A Proof-of-Concept of Farmer-to-Consumer Food Traceability on Blockchain for Local Communities

Recent pandemic presses importance on the trade of quality produce from local farmers to consumers. Traditionally, farmers rely on middlemen to sell their produce, resulting in occasional price injustice, and the lack of direct communication with their customers who could be interested in learning more about the produce they consume. To provide trusts using technology instead of an intermediary, this paper proposes a design of a blockchain-based food traceability system for local farmers to sell produce to health-aware consumers who could trace the farming activities of the produce they purchase. The system is based on a private blockchain platform, Hyperledger Fabric, that supports farmers, carriers, and consumers. Farm activities can be recorded by farmers. Consumers can view produce history before making a purchase, and track transportation by carriers up until delivery. IoT is integrated to record farming environments and quality of farm during plantation is evaluated. This provides a proof-of-concept of how a blockchain-based system can be implemented for local produce marketplace without the need of intermediary.