A new project between innovative content management company Yaliyomo and agriculture giant Agrarius aims to solidify traceability of cereals and oilseeds – in a clear sign that Germany's proposed Supply Chain Law is already making waves in the agri-food industry.
The Frankfurt-based company has begun a project with Yaliyomo that will see blockchain-based tracking rolled out for cereal and oilseed crops grown on 6400 hectares of land in Romania and track consignments from harvest through to storage and wholesale retailers. The new system will measure quality indicators – such as purity of the grain and freedom from allergen residues - along the entire journey of the crops and make this information easily visible and traceable, for the first time.
The firm aims to get ahead of Germany's proposed Supply Chain Act and use Yaliyomo's software to strengthen consumer trust – with blockchain-based certification and transparency for all its goods.
The Supply Chain Bill, currently proposed in the Bundestag, requires companies in all sectors to make their supply chains transparent; ensuring that firms that do business in Germany adhere to strict labour and environmental regulations, regardless of where their goods are manufactured. Complex chains in the food industry present a significant challenge but, as the world's first blockchain-enabled content management platform, Yaliyomo offers a suitable and secure solution.
Of particular interest, the Yaliyomo system connects to existing logistics and monitoring systems – an innovation absent from other traceability platforms – which can save users time and effort in making the transition and complying with new regulations.
For Ottmar Lotz, CEO of Agrarius AG, the project with Yaliyomo is also of strategic importance to counter price pressure in the market. 'We want to provide our customers with documented evidence of the quality of our goods,' explains Lotz.
'We expect that the obligation to trace the goods will come,' he added. 'Yaliyomo's blockchain technology is perfect for this. We are keen for it to becomes the industry standard, so I am very pleased that as part of our new agreement, we have agreed that Agrarius will have the opportunity to make a significant investment in the company as part of the next financing round.”
Björn Bayard, Co-Founder and COO of Yaliyomo, explains: 'We are very pleased that Agrarius has chosen us as their blockchain-based content management platform. Confidence in food is vital, but can only be improved in the long term if producers of raw materials deliver transparency and traceability from farm to fork.'