Can Blockchain Technology Solve Food Insecurity?

Can blockchain technology help to solve food insecurity? A group of students in San Francisco set out to find the answer last fall. Led by Professor Leigh Jin, these students visited food banks and kitchens, such as the one at Glide Memorial Church, to find out whether blockchain could create a more efficient (and therefore more effective) food delivery mechanism. They found that food banks needed a better way to track perishable food and volunteer hours.

To address these issues, Professor Jin and her students created a “FoodChain” project. They designed a “Food Safety Monitoring Device” to monitor and log food temperatures along the logistic distribution channel. They also created a “Volunteer App” to log volunteer hours to the blockchain and a “Food Pantry App” to help those who regularly need access to the food pantry. More information is available here: https://lnkd.in/gB32zd4Z.

How could lawyers be involved in these types of projects? There are so many variations of FoodChain that could help Legal Services: tracking pro bono volunteer hours, organizing legal service clinic appointments and referrals, and following up with clients who may be suffering from homelessness and are unable to receive mail.

Stay tuned: we will consider all of these emerging issues at the Blockchain Law for Social Good Center! Join us to find out how lawyers can move the blockchain revolution toward social good.