Blockchain helps to increase supply chain transparency for Ticino Alpine Cheese

The Institute of Information Systems and Networking (ISIN) within the Department of Innovative Technologies at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) has carried out a feasibility study by the name of Blockcheese. This aimed to investigate the applicability of blockchain technology in connection with the production of Ticino Alpine Cheese PDO (Protected Designation of Origin). The mandate for this was issued by the Economics Division of the Department of Finance and Economic Affairs (DFE) of the canton of Ticino.

According to a press release, the project achieved two things: Firstly, cheese producers now have access to a tablet application for the digitization of production documents, which additionally facilitates the creation of an immutable digital record on the blockchain. Secondly, consumers have direct access to information concerning their particular piece of cheese simply by scanning a QR code, which in turn offers an “unprecedented” level of transparency. Both applications were developed by software developers from the DOS Group, which is based in Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino. The study was supported by the Ticino Society of Alpine Economics (STEA), which has awarded a seal of quality for alpine food products made in the canton of Ticino since 1946.

“The solution we have implemented not only has the potential to make record management easier for mountain pastures, but also lays the groundwork for better food transparency, opening up new perspectives in consumers’ perception of and trust in food products”, as Vanni Galli, a researcher at ISIN, explains in the press release. The aim now will be to extend the application to additional stakeholders within the sector. ce/mm