Contributing to Safe Livestock Production Using Bio Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Blockchain Platforms
Full-Scale Entry into the Global FoodTech Market
Kim Hee-jin, CEO of Ulike Korea, holding the LiveCare Blockchain Farm signboard [Photo by Ulike Korea]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Amid ongoing food safety concerns such as the insecticide egg issue and the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF), which have heightened public anxiety about livestock products, smart farm technology company Ulike Korea is drawing attention by promoting a blockchain-based livestock product tracking platform to create a safe and healthy livestock ecosystem.
Ulike Korea, a smart livestock specialist company, has opened the country's first blockchain-based cattle history management platform at the Hanwoo farm named 'Blockchain LiveCare No. 1 Farm' (located in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do) and has begun to actively enter the global FoodTech market.
Kim Hee-jin, CEO of Ulike Korea, stated, "Despite the global surge of COVID-19, consumer demand for healthy food is increasing day by day. In line with global trends, we have officially opened the 'Blockchain LiveCare No. 1 Farm.' Our goal for the second half of this year is to launch a livestock product traceability platform that can oversee the entire process from livestock growth stages to shipment, meat processing, and distribution by utilizing the LiveCare solution, a smart livestock technology recognized in the global livestock market."
As interest in health and quality food grows, European countries, which are advanced in livestock farming, prioritize transparent food information disclosure and attach Clean Labels to foods distributed within Europe to emphasize food traceability and satisfy consumer demands.
In particular, the global tech company IBM in the United States has applied blockchain technology to establish the Food Trust system, a coalition of major food manufacturers, distributors, and retail chains, to prove the safety of imported foods to consumers.
Keeping pace with global trends to alleviate concerns about livestock product safety, Ulike Korea plans to manage data for 100,000 beef cattle across 500 farms nationwide by 2022, starting with the opening of its first Hanwoo farm this year. Additionally, through blockchain-encrypted individual history management, it expects to create value-added industries using data certified as healthy beef.
At the beef cattle breeding farm operated by Ulike Korea in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, abnormal conditions related to major diseases occurring during Hanwoo beef cattle breeding, such as bloat (a digestive disorder in ruminants causing the first stomach to swell) and indigestion (a disease causing feed to remain undigested in the stomach or intestines, leading to digestive disorders), are expected to be quickly detected and early blocked from hindering healthy growth through biometric data obtained via the LiveCare Bio-Capsule.
CEO Kim Hee-jin explained, "Stable biometric information collection within each individual is possible through orally administered bio-capsules, and the collected data is securely transmitted and managed on a blockchain server. Unlike externally attached tags, it is tamper-proof, ensuring transparency in individual history management, which is a key differentiator."
Meanwhile, the global FoodTech market size is estimated to reach approximately 342 trillion KRW by 2027. Leading with an integrated new platform business that combines livestock biodata, AI, and sensor technologies owned by Ulike Korea, it is expected to grow into a FoodTech company responsible for future food by caring not only for livestock healthcare but also for consumers' safe food.
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