Today digital technologies are transforming the supply chain,
benefiting everyone from small farmers in Africa
to buyers of diamond rings.
For smallholders in developing countries
the inability to hold a record of transactions often
makes it impossible to get good access to credit, exposing them
to predatory lenders.
But blockchain technology might improve this situation.
In Zambia, software company BenQ has joined drinks company AB
InBev to give cassava and barley farmers a record which
is accessible by mobile phone of all the sales to their company.
This enables them to build a history, which
in turn lets them secure loans and win contracts.
Digital technology can also allow corporate buyers
and consumers to discover more about the sustainability
and the ethics of their purchases.
If a ledger uses blockchain sensors and scanning
technologies to track and authenticate
the origin of seven types of valuable assets,
including diamonds, wine, and works of art.
The company uses a digital ledger
to see the assets at every stage in the supply chain.
And works with certification houses
to give assets, such as diamonds,
and each diamond is as unique as a snowflake,
a digital thumbprint or authentication.
Meanwhile, IBM's Food Trust initiative
uses the internet of things, artificial intelligence
and blockchain to capture and share information
along the supply chain.
This can reduce food waste and quickly identify the source
of any contamination.
And means recalls are much easier to manage.
And to tackle problems such as deforestation,
the sustainability consultancy South Pole taps
into a range of tools, including big data and satellite mapping.
The company can assist climate risk
and how the activities of companies, governments,
and others are affecting the world's forests.
The goal is then to reduce the carbon footprint
of their supply chains.
One digital technology at a time, the supply chain
is becoming ever more efficient and transparent.