Thai Aquaculture Cleans Up with Blockchain, Analytics

Blockchain player Diginex and data intelligence and analytics company Verifik8 signed a long-term agreement to protect workers in the Thai aquaculture. By combining blockchain and analytics, both companies are looking to better protect workers from exploitation.

As part of the agreement, Verifik8 will integrate eMin into its existing farming monitoring tools called Blue 8/Green 8, which are already being used by 5,000 workers on the ground in Thailand.

“This agreement is a natural progression in the evolution of eMin – proving that blockchain can have a positive impact and is more than just a ledger of transactions. Migrant workers can now own their data and can easily access their own contracts using this tool,” said Mark Blick, head of Government Solutions at Diginex.

eMin is a blockchain-enabled tool developed by Diginex in partnership with the antislavery NGO Mekong Club. It is designed to help eradicate modern slavery through the worker recruitment process by recording employment contracts in a secure, traceable manner.

Verifik8’s CEO, Ms. Emmanuelle Bourgois, said: “We were impressed by the results of the pilot and can see the potential of rolling out the eMin functionality across the employers we partner with, which will reach thousands of workers on hundreds of farms in Thailand. eMin shares our mission in building an industry solution that enables an inclusive data ecosystem, which will drive a race to the top for responsible supply chains.”

Diginex, Mekong Club, and Verifik8 share the same view that employers, in both the private or public sector, can be the primary drivers of positive change towards resolving severe issues across the globe.

This agreement follows the successful pilot with Verifik8 in February 2019, in which the tool was piloted at a shrimp farm in Phuket, Thailand. Initially funded by the British Embassy in Bangkok, which has been a vocal supporter of finding new and inventive solutions to modern slavery, it follows the enactment of the Modern Slavery Act in 2015. The U.K. has been at the forefront of driving transparency in supply chains to reduce forced labor at home and abroad.

“We are excited by the potential of this project, which validates the use of the technology for socially important causes but also demonstrates long-term value for migrant workers in Thailand,” said Margaret Tongue, deputy head of Mission at the British Embassy Bangkok.