Research has claimed that about 30% of seafood globally is mislabelled. Tragically, some of this mislabelling disguises the consumption of endangered species, not to mention unsafe food.
To combat this, the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) and Two Hands are working collaboratively to address global food safety, mislabelling and seafood sustainability. Using blockchain technology and smart tagging, independently verified sustainability information has been added to the Two Hands marketplace from AMCS’ GoodFish Sustainable Seafood Guide. AMCS have developed their seafood assessment over the past 15 years and are the leading independent voice on seafood sustainability in Australia.
AMCS is an independent charity, staffed by a committed group of professional and passionate scientists, educators and advocates who have defended Australia’s oceans for fifty years. AMCS GoodFish program manager Sascha Rust said: “AMCS GoodFish recommendations help chefs and restaurants make better choices when sourcing and supplying seafood. Integrating this work within the Two Hands platform. Traditionally, having seafood pass through many unknown hands opens the potential for food fraud. This means that positive changes by fishers, or conscious decisions by consumers, can be wasted due to potential malpractice across all parts of the supply chain.”
The Two Hands team is one of the first globally to monetise breakthrough blockchain technology to solve critical real-world issues of sustainability and food fraud. A key to being a world first is a ‘Next Generation’ business model where Two Hands has an evolutionary purpose to make the world a better place by restoring trust and closeness to fishers, farmers and consumers through ethical food supply chains. The ‘Next Generation’ business model creates a transparency in thinking and behaviour that allows blockchain technology to deliver technically. Two Hands Founder, Greg McLardie, said: “It truly contributes to the Two Hands mission that AMCS has agreed to guide us in supporting a truly sustainable and transparent Australian seafood industry.” Mr Rust added “We have been helping businesses who work with seafood to reduce their impact on the ocean for many years, and we are always pleased to be able to continue to build strong relationships built on environmental outcomes in this way. Blockchain technology has proven itself a valuable technology in solving one of the wicked problems of sustainability in food. For AMCS this relationship ensures we can continue to support Australian fishers and chefs who are doing the hard work for the long term benefit of our oceans with more certainty than ever before.”
