Introducing BeefChain, a rancher-to-retail supply chain traceability solution using Cardano

BeefChain is a Wyoming-based traceability solution on a quest to track the origin of cattle and sheep using Cardano. Aside from its strong Wyoming connections, it was Atala TRACE, a traceability solution built on top of Cardano, that made the blockchain a perfect choice for BeefTrace, which aims to promote more sustainable farming practices by making it easy for end customers to track the quality and origin of the products they buy.

Blockchain as an unexpected solution to sustainable farming

The global conversation about sustainability has put farming under the spotlight, with many highlighting cattle farming as one of the biggest polluters in the world. Reducing the global consumption of meat is believed to be one of the easiest ways to fight climate change and protect the environment in the short-term. However, as wiping out all farming isn’t and probably won’t be a viable option, many have focused on promoting sustainable practices that reduce the environmental impact farming has.

One of those projects is BeefChain, a blockchain traceability solution that enables unique animal identification and ensures the origin of cattle and sheep. Based in Wyoming, the project is currently trialing its technology on around 1,600 calves from six family-owned ranches in the country.

While the idea behind BeefChain isn’t all that novel, using blockchain to track and store unique information about individual cattle certainly is. According to the company, blockchain allows customers to easily scan a product and track its origin back to the farm where the cattle were raised.

Cardano’s Atala TRACE is a cherry on top of various traceability solutions employed by BeefChain

Enabling consumers to track the origin of the meat they consume will help increase the market share of sustainable farmers and give them access to fairer prices, the company explained. However, for this to work, BeefChain’s tracing solution needs to be scalable, easy-to-use, and widely available to end consumers.

That’s why the company decided to build its platform on top of Cardano.

Aside from Cardano’s strong Wyoming connections, where several labs are currently knee-deep in developing Cardano-based products, it was the traceability solution available on the blockchain that made it attractive to BeefChain—Atala TRACE is a supply-chain traceability solution built on top of Cardano the company plans on leveraging.

“Atala TRACE empowers product owners to improve the visibility of their supply chain, bringing transparency to the end customer — rewarding primary producers who are committed to quality,” the company said in a Medium post.

When combined with other tracing solutions such as QR-codes and RFID chips, connecting BeefChain to a blockchain solution makes it incredibly difficult for bad actors to forge the credentials of a product. And with over 40 percent of all beef fraud being counterfeiting—passing lower-grade meat as high-value—it’s not a problem that should be looked over.

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