Figure 4: Typical agri-food supply chain scenario34
The Hyperledger Fabric framework is based on the Linux Foundation’s
open-source project. It aims to develop an extensible blockchain
development framework that provides solutions for enterprise-level
blockchain applications by allowing multiple parties to be involved in
the development, deployment, and operation of the consortium blockchain
platform35.
With Hyperledger Fabric we can create an operating model that is
low-cost and efficient, known as a federated chain model, based on
public chains36
Hyperledger-based frameworks also offer the potential of ensuring fair
price provisions for cultivators who live mainly in the Global South.
The Hyperledger-implemented coffee transparency evaluation involves
establishing coffee bean provenance, along with its quality and
freshness and identifying supply chain bottlenecks37.
Apart from establishing provenance, the system also helped establish
full price transparency to ensure producers receive fair prices.
Hyperledger-based systems like this can also ensure transparency for
producers by digitizing the paper trail and sharing audits to
demonstrate that they use and promote sustainable farm practices37.
While Hyperledger applications are preferred in a business context37they are disadvantageous in high cost, slow data transition rate, low
security.38More importantly, permissioned blockchains such as Hyperledger do not
allow general users to verify and trust the product. This defeats the
purpose of utilizing blockchain technology. It will be very difficult to
identify manipulations, whether they are done at the backend by a third
party or an authorized party, in the absence of external validators.
Permissionless blockchains such as those offered by Ethereum, on the
other hand, are open to general users14.