Bac Ninh's Thieu lychees obtain Blockchain-based 'digital passport'

Instead of relying on traditional handwritten records, the entire process of cultivating, harvesting, and exporting Thieu lychees by a farmer household in Bac Ninh Province has now been digitized through Blockchain technology and international GS1 barcode standards.

Mr. Vu Van Men in Bang Cong hamlet, Kien Lao commune, Bac Ninh province, has officially become the first farmer in the province to simultaneously apply Blockchain technology and GS1 standards for the traceability of exported Thieu lychees.

This is considered a new step in agricultural digital transformation, enhancing transparency across the entire production chain and meeting the increasingly stringent requirements of import markets such as Japan and Europe.

Organic lychee orchard exported to Japanese and European markets

With an area of 1.5 hectares, Mr. Men's lychee orchard was granted organic certification in 2024, which remains valid through 2026. This year's lychee crop is expected to yield approximately 3-4 tons. The entire output has already been contracted by export enterprises, including Mova Company, Global Company, and Ameii Company, for export to the Japanese and European markets.

According to Mr. Men, the transition from traditional management methods to a digital system was initially challenging because it required farmers to become familiar with a range of new technological tools.

"At first, it was a bit difficult because there were many features to learn. But over time, I realized how much more convenient it is. I no longer have to keep handwritten records, which saves a lot of time," Mr. Men said.

Beyond changing production record methods, uploading the entire cultivation data onto a digital platform also enables consumers and import partners to gain a clearer understanding of the farmer's organic production processes.

"Many people are still skeptical about organic lychee farming without the use of pesticides. But now we have made all of that information available on a digital platform, allowing people to better understand our production process and have greater confidence in our products," Mr. Men added.

GS1 and Blockchain create a "digital passport" for lychees

Thieu lychees produced by Mr. Vu Van Men's household have been granted the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) 8938561601003 by the National Barcode Center under international GS1 standards, a product identification system currently used in more than 150 countries worldwide. This is a key condition for the product to enter modern distribution networks, supermarkets, and international retail chains.

Through the BSChain platform, all information related to cultivation, harvesting, packaging, and transportation is digitized and stored on the Polygon Blockchain network. Each shipment is assigned a QR code integrated with the GS1 Digital Link standard. Consumers, importers, and distributors can simply scan the code with a smartphone to track the product's entire journey in real time, without the need to install any additional application.

What sets Blockchain apart is its ability to prevent data from being altered once it has been uploaded. Every record is time-stamped and electronically authenticated, significantly enhancing the reliability of product traceability that traditional record-keeping methods often struggle to achieve.

At present, the complete production records for the orchard in the 2024-2025 crop seasons are being continuously updated on the system to build a continuous cultivation history that can be used to meet inspection and verification requirements from import partners.

Under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) 2023/1115 and Japan's new import standards, agricultural products are required to carry transparent and independently verifiable traceability data. As a result, electronic traceability is becoming a mandatory requirement in many major export markets.

In this context, the integration of GS1 standards with Blockchain technology not only enhances the value of Bac Ninh lychees but also opens up a new pathway for the province's agricultural products to integrate more deeply into international markets.

From a small-scale farming household, Mr. Vu Van Men's model demonstrates that farmers can effectively embrace digital technology when provided with the right support. It is also expected to serve as a foundation for Bac Ninh to gradually expand digital traceability systems across its key agricultural products in the coming time.