Entobel, TMA Solutions, the Vietnam Food Integrity Center (FIC) and OriginTrail have joined forces as part of the Trace Alliance — a collaborative hub for solving supply chain challenges using blockchain technology. The four organizations are implementing blockchain connectivity and GS1 standards to the supply chains of the fish feed companies and pet foods produced.

John G. Keogh, chairman of Trace Alliance and director of the FIC sees the blockchain as a mechanism not only to improve integrity in supply chains but also to reward and give a competitive advantage to companies who are doing a good job. He explained: “Using blockchain technologies enables companies of all sizes to enhance their supply chain transparency and increase trust. The Trace Alliance is bringing together organizations that collaborate on supply chain use cases using the OriginTrail protocol, connecting enterprises with their service providers and trading partners. Seeing the first blockchain proof of concept within Vietnam Food Integrity Center is also an example of the willingness of companies to collaborate and innovate towards a common goal on increased food chain integrity. OriginTrail and TMA Solutions are providing the technology and technical expertise that will be available for other companies joining the FIC. I look forward to seeing more Trace Alliance members engaging in collaborative projects.”

Proof of Concept Using the Blockchain

Entobel is one of the first clients of the FIC innovation and incubation program. In September 2017, one of their products was rewarded at the Aquaculture Innovation Challenge supported by Seafood Trade Intelligence Portal (STIP), Solidaridad, Fresh Studio and the governments of Vietnam and the Netherlands. Entobel is aiming to achieve 100,000 tons a year of insect meal production by 2025. Entobel has developed a bioconversion model based on what nature has done for millions of years. By converting low-value biomass into high-grade products, Entobel is tapping into a more sustainable source of animal feed. Animal feed has strict regulatory requirements and Entobel must ensure trusted scientific evidence accompanies its products into target markets. Hence, analytical laboratories connected to blockchain bring additional integrity.

“Insect as feed and food is a new but growing industry regulated by strict standards restricting, for example, the use of raw materials. The use of blockchain to integrate data from independent analytical laboratories allow us to offer a new level of transparency and trust in our value chain. We are excited to join the FIC and are convinced this will allow us to reach new markets and opportunities,” said Alexandre de Caters, Co-Founder of Entobel.

The aim of the pilot project is to develop a functional system using the OriginTrail blockchain protocol for enabling data integrity at multiple touchpoints, from sourcing the ingredients to analyzing the samples at the laboratory. TMA Solutions is helping Entobel establish the data exchange needed for this pilot project. It became the first global software development partner within the Trace Alliance program. TMA Solutions and Entobel have agreed to engage in a proof of concept to develop a functional system for Entobel’s innovative business. The proof of concept is based on the OriginTrail’s protocol platform and seeks to integrate with an analytical laboratory to demonstrate how the scientific reports can add integrity to their business model.

OriginTrail Co-Founder & CEO Tomaž Levak said: “Our partnership with TMA Solutions brings tangible benefits to businesses already using the OriginTrail protocol and ones considering joining the Trace Alliance. TMA Solutions is already generating valuable know-how of developing applications using the OriginTrail protocol for different industries. Our project with Entobel is a great example of a collaborative approach to tackle food safety challenges on an international level.”

OriginTrail’s partnership with Entobel goes beyond the proof of concept and is an example of cooperation within the Trace Alliance that connects enterprises with the service providers and other entities, creating an ecosystem for powerful supply chain applications using blockchain technology.

You can find more information about the Trace Alliance in this blog post.