Newrl’s Traceability Solution for Food & Agriculture Industry

“The production, transportation, and storage of food produce significant amounts of emissions, emphasizing the need for tracking and reducing them.”

Traceability refers to the ability to track and trace the movement of products and information across the supply chain. In the food and agriculture industry, traceability is crucial to ensure food safety, prevent fraud, and address sustainability concerns.

The food and agriculture industry is subject to a complex supply chain that involves several intermediaries. From the farm to the processing plant to the retail store, and finally, to the consumer’s plate, the supply chain is lengthy and intricate. Unfortunately, this complexity has resulted in a lack of transparency, traceability, and accountability. As a result, supply chain inefficiencies, food fraud, inventory management issues, regulatory demands, and environmental impacts such as GHG emissions often arise due to the absence of visibility.

The complexity of the food supply chain involving multiple intermediaries results in supply chain inefficiencies, estimated at $60 billion annually. Food fraud has become a thriving business with an annual turnover of over $10 billion, and fresh food worth $7 billion spoils before it reaches the consumer due to inventory management challenges. The lack of uniformity in standard practices and regulatory restrictions is also expected to increase food waste by a third by 2030. Implementing a traceability system in the food and agriculture industry can provide several benefits. It can help improve supply chain efficiency, reduce waste, increase transparency and accountability, mitigate food safety risks, and provide consumers with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions.

Surveys conducted in India in 2022 show that sustainability claims on packaged food items positively influence consumers’ purchasing decisions, with 67% of respondents more likely to buy such products. This is a significant increase from 56% in 2019, particularly among millennials. Globally, the proportion of consumers influenced by sustainability claims has risen by 4% to 55% in 2022 compared to 2019.

“Food and agriculture industry is a major contributor to climate change, responsible for almost 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.”

Newrl has developed a comprehensive traceability solution that provides end-to-end visibility in the supply chain and enables tracking of GHG emissions. Newrl’s solution for the food and agriculture industry is designed to provide complete visibility of the supply chain from farm to processing plant.

1. Data Collection: The process begins with data collection on the entire supply chain, including farming practices, transportation, storage, and processing. By collecting data from various sources and stages in the supply chain, Newrl ensures that the data is comprehensive and provides a complete view of the process.
2. Data Validation: The collected data is then validated using blockchain technology, which ensures data accuracy, transparency, and security. Blockchain technology provides a secure and tamper-proof way of storing data, which is crucial for ensuring that the data is reliable and can be trusted. The validation process also ensures that the data is consistent and can be used to provide accurate insights into the supply chain.
3. Emission Tracking: Newrl’s solution also tracks GHG emissions throughout the supply chain, from the farm site to transport, storage, and processing. The emissions are bifurcated into scope 1 and scope 2 emissions. Scope 1 emissions refer to emissions that occur from sources that are directly owned or controlled by the manufacturer, such as fuel combustion in production. Scope 2 emissions refer to emissions that occur from the consumption of purchased electricity, heat, or steam. By tracking these emissions, Newrl provides end consumers with the ability to check on the final scope 3 emissions for any manufacturer and also track the source using the proposed method. This information can be useful for consumers who are concerned about the environmental impact of the products they purchase.
4. Sustainability Focus: Newrl’s solution has a strong focus on sustainability, with a promise to track the pre-factory supply chain’s responsible sourcing and environmental impact. The solution ensures that the products are sourced responsibly and that the supply chain’s environmental impact is minimized. This focus on sustainability is crucial, given the increasing demand for sustainable and ethical products among consumers globally.

Newrl’s solution for the food and agriculture industry provides a comprehensive view of the supply chain from farm to processing plant. By collecting data on various stages of the supply chain and validating it using blockchain technology, the solution ensures that the data is accurate, transparent, and secure. One significant advantage of Newrl’s solution is that it allows for the tracking of GHG emissions throughout the entire process. This is achieved by tracking emissions at the farm site, during transport, storage, and processing plant. These emissions are bifurcated into scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, which help end consumers check on the final scope 3 emissions for any manufacturer and track the source using the earlier proposed method.

Newrl’s solution also ensures sustainability focus by capturing data on the environmental and social impact of every participant in the supply chain. This data can be used to make informed decisions about responsible sourcing, and it ensures that every participant is held accountable for their actions.

Newrl’s traceability solution answers the supply chain challenges faced by the food and agriculture industry. It ensures transparency, traceability, and accountability, enabling businesses to make informed decisions while also reducing the environmental impact. By leveraging blockchain technology and sustainability focus, Newrl’s solution can revolutionize the industry, creating a more efficient and sustainable food supply chain for the future.

The use of traceability solutions in the food and agriculture industry is expected to continue to grow in the future. Advances in technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), are expected to make traceability even more efficient and effective. Additionally, increasing consumer demand for transparency and sustainability is expected to drive further investment in traceability solutions.