Blockchains and cryptocurrencies are no longer the exclusive domain of tech enthusiasts.
Agricultural commodity traders, and even cattle and grain producers themselves, are getting on board to be closer to the consumer and reduce food fraud.
Blockchains allow consumers to find out where their food came from by simply scanning what's known as a 'QR code,' found on the packaging of their food, with their smart phone.
For a steak this might include when a cow was born, what it's genetics are, and where and how it was feedlotted.
For other commodities like grain found in a loaf of bread, it could include processing information or how it was transported.
Grazier Sonya Comiskey is excited by the technology's potential.
"It's application to agriculture is pretty exciting, particularly around providence, food safety and traceability," she said.
Ms Comiskey is currently developing a brand for the beef her family produces in central Queensland.
She says it's a daunting task to ensure the quality product she produces and brands is the one that arrives on consumers' plates without any tampering or substitution, as has been seen in the pork industry.
Ms Comiskey believes blockchain may be the key to solving the issue.
"We're constantly getting bombarded with messages that we need to tell our story… here is a way that we can do that.
"People make a lot claims but being able to back those claims is really important, (especially) without extraordinarily complicated and expensive certification schemes."
Blockchain to the rescue
Proponents of agricultural blockchain platforms say it will give farmers and graziers more control than ever over their commodities.
One such business is Beefledger which has launched its token system.
Company director Warwick Powell said blockchain will revolutionize how producers reach their customers and prevent food fraud.
"What we are trying to do is use the blockchain or distributed ledger to deliver certainly of information," he said.
"It's being driven by a number of concerns emanating from export markets for food safety, and certification of origin.
"Out of China, for example, Australian beef is priced very highly which results in a high risk of fraud and Beefledger aims to empower to consumer to be sure that what they are paying for is what they get."
Mr Powell says Chinese consumers are already scanning QR codes on food to find out where it came from and pay more for that opportunity.
"A consumer can more or less engage directly with the local community from where something came."
How does it work?
Basically, a blockchain in an online marketplace or network that can be used to bring together different parties to do business from all over the world.
A blockchain can have many different uses, but what people are really excited about is using them to buy and sell goods as within a blockchain there can be wealth of data stored that buyers and sellers can view.
There can also be a currency – known as a cryptocurrency – that business is carried out in. Bitcoin is one example of a cryptocurrency that has broken into the mainstream but there are many others.
Why use cryptocurrencies rather than traditional currencies like the Australian dollar?
Because a blockchain exists in no one country and does not use a traditional currency, it operates completely outside the traditional banking framework.
It links buyers and sellers directly to a wealth of data on what they are buying or selling.
Are they safe?
Advocates of blockchains say their security is guaranteed because they are decentralised and transparent networks.
They are essentially huge file sharing networks where all the details of every transaction ever done within it is available to everyone so no person or financial institution has the upper hand.
Once a block's data has been verified the blockchain uses a form of maths called cryptography to ensure that the block can't been altered by anyone else making it very difficult for the network, and your data or transactions, to be corrupted.
Where will it fit into agriculture?
A number of businesses are trying to enter into this space and allow the international trading of agricultural commodities through blockchains and using cryptocurrencies.
One of these is AgriDigital, a commodity management platform which allows its customers to do business on via blockchain.
External relations manager Bridie Ohlsson says it makes sense.
"We've created a token to represent digital title to grain.
"One of the benefits of having this technology is that we can program things into what we call a smart contract."
"So instead of handing this around in pieces of paper between participants along a supply chain and moving it around on site between accounts and the weigh bridge and whatever else we can create, this token is on a blockchain and everyone that needs to see that information can see it and trust it."
