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Digital divide prevents widespread use of blockchain

Several ag company leaders say there will be no widespread adoption of blockchain technology until there is widespread access to broadband.

At the virtual Commodity Classic, United Soybean Board CEO Polly Ruhland said that’s true for ALL ag technologies.

“What do we need to keep continuous growth in sustainability, particularly on farm? We need to be able to data transfer. We need to be able to make real time decisions. None of this – we’re just completely dead in the water if we don’t have connectivity.”

A USB study found that 60% of farmers don’t have the connectivity they need to run even their basic businesses, let alone field technology.

“That inability to access business growing tehcnologies like blockchain – it’s the first, number-one priority I think that we HAVE to put at the top of our list.”

Ruhland says it’s not just agriculture. It’s first responders who cant get to place in rural communities, it’s schools and healthcare that are suffering from the digital divide as well.

Blockchain technology, which provides transparency in ag food chain transactions, is in the works at some food companies – like Land O’Lakes – but not fully utilized across the board.