UN World Food Program uses Etherium block chain!

The UN World Food Program has been tested using a private copy of the Etherium block chain and a smart phone app to control the distribution of food/aid.

This was for a number of reasons.

• Avoid bank transfer fees
• Control and track where resources go

They started with a test in in Pakistan, they moved expanded it into a Jordanian refugee camp to control cash distribution to refugees, that pilot alone saved $150000/month and eliminated 98% of the associated bank fees.

What is really interesting is they also use bio-metrics to eliminate the need for cash while also keeping an immutable log of what was distributed where.

THey are now ramping the system up and I assume before long will be the normal way they operate.

This has to be one of the most exciting use cases for blockchain technology I have encountered in that it can discourage curruption at all levels. The immutable record and who, what and where meaning it becomes far harder for people to syphon off resources, it also becomes far more obvious when this occurs.

Source Bloomberg

Thought people might find this interesting :)

Woz