China’s popular online retailer JD.com says sales of free-range chickens have doubled in the past two years, and blockchain technology has played a key role.
Its initiative for putting chickens on the blockchain, called “Running Chicken,” sees professional breeders hired by JD.com to tend to chickens.
Local farmers are also offered part-time jobs growing vegetables, fruit, and grain, as well as interest-free loans to spur growth.
JD.com has tracked free-range chickens using distributed ledger technology (DLT) since early 2018. This allowed customers to scan labels with smartphones to access detailed supply chain information, including diet, rearing process, and origin.
The system is designed to reduce the nation’s reliance on factory farmed poultry. JD.com’s initiative is also noted to have led to Wuyi County’s removal from China’s national poverty list.
“JD fits each chicken with a specially designed pedometer, with the aim of having each bird take one million steps during the rearing process,” a statement posted 11 April reads.