Blockchain and AI tech collab improves supply chain and enables world’s first cattle NFT sale

Innovative technology from CattleProof, Plainsight and BullaNetwork, among others, helps Wilson Ranch realize higher profit

The Sandhills of Nebraska seem unlikely breeding grounds for cutting-edge tech. But Wilson Ranch and its distribution partner, Flying Diamond Beef, are deploying a unique collaboration of blockchain and AI protocols to improve transparency and efficiency, and lower costs in the certification process. By offering to accept payment for the beef in cryptocurrency, the collaboration is also breaking new ground by creating a complete on-chain ranch-to-table process.

CattleProof, a Wyoming-based software and decentralized application (DApp) developer, is leading the collaboration and playing the biggest role. The company ran a successful trial of the collaboration with Wilson Ranch and Flying Diamond Beef in December and plans to expand its reach in the coming months.

Developed by blockchain industry veteran Rob Jennings and software developer Justin Oberg, the CattleProof platform uses blockchain technology to create a non-fungible token, (NFT), for each head of cattle. The NFT can then gather and hold data for each steer that will certify its attributes, like genetics, provenance, medical records and age. Since the NFT is on the blockchain, the data remains secure, immutable and accessible, helping producers maintain accuracy and traceability in the certification process. Cattle producers can then gather and hold all the data on their phones with the CattleProof DApp.

Historically, the process of gathering, storing and certifying this data has been carried out manually through a series of middlemen, generating copious regulatory and transactional costs and other inefficiencies. While the demand for high-quality beef continues to rise, and consumer prices hit all-time highs, the independent rancher is still making low margins per head of cattle. Using blockchain technology, the CattleProof DApp opens a new realm for the ranching industry to own the certification process, without the cost and inefficiency of middlemen.

?“One of the biggest hurdles we face in the industry is ensuring and certifying the provenance and health of cattle for buyers, which translates into the quality of the beef we are providing,” said Jennings.

To collect the data that becomes a part of the NFT and the certification process, CattleProof uses unique identifying tags for each animal and then collaborates with other technology firms to help gather and store data and sell the beef through the Flying Diamond website and other channels.

?To help record the cattle’s visual identity, CattleProof works with San Francisco-based Vision AI firm, Plainsight, LLC, which uses biometric recognition technology via photos and videos. Cattle producers then manually input data, such as sex, non-hormone treated, antibiotic-free, grass or grain fed, all-natural and vaccinations, via their smartphones into the CattleProof DApp. Once the photos and manual input data are entered through CattleProof, Wilson Ranch pairs the rancher’s smartphone to each animal’s tag to capture a unique identifier.???

?The unique digital identity data (biometric images + unique tag + rancher input) is then sent via the CattlePass DApp to the Ethereum blockchain, thus creating an ERC-721 NFT for each animal. At no time does the unique data rest in a database where manual changes could be made.?The data goes straight to the blockchain, creating an immutable record of the animal including the date, time and GPS location.

?The CattlePass Smart Contract then creates the NFTs that are placed in the rancher’s MetaMask wallet thus establishing proof of ownership of the animal.?Once each token is sent to a secure digital wallet of the rancher/owner containing metadata such as genetics, photos, feed, health treatments, veterinary and brand inspections, then additional relevant information can be added or updated to each token.

?The trial project involved creating NFTs for 20 Wilson Ranch steers. All 20 steers were then sold directly to consumers online through Flying Diamond Beef (FlyingDiamond.com).

?To create a complete on-chain process, CattleProof used a unique Web3 accounting protocol from Colorado-based blockchain developer BullaNetwork to enable crypto currency payments in addition to fiat currency payments, for the beef. BullaNetwork is a bankless Web3 credit and accounting protocol that helps unlock crypto commerce. The BullaNetwork App, BullaBanker, enables DAOs, companies, and individuals to send invoices, make payments, and manage business and personal accounts all on-chain.

?If the animals are transferred to another owner, custodian or processor, via the CattleProof Smart Contract, the token and its appended metadata will travel seamlessly into the respective wallet. For the future, CattleProof technology could also help financial entities, such as lending institutions, improve visibility into the animal life cycle for collateralization and fractionalization of cattle.

BullaNetwork is a revolutionary new Web3 accounting protocol. Its app, BullaBanker, allows users to send invoices, pay remittances and conduct all their bankless personal and commercial transactions in cryptocurrency fully on-chain.

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