Coca-Cola, US government to use blockchain to curb forced labor practices
Leading global beverage company Coca-Cola continues to diversify its operational portfolio, having now partnered up with both the US State Department and two leading crypto firms to pilot a new labor-centric blockchain platform.
The collaboration will look to use the validation and digital notary capabilities of blockchain technology to a create a global digital ledger to secure a registry for workers and workers rights in the aim of combatting forced labor.
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Reuters, who first reported the story, revealed that this is also the State Department’s first major project on this particular issue using blockchain, whilst Coca-Cola has “been exploring multiple blockchain projects for more than a year”.
Further, the move is part of Coca-Cola’s ongoing commitment to improving the rights of its own workers, with the aim of conducting 28 studies on child labor, forced labor and land rights for its sugar supply chains by 2020.
US blockchain company Bitfury Group will be tasked with building the project’s blockchain platform, whilst Emercoin will also aid the initiative by providing blockchain services.
The State Department has said that it will provide its own expertise and knowledge on labor protection.
Non-profit organization Blockchain Trust Accelerator is also involved in the project.
