December 22, 2020

Thai Union's adoption of blockchain technology lauded by Ecuador's shrimp industry

The National Aquaculture Chamber from Ecuador congratulates Thai Union for adopting blockchain technology and continuing the transformation for a more transparent industry.

José Antonio Camposano, executive  president  of  the  National  Aquaculture  Chamber  from Ecuador, shares that the Ecuadorian shrimp industry applauds the commitment from other regions and companies which are embracing to transform the global shrimp industry.

"On behalf of the Ecuadorian shrimp industry I want to congratulate Thai Union on adopting blockchain technology to emphasise the importance of transparency for the supply chain," says Camposano. "Elevating the performance of the whole industry is one of the main goals Ecuador set many years ago, and since launching the Sustainable  Shrimp Partnership (SSP) in 2018, we have demonstrated it is possible to generate a change and encourage other actors to join this race to the top".

Members of the SSP are committed to achieving the highest quality and safe products for consumers, which is why all SSP members are Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)-certified, have a zero-antibiotics policy, have minimal environmental impact, and offer full traceability through blockchain technology.

On November 25 at AquaExpo, SSP launched a traceability application designed especially for consumers, which will enable them to access key information on their shrimp's journey from farm to fork. The web application is connected to IBM Food Trust platform, based on blockchain technology, which ensures transparent data about the provenance and quality of the shrimp they buy.  The Blockchain Traceability Project, which was co-financed by the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), was in development since May 2019 when SSP announced the collaboration with IBM.

"Shrimp is the most consumed seafood in many markets, but the lack of access to key information about provenance and sustainability indicators limits the choice for consumers and reduces their ability to buy healthy and responsibly farmed shrimp," says Pamela Nath, SSP Director. "Consumers want to trust that the products they are buying are safe and come from sustainable sources, and as shrimp producers, we are ready to offer them the highest levels of transparency with blockchain technology."

Source: www.fis.com