The Potential of Blockchain for Increasing Transparency and Traceability across Agro-food Value Chains

The combined use of distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs), smart contracts and tokens can lead to substantial competitiveness and efficiency gains yielding significant impacts on the economy, environment and society. The integration of DLT systems and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors in agro-food supply chains can contribute to raising the levels of transparency and traceability; enhance food security; cut transaction costs; increase the added value of organic and ecological products. Blockchain can also reduce dependence on intermediaries; facilitate the management of economic and financial support for farmers and reduce the possibilities of fraud and corruption by simplifying and automating processes and streamlining access to international markets. This webinar will explore blockchain’s basic operation principles, potential, shortcomings, risks and implementation challenges: What is blockchain? How does it work? How can the convergence with IoT sensors and other digital technologies maximize its impact? Which strategies have been followed to address interoperability and scalability issues? What are the current international best practices and lessons learned? How are its negative externalities being managed? What are the current trends of standardisation and regulation? How can be assessed the readiness of a commodity value chain to integrate blockchain? The webinar is part of UNIDO's special series on “Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID) In the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR): Making the Fourth Industrial Revolution work for all”