Fueling innovative software
July 15-18, 2019
Portland, OR

How blockchain is changing the food industry

Erin Vincent (Erin Vincent)
4:15pm4:55pm Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Secondary topics:  Data Driven
Average rating: ****.
(4.43, 7 ratings)

Level

Beginner

E. coli. Salmonella. Listeria. Last year saw several major outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. Traceback to the source of contamination took days and even months in some cases. In the meantime, people were sickened and lives were lost. We should have the technology to do better. Enter blockchain.

First introduced in 2008 as the technology behind the bitcoin cryptocurrency, blockchain has since become the backbone to other cryptocurrencies, given rise to countless startups, and been embraced by big names in tech and other industries. Some have predicted that blockchain will become an even bigger phenomenon than the dawn of the internet. Others see it as just the latest tech buzzword and don’t buy the hype. In any case, there’s still much debate and confusion about what this technology is, how it works, and why it matters.

Erin Vincent draws on her experience as a developer for an agriculture company to outline the basics of blockchain technology in easily understood terms. Using practical examples, she discusses how blockchain is different from existing tech and compares and contrasts types of blockchains and their use cases. You’ll see how blockchain solutions are useful to the food industry and to you as a consumer and how blockchain is poised to revolutionize a number of other industries.

What you'll learn

  • Understand the basics of what blockchain is, how it works, and how it can make our food safer
Photo of Erin Vincent

Erin Vincent

Erin Vincent

Erin Vincent is a developer at an agriculture company where she builds frontend web apps for tracking land and crop data. Originally from Oregon, she’s a loyal consumer of Tillamook cheese and ice cream. Her love of learning and passion for travel have led her on adventures to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Along the way, she’s enjoyed studying languages, the latest two being Thai and JavaScript. She earned her BA in international relations but owes her career in software development to a coding bootcamp. She lives in Utah with her husband and cat.