IBM is one of the most recent alliances of Walmart, the retail giant.
Walmart is wanting to lead the industry, now with blockchain.
In September 2018, the grocery giant announced they will use blockchain, the same technology that underpins bitcoin, to battle and stop the spread of foodborne illnesses such as E. coli in lettuce.
Partnered with IBM, Walmart said it will require all suppliers of leafy green vegetable to upload their data to the blockchain by September 2019, aiming to change the fact that most supply chains are bogged down in manual processes, making it difficult to track down an issue like E. coli and other diseases.
This blockchain is set make the processes more traceable, fully digital and transparent, facilitating the detection of affected farm supply.
Digitalizing the food chain supply is Walmart’s next step towards optimizing emerging technologies, as it has already been working with IBM for over a year with the aim of increasing food safety.
Why build with blockchain?
Blockchain technology can be used to improve food traceability by providing trusted information on the origin and state of food.
We are in the early days of this technology but IBM saw the potential and got in early to help develop blockchain and build solutions to solve real business problems.
IBM has proved to have the most comprehensive offering in blockchain and we are working with clients and developers across multiple industries to explore how blockchain can transform how business is done in areas as diverse as banking and financial services, supply chain, healthcare, travel and transportation, media and entertainment and energy and utilities.
Walmart is building a platform driven by APIs to provide its developers with a self-service portal, supporting faster development and helping Walmart deliver new services and improvements at the speed of business.
