Today, with the increasing awareness of health, consumers have higher and higher quality requirements for Chinese medicinal materials such as Eucommia. As an industry practitioner, I deeply feel that the traditional supply chain model can no longer meet the needs of modern consumers for product traceability. The introduction of blockchain technology is bringing a profound change to this traditional industry.
Why do we need a transparent supply chain?
As a plant with important medicinal value, the quality of Eucommia directly affects the effect of the final product. But for a long time, there have been information blind spots in all links from planting to sales. I remember one time, a consumer took the product and asked me: "Where does this bag of Eucommia bark come from? When was it picked?" At that time, I was confused and could only give a vague answer. This feeling of powerlessness made me realize the importance of supply chain transparency.
Changes brought by blockchain
What attracts me most about blockchain technology is its immutability. Once the data of each link is on the chain, it cannot be changed like being engraved on stone. At a demonstration base in Zhejiang, I witnessed the application effect of this technology with my own eyes:
● Planting stage: sensors record soil moisture, light intensity and other data in real time and automatically upload them to the blockchain. I noticed that even the specific time and amount of fertilization were fully recorded.
● Transportation process: through the Internet of Things equipment, the temperature and humidity data in the transport vehicle are updated every 5 minutes. Once the system detected an abnormal temperature, it immediately triggered an early warning to avoid damage to the raw materials.
● Processing stage: The processing time and process parameters of each batch of raw materials are recorded in detail. You can see the complete production log by scanning the code. This transparency was unimaginable before.
Real results
After a year of practice, this demonstration base has achieved remarkable results: the consumer complaint rate has dropped by 60%, and the product premium ability has increased by 20%. What surprised us even more was that because the whole process is traceable, the concerns of distributors and pharmacies when purchasing have been significantly reduced, and the order volume has grown steadily.
Outlook and thinking
Although blockchain technology has broad prospects, it also faces challenges in the process of promotion. The equipment investment costs of small and medium-sized growers and the technical training of employees are all problems that need to be solved. We believe that in the future, we can consider the "blockchain + cloud service" model to lower the technical threshold. At the same time, government departments should issue relevant standards to regulate the application of blockchain in the field of traditional Chinese medicine.
As industry insiders, we firmly believe that blockchain technology will profoundly change the traditional Chinese medicine industry. It not only solves the problem of information asymmetry, but more importantly, it rebuilds consumers' trust in products. This trust is the cornerstone of the healthy development of the industry. We are witnessing the arrival of a new era that is more transparent and more standardized.
