Revision Summit 2018

Much ink has been spilled on the potential of blockchain-powered supply chains. Blockchain, among other technologies, has been deemed capable of improving logistics, facilitating trade finance and ensuring tamper-proof traceability. It is on these promises that key business players have launched large-scale initiatives, perhaps the most well-known being piloted by IBM and Maersk Tradelens. In all these undertakings, transparency remains the underpinning motive, enabling the actors of the supply chain to trade without prior trust and to verify at any moment the provenance of handled goods.

More transparent supply chains also have the potential to incentivize fairer sourcing
conditions by shedding light on socially and environmentally unsustainable
production practices. Whether for textile, fish, or minerals, blockchain is an
unprecedented solution to never lose sight of how goods are being produced,
processed, manufactured and transported. Higher transparency standards can thus
have a positive impact in emerging markets as smallholders reap the benefits of
delivering goods that are verifiably and fairly produced.

Even if blockchain is the perfect technology to support more transparent supply
chains, implementing scalable solutions for social good remains challenging. Despite
the commitment of numerous NGOs, start-ups, and international organizations,
several questions remain open. How, for instance, can real decentralization be
guaranteed when human intervention is still essential to first-mile certification? And
how can fungible goods without a unique identity be traced via a digital token?
As we move away from the early stages of blockchain towards more tangible
endeavours, such concrete pain-points need to be tackled. For this reason, we are
engaging with both the tech ecosystem and international development actors to delve
straight into the topic. With this unique mix of participants, we aim not only to
formulate solutions, but to uncover real paths for cross-sectoral collaboration.