Computer implemented blockchain-based system for agricultural products

Abstract

A platform built on blockchain that is designed to help increase traceability, efficiency and fairness in agricultural supply chains, such as the coffee, cocoa, tea, sugar, grains and fruit supply chains. The platform includes a Self-Sovereign Identity solution, a new form of digital identity built on distributed ledger technology. Farmers, wholesalers, traders and retailers can interact more efficiently using comprehensive, near real-time access to this data, and consumers can have new insights about the origins of the products they consume. The platform includes a consumer-facing application that pulls information directly from the blockchain and connects the final consumer, e.g. a coffee drinker, to farmers, traders, roasters and brands. The information is presented on an interactive map, allowing each product to tell a story in a simple and scalable way. The app also presents sustainability projects in coffee communities and an opportunity for consumers to directly support them.

1 . A computer implemented blockchain-based system for agricultural products, the blockchain based system being configured to enable:
 (a) a transaction associated with a producer, such as a farmer or group of farmers, or small holders - such as coffee farmers, or tobacco farmers, or any other crop, to be captured on the blockchain-based system and associated with a digital ID for that producer;   (b) transactions made by one or more entities when handling or processing goods from that producer to be captured on the blockchain-based system; and   (c) a consumer, using an application running on a smartphone or other connected computing device, to view, and/or verify one or more of these transactions, and/or trace goods from that producer, using the blockchain-based system.   
     
     
         2 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which each of the separate entities have individually set permission levels. 
     
     
         3 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which the blockchain is private. 
     
     
         4 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which the blockchain-based system is configured to enable multiple traces to be run in parallel, or simultaneously, or consolidated. 
     
     
         5 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which the blockchain-based system is configured to enable the results of one or more traces or other analytics to be overlaid onto a map such as a physical map of places, or a logical map of processes. 
     
     
         6 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which the consumer can, via the application, make a money payment to or for the producer. 
     
     
         7 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which a money payment by-passes the entities handling or processing goods from that producer. 
     
     
         8 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which a money payment is handled as though it was a physical item by the blockchain- based system. 
     
     
         9 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which physical goods, references to digital certificates, and the exchange of currency, traced as if it were physical goods, are tracked within a same contracting reference. 
     
     
         10 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which a money payment is traceable by the consumer. 
     
     
         11 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which the producer records impact or use of payments on the blockchain-based system to enable the consumer to view impact or use. 
     
     
         12 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which the blockchain-based system is configured to constitute a universal data standard regardless of the identity of any specific producer or end-user. 
     
     
         13 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which a user can trace a chain using a reference code, a product, a location, and limit or filter the results returned by counterparty, digital certificate, facility certification, date range, number of steps from the reference, or type of facility/product. 
     
     
         14 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which information is available via API for consumption by other systems, and feeds into two organic systems: an enterprise dashboard, integrated with artificial intelligence, that analyzes volumes, yields or other variables on the trace to identify and visually highlight outliers, and a consumer application or web page which uses product descriptions, an interactive map, and interactive content such as crowdfunding projects, wikis, and social media content to engage consumers with full analytics provided to enterprise customers on a contractual basis. 
     
     
         15 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which a consumer application provides the consumer end-user access to a supply chain blockchain based platform, and in which the application displays to the end-user a list of agricultural goods based on the end-user search criteria, such as geographical location, current or future availability, expected delivery, producer digital ID credentials, producer trust score. 
     
     
         16 . The blockchain-based system of  claim 1 , in which a consumer application provides the consumer end-user access to a supply chain blockchain based platform that defines traceability for agricultural goods, and in which the application displays to the end-user a screen or menu option that when selected causes a message or communication from the consumer end-user to be associated with a producer, such as a farmer or group of farmers, that produces the goods or ingredients or constituents for the agricultural goods. 
     
     
         17 . A computer implemented method, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) capturing on a blockchain-based system a transaction associated with a producer, such as a farmer or group of farmers, or small holders - such as coffee farmers, or tobacco farmers, or any other crop, and associating the transaction with a digital ID for that producer;   (b) capturing on the blockchain-based system transactions made by one or more entities when handling or processing goods from that producer; and   (c) enabling a consumer, using an application running on a smartphone or other connected computing device, to view and/or verify one or more of these transactions, and/or trace goods from that producer, using the blockchain-based system.