Empowering Farmers and Consumers Blockchain Innovations in Agricultural Supply Chains

Abstract

In recent times, numerous instances have come to light concerning farmer suicides attributed to mounting debts and meager agricultural yields. This poses a significant predicament for countries like India, which are grappling with burgeoning populations and an escalating reliance on land for residential and industrial expansion. The diminishing availability of fertile land for farming necessitates heightened agricultural output to meet the nation's demands. Despite this increasing demand, farmers continue to grapple with formidable challenges. Concurrently, consumers are also grappling with concerns over escalating commodity prices and the quality of produce available in the market. They often find themselves compelled to purchase available goods at prices dictated by sellers. Unscrupulous practices such as black market activities, hoarding, and adulteration, perpetuated by intermediaries, serve to further inflate the costs of agricultural products. Although the desire for organic products is on the rise, the absence of a robust system to trace the various stages of organic cultivation and guarantee authenticity poses a significant hurdle. Perhaps the most glaring issue in the agricultural markets is the palpable disconnect that exists between farmers and consumers. We have introduced an innovative marketplace built upon blockchain technology, designed to foster collaborative farming practices between farmers and consumers. This platform allows farmers to showcase their potential crops and projected yields on a decentralized public ledger. Consumers, in turn, gain access to this information and can assess the credibility of farmers based on their past cultivation and supply records. This pioneering approach establishes a transparent and tamper-proof digital marketplace exclusively for agricultural products. Within this framework, a consensus is established through mutual agreement between farmers and consumers. This consensus enables consumers to financially support individual crops or entire fields, in exchange for a share of the farm's yield or a percentage of the market value profit. A rating system has been implemented to enhance the credibility of both farmers and consumers, drawing from their prior interactions and experiences within the agro-market domain.