BAP Beta Tests Blockchain Traceability App
The Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program is currently beta testing a blockchain traceability application that will be made available to BAP-certified facilities. Members of the BAP information technology team recently visited Kauai Shrimp’s processing plant and farm in Hawaii which are currently in the iBAP improver program. These facilities were selected for the beta test to prove that the application can be used for small farmers and producers.
What is blockchain and how does this application work?
Blockchain is an ever-growing set of data blocks, and each block records a collection of transactions. Blockchains distribute data across a group of computers, and each has its own copy of the transactions. This means that no single party controls the data. This is not cryptocurrency; it is an immutable, secure, shared ledger to prove transactions from one party to another.
The BAP application is a blockchain-enabled traceability application that allows certified facilities to prove their BAP star status to major marketplace endorsers by using chain-of-custody and mass-balancing techniques. All of the data about their products — location, volume, species, etc. — is securely stored in the blockchain, which enables them to prove the amount of product moving from one point to another within the supply chain. This technology is more sophisticated than traditional chain-of-custody audits, which only prove that an undetermined amount of product went from one point to another.
How can this application provide solutions to the seafood industry?
A common issue within the seafood industry is trust. Consumers want to know where the product they’re purchasing originated from and that it was produced in a responsible way. Traceability eliminates illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)-caught or misrepresented seafood, which allows for breach of trust in supply chains.
Traceability has become a consumer expectation, and, most recently, a government mandate. The recently adopted U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) requires U.S. importers to have traceability for certain seafood products, including shrimp, to the point of origin. This technology provides a solution for importers who need to comply with these regulations.
