety Alliance

Walmart and JD.com, together with IBM and Tsinghua University National Engineering Laboratory for E-commerce Technologies jointly announced the establishment of China’s first Blockchain Food Safety Alliance, aimed to further strengthen cooperation related to food tracking, traceability and safety, enhance the transparency of China’s food supply chain and take a solid step towards ensuring consumers’ food safety.

The idea is to develop “a standards-based method of collecting data about the origin, safety and authenticity of food” with the jointly efforts of the four parties mentioned above, with blockchain serving as a technological basis for recording that information in real time. This would promote accountability and provide suppliers, regulators and consumers with a more in-depth and clear understanding of how food get circulated throughout the food supply chain from farm to table. Because of the fragmented and often-paper-based nature of the data which may easily lead to mistakes, it has always been a challenge to have a sound record of information.

The four parties will seek to connect businesses along the food supply chain and regulator, to reach standards, solutions and partnerships needed by China’s food safety ecosystem. In this effort, IBM will provide blockchain platforms and expertise, while Tsinghua University will share its expertise in core technologies and China’s food safety ecosystem as a technology consultant. IBM and Tsinghua University plan to cooperate with Walmart and JD to develop and optimize blockchain technology and extend it to more suppliers and retailers to join in the alliance.