French President Emmanuel Macron calls for blockchain usage in agriculture industry

French President Emmanuel Macron has made a call for more blockchain usage across European states to help revolutionise the agriculture industry.

President Macron made his comments at the 56th International Agriculture Fair, as reported by Agridigitale.

He pointed out that five years ago, Russia and Ukraine were customers of European agriculture, but today, they are competitors in agriculture markets.

Mr Macron now believes that European states should come together and discuss the common agriculture policy (CAP) to counter the rise of Russian, Chinese, and US products.

‘Africa is the land of opportunity’

In particular, he believes that by 2050, the African population will double, and that presents a real opportunity for European agriculture to branch out.

“Agriculture will be a pillar not only of the maintenance of Africa, but of its success and its ability to provide a future for African youth to develop, to feed itself,” he commented.

“This demographic challenge is a challenge for the African continent, a challenge for Europe because our destinies are linked. It is a challenge for our agriculture, it is an opportunity.”

Unveiling his vision for the future, President Macron revealed a three-pronged strategy.

The newly proposed European agriculture policy will protect farmers and consumers, ensure a transition toward ecology, and boost research to guarantee longevity for future generations.

Call for blockchain

President Macron has made a call for blockchain implementation as part of this approach.

He stated: “Let’s do this in Europe. The vanguard of agricultural data by developing tools that will track every product from raw material production to packaging and processing. The innovation is there and it must be used in the agricultural world.”

Blockchain technology is the perfect tool to help achieve the vision of the French president.

Tracking the supply chain to guarantee traceability is nothing new for blockchain technology. The idea has already been implemented by global companies, such as Ford Motor Company and WWF Australia.

The paradigm shift President Macron outlines is one to be taken with care, because “our partners in Africa no longer want recipes from the past, neither do they want a miserabilistic vision of Africa, a vision confined to small-scale food production. They want to build a strong Africa, with strong agricultural sectors.”

Blockchain technology certainly isn’t a recipe used in the past, and could prove to be a pivotal piece of technology in President Macron’s plan.

Interested in reading more about blockchain in agriculture? Discover how the technology could improve the agriculture industry here on Coin Rivet.