Dutch retailer Plus has announced that it has introduced fully traceable, climate-neutral bananas.
The retailer partnered with supplier Fyffes and technology company, SIM to implement blockchain mapping on its banana supply chain.
The bananas carry a QR code which helps in tracing their journey from the plantations in the Urabá region in Colombia to the supermarket shelves.
Climate-Neutral Bananas
The bananas, which are Fairtrade certified for 10 years, have also acquired a climate-neutral status, the retailer said.
The blockchain offers information about when the bananas were harvested, as well as the CO2 emissions at every step in the chain.
This entire process of measuring, reducing, and compensating for the CO2 footprint of the individual bananas is verified and certified by the Klimaatneutraal Gegarandeerd (Climate Neutral Guaranteed) quality mark.
The retailer has introduced new ripening cells that reduce carbon emissions by 30%. It compensates the remaining emissions through sustainable energy projects.
Efforts made by Maersk to limit carbon emissions while shipping also adds to the reduction in emissions in the supply chain.
Other Benefits
Apart from providing information about the source of the bananas, the blockchain mapping technology also provides insight into the joint efforts of all stakeholders in the supply chain.
Bananas are one of the most purchased products in the supermarket, Plus said. Therefore, mapping the supply chain will help in identifying areas of improvement in its sustainability efforts.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
