Alibaba, China\u2019s e-commerce giant, is attempting to tackle food safety issues haunting the country by revolutionizing information flow throughout the supply with blockchain technology. A sense of crisis emerged among the mass in 2008 when six babies in infancy died because of toxic melamine milk powder. Since then, an increasing number of consumers regard food safety as a \u201cvery big problem\u201d, jumping from 28% in 2008 to 40% in 2016 based on a Pew Research Center study.[1] Alibaba, capitalizing on growing middle class\u2019 demand for trustworthy produce, began to source food from international markets and sell the imported produce on its B2C platform TMall.com. Although buying from outside of China implies stronger food safety, how can consumer be sure of where their food comes from, how it is processed, and who is accountable? How can downstream players within the supply chain even be sure of conditions upstream? Blockchain technology is Alibaba\u2019s answer.<\/p>\n
Because TMall.com is loaded with produce from Australia and New Zealand ranging from fruit to seafood, Alibaba has decided to implement blockchain technology on its supply chain in these two countries by partnering with PwC Australia, Australia Post, and suppliers.[2] For Alibaba, this strategy will not only boost sales by enhancing consumer confidence, but also build a long-term competitive advantage as one of the first-movers in leveraging blockchain for supply chain management. Other players such as Walmart and IBM have also jumped at the opportunity in their respective markets. Blockchain, the technology that originated from Bitcoin trading, is revolutionizing information flow in supply chain by:<\/p>\n
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