海量集團執行長 洪弘毅（Lewis Hung）

中國國際科技促進會 研究員 雍旻（Ari Min Yong）

 

近年來區塊鏈技術受到廣泛的注意，特別是因為其去中心化、加密、防篡改以及共識機制，使其成為有效降低系統風險並確保數據安全儲存之工具。而在食品業的物流上，伴隨著物聯網 (IoT)的廣泛採用，區塊鏈技術更進一步落實到實際的場域應用上。研究顯示，在供應鏈中採用區塊鏈技術能大幅節省高達 15%的行政管理成本。然而，儘管區塊鏈具有潛力，但它在全球供應鏈中的廣泛實施面臨著標準化、平台開發、商業模式和監管框架的重大挑戰。本文將介紹區塊鏈技術在食品行業運輸中的相關應用。

在食物運輸方面，利用物聯網和區塊鏈融合能建立更透明資訊系統，解決食品行業冷鏈斷鏈以及溯源等相關問題 並能以共享、透明、防篡改和自動化的方式記錄從產品加工到零售商店的整個運輸過程。 透過追蹤運輸過程中的儲存條件和路線，為消費者提供額外可靠的方法來驗證食品運輸的流程，從而使整個食品供應鏈更值得信賴。

食品安全問題可歸因於多種因素，其中環境污染和溫度控制是最重要的影響因素。污染問題可能出現在各個階段，包括原產地、製造過程或運輸環境內。同時溫度控制是食品腐敗與否的關鍵因素，也因此全冷鏈的紀錄與溯源對與食品安全來說有著關鍵性的意義。

區塊鏈可分為三大類：公有鏈、聯盟鏈、私有鏈。 公有鏈向所有人開放，例如比特幣等著名的加密貨幣。相較之下，私有鏈涉及的交易中只有特定群體才能就管理規則達成共識。在公有鏈中，整個系統是完全公開透明的，任何人都可以存取鏈上的規則、機制和交易記錄。一旦資訊被記錄在區塊鏈上，修改或刪除就變得極其困難。 公有鏈具有多種優勢，包括不可變的分散式帳本，並且允許參與者採取任何行動，反映了區塊鏈技術的去中心化本質。

私有鏈不開放給任何人；需要授權才能進入。私有鏈為公司和組織提供了一種快速融入金融系統或供應鏈的方法，同時限制了特定存取。企業有能力為所有相關方定義權限操作，包括讀取、寫入或審核。此外，私有區塊鏈可以合併多層資料訪問，以維護某些資料的機密性。因此，私有區塊鏈可以確保更高水準的安全性、隱私性和效能。食品行業的區塊鏈應用主要使用私有鏈，只有食品供應鏈內的參與者才有權訪問該系統，使他們能夠記錄與食品和食品容器相關的資訊。這些數據在供應鏈內的所有參與者之間共享，並最終提交給消費者進行審查和驗證。

從物流角度，區塊鏈和物聯網技術在台灣食品鏈產業應用主要有以下幾個方面：

1. 提高供應鏈透明度：區塊鏈可以記錄從生產到消費的所有食品信息，包括生產地、生產日期、運輸方式、儲存條件等，讓消費者可以追溯到食品的來源，確保食品的安全和可靠性。
2.  改善供應鏈效率：物聯網可以收集食品在供應鏈中的溫度、濕度等數據，並通過區塊鏈進行傳輸和存儲，幫助企業優化供應鏈管理，提高運輸效率和食品品質。
3. 降低供應鏈成本：區塊鏈可以減少中間環節，降低食品的流通成本；物聯網技術的應用可以減少食品在運輸過程中的損耗，降低企業的損失。

以下是一些具體的應用案例：

1. 鮮食供應鏈：鮮食供應鏈是台灣食品鏈產業的重要組成部分，但也面臨著食品安全、品質控制等挑戰。區塊鏈和物聯網技術可以幫助鮮食供應鏈企業提高供應鏈透明度和效率，降低食品安全風險。例如，台灣新創公司「食享家」利用區塊鏈技術建立了「鮮食供應鏈溯源平台」，讓消費者可以追溯鮮食產品的來源和生產過程，確保食品的安全和可靠性。
2. 冷鏈物流：冷鏈物流是保障食品安全的重要環節。Blockchain和IoT技術可以幫助冷鏈物流企業提高運輸效率和食品品質。例如，台灣物流公司「裕豐物流」利用物聯網技術監控冷鏈運輸中的溫度和濕度，並將數據存儲在區塊鏈中，確保食品在運輸過程中保持在安全範圍內。
3. 台灣政府也積極支持區塊鏈和物聯網技術在食品鏈產業的應用。2023年，台灣經濟部工業局推出「智慧農業供應鏈計畫」，鼓勵企業利用區塊鏈和物聯網技術提升農產品供應鏈的效率和安全性。台灣農委會利用區塊鏈技術建立了「智慧農業供應鏈平台」。該平台可以幫助農民、加工商和零售商進行食品溯源，提高食品安全。
4. 沃爾瑪：沃爾瑪與IBM合作，利用區塊鏈技術建立了食品信任平台，追蹤旗下肉類產品從農場到餐桌的過程。
5. 肯德基：肯德基與微軟合作，利用區塊鏈技術追蹤旗下雞蛋產品的供應鏈。
6. 雀巢：雀巢與Tezos Foundation合作，利用區塊鏈技術追蹤旗下咖啡產品的供應鏈。

區塊鏈正急速與物聯網技術整合，隨著成本的降低與規模經濟的形成，區塊鏈加物聯網的整合應用將成為未來台灣食品物流行業的技術主軸。如何善用此一技術，也是該業者不可逃避的挑戰。

        Blockchain technology has attracted widespread attention in recent years, especially because of its decentralization, encryption, tamper-proof, and consensus mechanism, establishing it as an effective tool to mitigate and reduce system risks to ensure the safe storage of data. With the widespread adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) within the logistics of the food industry, blockchain technology has been adopted in various sectors. Studies have shown that adopting blockchain technology in the supply chain can save up to 15% of administrative management costs. However, despite the significant potential of blockchain, its widespread implementation in the global supply chain faces major challenges in terms of standardization, platform development, business models, and regulatory frameworks. This paper will introduce the relevant applications of blockchain technology in transportation within the food industry.

        The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain has the potential to create a more transparent information system in food transportation, addressing the problems of cold chain breaks and traceability in the food industry. IoT possesses the powerful ability to record the entire transportation process from product processing to retail stores in a shared, transparent, tamper-proof, and automated way. By tracking storage conditions and routes during transportation, consumers are provided with additional reliable ways to verify the food transportation process, significantly enhancing the transparency of the method.   

        Food safety issues can be attributed to a variety of factors, of which environmental pollution and temperature control are the most pertinent. Pollution may threaten various stages, including the origin, manufacturing process, or transportation environment. Moreover, temperature control is also a critical factor in whether food spoils or not; thus, the record and traceability of the entire cold chain are instrumental in ensuring food safety. 

        Blockchain can be divided into three main categories: public chains, consortium chains, and private chains. Public chains are open to the public, such as the highly popular cryptocurrencies Bitcoin and Ethereum. In contrast, private chains involve transactions in which only a specific group of people can reach a consensus on governing rules. In a public chain, the entire system is completely transparent, and anyone has access to the rules, mechanisms, and transaction records on the chain. Once information is recorded on the blockchain, it becomes extremely difficult to modify or delete. Thus, public chains have a number of advantages, including an immutable distributed ledger, and they allow participants to take any action, reflecting the decentralized nature of blockchain technology.

        Because permission is required to enter, private chains are more restrictive. Private chains offer companies and organizations a way to quickly integrate into financial systems or supply chains while restricting access to specific parties. Businesses can define permission operations for all relevant parties. Additionally, private blockchains can combine multiple layers of data access to maintain the confidentiality of certain data. Therefore, private blockchains can ensure a higher level of security, privacy, and performance. Blockchain applications in the food industry primarily use private chains, with only participants in the food supply chain having access to the system, allowing them to record information related to food and food containers. This data is shared among all participants in the supply chain and is submitted to consumers for review and verification.

        From a logistics perspective, the main applications of blockchain and IoT technology in the Taiwan food supply chain industry can be categorized into several key areas:

       1. Improved supply chain transparency: Blockchain can record all food information from production to consumption, including the production location, production date, transportation method, and storage conditions. This allows consumers to trace the food source, ensuring its safety and reliability.

       2. Improved Supply Chain Efficiency: IoT can collect data such as the temperature and humidity of food products within the supply chain. This data is transmitted and stored through blockchain, assisting businesses in optimizing supply chain management, enhancing transportation efficiency, and improving food quality. 

       3. Reduced supply chain costs: Blockchain can reduce the number of intermediaries, lowering the cost of food distribution. The application of IoT technology can reduce food loss during transportation, lowering business losses.

        Here are some specific examples of how blockchain and IoT technologies are being used in the food chain industry in Taiwan:

       1. Fresh food supply chain: The fresh food supply chain is an important part of the food chain industry in Taiwan, but it also faces challenges such as food safety and quality control. Blockchain and IoT technologies can help fresh food supply chain companies improve supply chain transparency and efficiency and reduce food safety risks. For example, the Taiwanese startup company "Shihshangjia" used blockchain technology to establish a "Fresh Food Supply Chain Traceability Platform" that allows consumers to trace the source and production process of fresh food products to ensure the safety and reliability of food.

       2. Cold chain logistics: Cold chain logistics is an important part of ensuring food safety. Blockchain and IoT technologies can help cold chain logistics companies improve transportation efficiency and food quality. For example, the Taiwanese logistics company "Yufeng Logistics" uses IoT technology to monitor temperature and humidity in cold chain transportation and stores the data in blockchain to ensure that food remains within a safe range during transportation.

       3. The Taiwanese government is also actively supporting the application of blockchain and IoT technologies in the food chain industry. In 2023, the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan launched the "Smart Agriculture Supply Chain Plan", which encourages businesses to use blockchain and IoT technologies to improve the efficiency and safety of agricultural product supply chains. The Council of Agriculture of Taiwan has established a "Smart Agriculture Supply Chain Platform" using blockchain technology. This platform can help farmers, processors, and retailers to trace food, and improve food safety.

       4. Walmart, in partnership with IBM, has developed a food trust platform using blockchain technology to track its meat products from farm to table. The platform uses blockchain technology to record all data from the production, processing, transportation, and sales of meat products. This data includes the name of the farm, the animal's identification number, the slaughter date, the transportation temperature, and the final sales date. 

       5. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is another company that uses blockchain technology to improve its food supply chain. In 2019, KFC partnered with Microsoft to develop a blockchain-based traceability platform for its egg’s products.

       6. Nestlé, the world's largest food company, is also using blockchain technology to improve its food supply chain. In 2023, Nestlé partnered with the Tezos Foundation to develop a blockchain-based traceability platform for its coffee products.

        Blockchain is rapidly integrating with IoT technology. As costs decrease and economies of scale form, blockchain-IoT integration applications will become the technical mainstream of the future Taiwanese food supply chain industry. How to make good use of this technology is also an unavoidable challenge for the industry.