Denver’s Coda Coffee Co. this week is offering what it calls “the world’s first blockchain-traced coffee,” giving customers access to a cloud-based ledger that tracks every stop along their coffee’s supply chain. By scanning a QR code associated with the batch of coffee they bought, customers can see the date and location of every transaction — from collection at the farm to washing and drying, milling, export, roasting and retail.

“A lot of people put information on their bags that they haven’t personally verified,” said Tommy Thwaites, co-founder of Coda Coffee. “This allows the customer, right there, on demand, to trace their coffee back to the farmer.”

The new tool comes as tech-savvy consumers are seeking more information about the products they consume and businesses are looking for more efficient ways to track their relationships with suppliers.

Companies in many industries — from finance to food and real estate — are testing blockchain technology, best known as the ledger behind cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, to improve data-sharing and conduct transactions more quickly.

Read full article