Nestlé is partnering with a blockchain platform allowing consumers to track their food back to the farm in a bid to boost supply chain transparency.

In partnering with OpenSC, Nestlé said it has become the “first major food and beverage company to announce that it will pilot open blockchain technology in this way”.

Founded by WWF-Australia and The Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures, OpenSC has developed a platform that will give anyone, anywher access to independently verifiable sustainability and supply chain data.

The initial pilot program will trace milk from farms and producers in New Zealand to Nestlé factories and warehouses in the Middle East. Later, the technology will be tested using palm oil sourced in the Americas.

These pilots will allow Nestlé to understand how scalable the system is and pave the way for its journey towards full transparency.

“We want our consumers to make an informed decision on their choice of products – to choose products produced responsibly. Open blockchain technology might allow us to share reliable information with consumers in an accessible way,” said Magdi Batato, Executive Vice President, Head of Operations, Nestlé S.A.

Nestlé has piloted blockchain technology since 2017, most prominently with IBM Food Trust. In April, it gave consumers access to blockchain data for the first time, through Mousline purée in France.

“This open blockchain technology will allow anyone, anywher in the world to assess our responsible sourcing facts and figures,” said Benjamin Ware, Global Head of Responsible Sourcing, Nestlé S.A.

“We believe it is another important step towards the full disclosure of our supply chains announced by Nestlé in February this year, raising the bar for transparency and responsible production globally.”