{"id":617,"date":"2026-03-20T15:13:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T06:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/vietnam-agri\/blockchain-vietnam-traceability\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T00:36:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T15:36:44","slug":"blockchain-vietnam-traceability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/vietnam-agri\/blockchain-vietnam-traceability\/","title":{"rendered":"How Vietnamese Farm Produce Is Tracked with Blockchain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Is it really from Vietnam?\" \"I can't verify the pesticides or the cultivation history.\" If you are involved in food imports, you have surely felt these kinds of worries.<\/p>\n

This article explains how traceability of Vietnamese produce works using blockchain technology, real examples of consumer-facing tracking via QR codes, and the trends of adopting companies at home and abroad.<\/p>\n

What traceability is, and why it is needed now<\/h2>\n

\"Traceability\" is a system that can record and track the entire process from the production of a food to its arrival in the consumer's hands. Think of it as connecting the production area, the pesticide-use history, and each stage of processing and transport with a single \"thread.\"<\/p>\n

As of 2023, Vietnam's exports of agricultural and fishery products reached about US$53 billion, and large amounts of bananas, mangoes, coffee, shrimp, and more are exported to Japan as well. At the same time, import suspensions due to origin fraud and exceedances of pesticide standards continue unabated.<\/p>\n

As a means of solving these problems, blockchain is drawing attention as a \"tamper-proof digital ledger\" to replace conventional paper ledgers and Excel-based management.<\/p>\n

The basic structure of blockchain and its application to agriculture<\/h2>\n

Blockchain is a distributed database that records transaction data in units called \"blocks\" and links (chains) them together. Once recorded, the data becomes, in theory, impossible to rewrite.<\/p>\n

Its application in the agricultural field can be broadly divided into three settings.<\/p>\n

Recording at the production site<\/h3>\n

Farmers enter the sowing date, fertilizer amount, pesticide name, harvest date, and so on via smartphone. If linked with sensors, data such as soil temperature and humidity can be recorded automatically too.<\/p>\n

Tracking along the distribution and transport line<\/h3>\n

Scans are carried out at each checkpoint, the sorting facility, processing plant, and port, recording temperature control and packing condition. A mechanism is also implemented that issues an immediate alert if there is any temperature deviation during transport.<\/p>\n

Public QR codes for consumers<\/h3>\n

Scanning the QR code attached to a product displays the producer's photo, the farm's location, and the cultivation history. Being able to \"trace back\" to the farmer just by holding up a smartphone at the supermarket shelf is a big change.<\/p>\n

Major adoption cases within Vietnam<\/h2>\n

In Vietnam, the adoption of traceability is advancing on two axes, government-led and private-sector. We have compiled representative cases in a table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Organization \/ company<\/th>\nTarget items<\/th>\nTechnology used<\/th>\nYear of adoption<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)<\/td>\nRice and fruit in general<\/td>\nQR codes plus a government portal<\/td>\n2019 onward<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TE-FOOD (international)<\/td>\nPork and chicken<\/td>\nBlockchain plus NFC<\/td>\n2018 onward<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
VinEco (Vingroup affiliate)<\/td>\nOrganic vegetables<\/td>\nA proprietary app plus QR<\/td>\n2020 onward<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ben Tre province cooperative<\/td>\nDragon fruit<\/td>\nGS1 codes plus a tracking database<\/td>\n2021 onward<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

TE-FOOD processes more than about 60 million transactions a year in Vietnam and is one of the world's largest agri-food blockchains, tracking livestock from birth to the dinner table.<\/p>\n

How to build consumer trust with QR codes<\/h2>\n

Even if the technical system exists, it means nothing unless consumers use it. In a survey within Vietnam, about 72% of consumers said they would \"like to use QR-code traceability information in purchasing decisions\" (2022, Hanoi University of Science and Technology survey).<\/p>\n

There are three keys to building trust.<\/p>\n

1. \"Readability\" over \"quantity\" of information<\/h3>\n

Simply listing pesticide names and fertilizer-amount figures does not get through to consumers. It is important to convert them into easy-to-understand labels, such as \"pesticide-free\" or \"compliant with Organic JAS standards,\" for display.<\/p>\n

2. Show the producer's \"face\"<\/h3>\n

Posting the farmer's photo, name, and message turns mere data into a \"human story.\" This connects directly to the motivation to buy.<\/p>\n

3. Linking with third-party certification<\/h3>\n

Whether the blockchain data itself is correct depends on the reliability of the source of input. Combining it with official certifications, such as GlobalG.A.P. or VietGAP from Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture, dramatically increases reliability.<\/p>\n

Points Japanese importers should note<\/h2>\n

For importers and buyers in Japan who handle Vietnamese produce, traceability is not someone else's concern either.<\/p>\n

In 2023, the Food Safety Basic Act was amended, and discussion is moving in the direction of strengthening supply-chain disclosure for imported food. In Europe and the United States, the EU due-diligence regulation (CSRD) is spilling over to produce as well, and the requirements for origin certification are becoming stricter.<\/p>\n

If you want to get ahead of it, we recommend adding \"whether a blockchain-based traceability certificate can be submitted\" to your supplier-selection criteria now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Check item<\/th>\nConventional management<\/th>\nUsing blockchain<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Origin certification<\/td>\nPaper certificates (forgery risk)<\/td>\nTamper-proof electronic records<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pesticide history<\/td>\nDeclaration-based<\/td>\nAutomatic recording linked to sensors<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Transport temperature control<\/td>\nVisual checks and paper records<\/td>\nIoT logs plus alerts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Disclosure to consumers<\/td>\nImpossible or limited<\/td>\nInstant disclosure via QR code<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Summary<\/h2>\n

The move to use blockchain for the traceability of Vietnamese produce has already entered the practical stage at the government and major-company level.<\/p>\n