[Chapter-delegates] Blockchain and Food Tracability

[Patrik Fältström]

On 29 Sep 2018, at 2:09, Richard Barnes wrote:

> Saying that block chain doesn't help seems to me to be going a bit too far.
> The benefit is incremental, but there is some.

This is why my last sentence was:

Sure, having a write only database, like one implemented with merkle trees of some sort (or even blockchains) might be used as tools somewhere there. But...

:-)

   Patrik

> Namely, wrapping a database with a block chain means that changes to the database are attributable and traceable.  For example, the producers here can have confidence that Walmart isn't going to be able to change their data without it being obvious later.  Walmart can have confidence that the database can't get corrupted by a random employee with access to the DB and not the relevant keys.
>
> It is of course useful to ask whether any given block chain could be replaced by an unaided database.  But it is sometimes the case that the added rigidity is a useful property.
>
> --Richard
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Sep 29, 2018, 08:38 Patrik Fältström <paf at frobbit.se> wrote:
>
>> As John wrote, blockchain does not help. It may even make the situation
>> worse. Because of issues with access control regarding write operations to
>> the blockchain in question. And if you can manage that, blockchain is not
>> needed.
>>
>> This is btw discussed in the Internet of Food Special Interest Group and
>> what John wrote is one of the more important findings. What you need is
>> first of all a global unique identifier that identifies the food item. Then
>> you hook meta data to that identifier. They must be ranked and a third
>> party must be able to decide what attributes created by whom they trust
>> with what confidence in what context. Then lookups is yet another story
>> where for example some attribute and attribute values (maybe created by
>> certain parties) one can only access under special circumstances. I.e.
>> there will be differentiated access to the (total) set of attributes tied
>> to that identifier. Where some of course will be intentional lies.
>>
>> Sure, having a write only database, like one implemented with merkle trees
>> of some sort (or even blockchains) might be used as tools somewhere there.
>> But...
>>
>>    Patrik
>>
>> On 28 Sep 2018, at 17:04, Niran Beharry wrote:
>>
>>> There is a local system being deployed to do plant to bar (this is for
>> tracking cocoa pods to final product)
>>> Niran
>>>
>>> On Fri, Sep 28, 2018, 11:40 John Levine <isocmember at johnlevine.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> In article <
>>>> CAN7+85fyCw17jZX07Jn8Pi6DyU2Ai_u2sig1yEXKGqQcztxPVQ at mail.gmail.com> you
>>>> write:
>>>>> -=-=-=-=-=-
>>>>> -=-=-=-=-=-
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>> http://theinstitute.ieee.org/resources/standards/how-blockchain-technology-could-track-and-trace-food-from-farm-to-fork
>>>>>
>>>>> This is very interesting since its  US law to trace food that is
>>>>> contaminated ie. E Coli etc  back to the actual farm
>>>>
>>>> Tracing food is a dandy idea but this makes the usual blockchain
>>>> enthusiast error of assuming that if it's on the blockchain it must be
>>>> true.  Tagging the food and accurately identifying what each tag is
>>>> attached to is the hard part, not sticking the tag IDs in a database.
>>>>
>>>> All the tags in the world won't help if a sleazy packer can just
>>>> put a tag for a clean field on produce from a dirty field.
>>>>
>>>> R's,
>>>> JOhn
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