Starbucks To Track Coffee Via Microsoft’s Blockchain Service

Starbucks has since voiced out its interest in utilizing the blockchain technology. Interestingly, the company is now finally doing it by giving consumers more information on all of its coffee products through the use of a blockchain system, which reportedly has the ability to track beans from “farm to cup.”

A Joint Effort

In order to make the effort possible, the coffee giant is going to work alongside Microsoft in an attempt to harness the latter’s Azure Blockchain Service. The latter will be essential in the coffee company’s decision to track coffee shipments from across the globe.

In an official announcement from Microsoft, the company gave further details as to how important the new joint venture is. The tech company says that this integration has the ability to bring “digital, real-time traceability” directly to any supply chain.

Thanks to the partnership, the tech firm’s blockchain service is expected to record all changes as the coffee giant embarks on its journey of the coffee on a shared ledger. And, by doing so, the coffee company can provide its participants with a more comprehensive and “complete view” of the supply chain.

Starbucks is reportedly hell-bent at using all information in order to bring a new feature directly to its own mobile application. This is expected to provide consumers details on where exactly the sourcing and roasting of the coffee, including all tasting notes.

Road to Ethical Sourcing

As part of the coffee giant’s commitment to ethical sourcing, it is confident that the aforementioned system has the potential to help benefit growers as well. The company believes that this is possible by simply providing them with data, such as where exactly their beans could end up in the cups of the consumers.

According to a press release from Starbucks, the company is said to be sourcing beans from more than 380,000 coffee farms – a figure that it has achieved since last year.

The SVP of Global Coffee & Tea at Starbucks named Michelle Burns said that through the company’s decision to empower farms with concrete knowledge and data through the blockchain system, they finally have the ability to support them. Ultimately, the decision to do so can help them improve their livelihoods.

It is also worth noting that the app can inform consumers on how exactly the coffee giant is supporting its growers. Burns added that this effort will bring forth transparency, the kind that gives customers the opportunity to see that the coffee is a direct result of many individuals “caring deeply.”