© Luca Righi
The study highlights how essential information shared via decentralised blockchain technology can make a vital difference to the way seafood producers communicate with consumers about the origin and journey of their food choices. Some aspects of this new traceability, enabled by blockchain, help the consumer by supplying accurate and trustworthy data on the origin of seafood or compliance with sustainability or regulations. They can also help share information on movement and management in the supply chain.
With consumer trust a key consideration in food production, global initiatives are seeking to enhance visibility throughout the seafood industry. The FAIRR Seafood Traceability Engagement is a $6.5trn industry investor coalition engaging in constructive dialogue with the world’s key seafood providers to ensure complete transparency at every stage of the value chain.
Blockchain platforms create a permanent digital record of the life cycle of a producer’s seafood. Not only focused on origin, this is industry collaboration in action – starting with accessible data on the egg quality, water temperature, feeding patterns and fish health, all the way through to the product journey and delivery. With all aspects of the supply chain on display, producers have an opportunity to communicate the quality and sustainability of their seafood to consumers.
What differentiates blockchain from standard tracing and information gathering is not only the secure aspect of the technology, but the uniformity data storage. Data stored in blockchain technology can be timestamped, encrypted and accessed in chronological order. This makes it easy to assess the whole life cycle of a seafood product throughout the value chain and between different producers, partners or distributors.
Blockchain is just one of many themes explored in the NSC’s latest annual trends report, Navigating the World of Megatrends, which looks at the global shifts set to shape seafood consumption for decades to come driven by technological, political, economic, environmental, demographic and social change.
NSC global consumer behaviour analyst Lars Moksness said in a press release: “We have learned from our research that the resilience of a brand's reputation is inexorably linked to trust. Trust is connected to the perception of authenticity. The increasing demand for transparency is an excellent opportunity to share authentic and engaging stories with consumers, capitalising on the many wonderful narratives that the seafood industry has to offer.”
