Though we live in the age of the internet, it would seem that we’ve never been further away from knowing exactly where our products come from.
If you’re anything like us, in recent years you’ve been more curious of the people, places and processes that make the products you purchase and use/consume. While there is a greater push to become environmentally and socially conscious, it would seem that a global lack of corporate transparency stops even the most well-meaning consumers from knowing about the impact of the products you buy.
After noting her own frustration at opaque supply chains for products that she knows and uses, entrepreneur Jessi Baker started innovative digital platform Provenance. While writing her dissertation on the popular retailer American Apparel, Baker became obsessed with finding out exactly where products came from.
From tracking fish between farm to plate, to proving fair pay, Provenance uses tech power to aid the global transparency movement. In giving people information on the exact conditions of products around the world, Baker is helping start a revolution in customer understanding, and one that couldn’t come sooner.
Though Provenance is in its fledgling years, the impact of the project is sure to influence the industry for the better. Their mission, “our collective power is in our shared knowledge”, perfectly encapsulates a sustainable and moral future, one where information is free and accessible for all.
Harnessing the power of blockchain technology, Provenance transfers product attributes as a public ledger in a completely upfront and honest way. Not only are transparent supply chains important from an ethical standpoint, it also offers a competitive advantage. We’re living in the age where consumers, more than anything, want the companies they interact with to be honest with them. It’s only a matter of time before such lengths to be upfront about production are expected by consumers worldwide.
