Data Science: Blockchain’s role in improving food system safety and accountability 

A woman walking through a field toward a tractor.

 

By Ariana Longley

The Government of Canada says one in eight Canadians falls sick every year from food contaminated along its journey from farm to table.  

As well, food fraud, or the mislabelling or tampering of food sold in retail markets, boosts the cost of food by 10 per cent and costs the food industry more than $10 billion annually. 

All this points to a heightened need for information about the food we eat. One response from the agri-food industry is the adoption of new and innovative technology called blockchain. 

What is blockchain? 

Blockchain is a cloud-based ledger where multiple parties can log events, qualitative data and transactions, as in Google Docs. Rather than being stored or run off a specific location or server, this ledger exists in multiple parts and across the computers of people privy to it.  

The two main parts of blockchain are captured in its name.  

The block is a specific event or piece of data entered in the ledger. Each block contains information detailing the journey of a food product at each step of the supply chain, including how a crop or animal was grown or reared, qualitative traits of the food and how it was handled.  

For a block to be added to the ledger, everyone with access to the ledger needs to agree that the information is correct. Once everyone agrees, that block becomes immobile. To change the information or delete that block, all parties need to agree to the change.  

After a block is added, the parties involved can add follow-up blocks about events or information collected after a section was added. This creates the “chain” of information or events. Having a record of all this information means a single product can be reliably tracked from farm to table. This process increases transparency about how food is handled and produced, and increases traceability and authentication, both vital traits in the food system. 

Researchers across the University of Guelph are working to help increase the effectiveness of blockchain in food production and consumption.  

“There is an increasing desire for consumers and retailers to understand how their food has been handled from one step to the next along the value chain,” says Malcolm Campbell, vice-president (research). “Blockchain is a tool to give participants confidence in the system and give consumers faith that their food is of the highest quality.”  

Food production  

Blockchain—or any advanced analysis in the food system—first requires that a critical mass of food and production approaches be in place.  

The most notable support for University of Guelph researchers comes from the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a $90-million annual collaboration between the University and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The Alliance provides a foundation for agri-food research and innovation that is unmatched elsewhere in the country.  

“Whether they recognize it or not, researchers at Guelph who are supported through the Alliance or other funding programs are creating data that will be populating our blockchain ledgers,” says Campbell.  

Here are some notable examples of product, livestock and crop production research coming from the University of Guelph. 

  • The best way to stop the spread of disease in cattle herds is to prevent the initial problem. Pathobiology professor Dr. Bonnie Mallard has contributed to healthier livestock by identifying the genes responsible for heightened immune function in cattle. Her work led to the development of High Immune Response technology. This innovation is marketed in the commercial sector by Semex as Immunity+ to select animals with naturally heightened immune systems to be used in breeding programs. 

  • Today’s consumers often link the care and welfare of farm animals with food quality. Dr. Tina Widowski, a professor in the Ontario Agricultural College’s Department of Animal Biosciences, is researching how to improve conditions for egg-laying chickens. Her work focuses on practical approaches to improving laying hen welfare, including housing systems that promote natural behaviour and reduce stress, and how best to prepare the young bird for a healthy life of egg production in those systems. 

  • Crops can also be affected by bacterial and fungal pathogens. Dr. Peter Pauls, professor in the Department of Plant Agriculture, investigates how to make beans more resistant to harmful bacteria and fungi while increasing yields.  

Traceability and authentication 

One advantage of blockchain is its ability to quickly and accurately transfer data along a value chain. This permits users to identify where food safety issues or labelling missteps occurred, allowing for faster implementation of recalls and preventive measures for the future.  

Researchers at the University of Guelph are working to improve the ability to trace issues and authenticate food products by developing novel uses for DNA barcoding and molecular technology.  

“All along the pathway food takes, the consumer wants to know that their food was produced and handled in a way that doesn’t undermine confidence or the quality of that particular food item,” says Campbell. “You want to show that you started with a specific provenance of material, and that that provenance and its features are what you’re actually getting on your plate as a consumer.”  

University of Guelph researchers are developing techniques and data to populate blockchains with reliable information regarding traceability and authenticity. For example:  

  • Recently, integrative biology professor Dr. Robert Hanner discovered that one-third of fish sold in grocery stores is mislabelled. This finding resulted from his research in compiling a database of animal genomes and developing new ways to identify species through DNA barcoding technology developed at the University of Guelph.  

  • Bacterial outbreaks continue to trouble commercial producers and suppliers of meat and produce. Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, professor in the Department of Food Science, developed techniques to prevent and react to these infection events. He studies ways to rapidly detect and control bacteria like salmonella, E. coli and listeria using viruses specifically designed to target and disarm the harmful bacteria. These techniques help in identifying the source of outbreaks along a supply chain and addressing these issues before products are shipped to market. 

The technology of blockchain 

U of G researchers are also helping develop the blockchain system itself by exploring the logistics behind the program to optimize data collection and security.  

“Investigating how you share information with people and how network dynamics work is an important piece that the University of Guelph is bringing to the blockchain story,” says Campbell.  

Here are a few examples of how U of G researchers are improving logistics and technology involved in maintaining an efficient blockchain system:  

  • The merging of blockchain and agriculture is well under way, but governance and standards for data sharing between involved parties are still evolving. Dr. Rozita Dara, professor in the School of Computer Science, is researching privacy and security issues in blockchain systems. She examines the use of artificial intelligence to mitigate privacy and security risks in blockchain and enhance operational efficiency. The artificial intelligence agents will classify how much and what kind of information should be included in the ledgers to optimize their use and encourage involved parties to share information.  

  • Advanced technology makes it possible to store information in one central location. To protect these big data caches, Dr. Ali Dehghantanha, a professor in the School of Computer Science, researches cybersecurity and security of digital information across platforms and devices. Blockchain epitomizes data-storing across multiple platforms; Dehghantanha’s work can help better secure the huge amount of data collected within agricultural blockchain stores.  

  • Given the number of parties potentially involved in a single blockchain, it may be difficult to distinguish legitimate users from potential intruders. Computer science professor Dr. Hassan Khan studies implicit authorization, or a computer’s ability to authenticate users based on their electronic behaviour patterns with smartphones. Applied to blockchain, this research can help maintain the ledger security and detect invasions.  

On the horizon  

Even as researchers continue to refine blockchain, other experts are looking at the moral aspects of the technology.  

“At the University of Guelph, we are thinking of the ethics, the sociological ramifications and the psychological ramifications associated with blockchain,” says Campbell.  

Researchers aim to continue tapping into blockchain’s value, both to better track where food comes from and how it’s handled and to enhance customer confidence.