How blockchain and AI can reshape agriculture: Interview with Dimitra

Technology is shaping the future of numerous sectors, and agriculture is not immune to the change. Blockchain-powered change is on the horizon for farmers, potentially making agriculture technology (AgTech) accessible to all.

Dimitra is a global agriculture technology company that utilizes blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT). The company is founded by Jon Trask, a prominent blockchain expert with a background in enterprise software development and designing complex supply chains for multinational corporations. Trask also won the 2023 Government Blockchain Association Annual Achievement Award for Social Impact and the 2023 Web3 and Blockchain Award for Entrepreneurship.

As the CEO of Dimitra, Trask shares key insights about how agriculture, especially smallholder farmers, can utilize technology to their advantage.

Cointelegraph: What inspired you to start Dimitra, and how does your background influence the company’s mission and vision?

Jon Trask: Dimitra was born out of a passionate conviction that technology can transform the challenges over 570 million farms worldwide face. My journey, woven through years of reshaping complex supply networks, has opened my eyes to the extraordinary ways technology can reinvent age-old sectors. It’s the hard-working smallholder farmers for whom we hope these technologies become accessible and functional.

CT: How can technologies like AI and blockchain help agriculture?

JT: Artificial intelligence boosts farmers’ crop management by analyzing weather, soil and plant health data, leading to smarter decisions for increased yields and eco-friendly practices. Blockchain guarantees secure and trustworthy supply chains, building trust and authenticity in agricultural transactions. These technologies combine to improve efficiency, sustainability and profitability in agriculture, empowering small farmers globally.

Just recently, Dimitra successfully completed the first European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) compliant coffee shipment utilizing AI and blockchain technology, demonstrating how technology supports farmers in meeting regulations, entering global markets and safeguarding the environment.

CT: What’s a good example of the synergy between crypto and AI?

JT: A great example of teamwork between crypto and AI shows up when crypto assets inspire data sharing in AI models for farming. Farmers can earn tokens by giving important agricultural data, such as crop yields and weather patterns, to AI programs.

This support encourages many people to get involved and share data, making AI models more accurate and better at predicting. As a result, farmers get more precise advice and tips for managing crops, which helps increase productivity and sustainability in farming.

CT: What specific advantages do decentralization and transparency bring to the supply chain in agriculture?

JT: Decentralization in the agricultural supply chain simplifies and makes processes cheaper. At the same time, it helps make it stronger by sharing control across multiple stakeholders, reducing the risk of problems happening in just one place. It also welcomes small farmers to be part of the supply chain, promoting fairness in trade and helping them reach expanded markets.

Being transparent about where products come from builds trust by showing how food travels from farms to the table, preventing fraud and making sure quality and safety standards are met. Overall, decentralization and transparency make the agricultural supply chain more reliable and effective, which is good for farmers, governments, cooperatives, customers, consumers and everyone involved.

CT: Could you share the journey that led to Dimitra’s formation and its mission to empower smallholder farmers with cutting-edge technology?

JT: We embarked on the journey to create Dimitra with a potent vision of empowering small farmers worldwide through technology. Witnessing how farmers embrace mobile tech and cutting-edge innovations such as IoT and satellite, it became clear that we could merge these advancements with the unique needs of agriculture.

While agriculture progresses at a slower pace compared to fast-moving technologies like crypto, I firmly believe that bridging these two worlds can revolutionize farming practices and provide substantial support to farmers. Leveraging technology to assist small farmers is not just essential — it will change the world.

CT: How do you utilize advanced technology, including satellite tracking, AI, blockchain and crypto assets, to improve the global agriculture landscape?

JT: We employ advanced technology to revolutionize the worldwide agricultural sector. Technical assistance and dissemination of knowledge are two of the biggest bottlenecks for small farmers to increase their income; the conventional process is very laborious and expensive. Through our satellite tracking system, we keep a close eye on crops and livestock, providing farmers with real-time information on weather, soil moisture and crop health. AI analyzes this data to give tailored recommendations for optimal farming methods, helping farmers increase their yields and reduce costs.

By using blockchain for transparency and traceability in the supply chain and crypto assets to promote data sharing and financial inclusion, we empower farmers to make informed decisions and drive sustainable growth in the global agricultural industry.

CT: Dimitra executed its first EUDR-compliant shipment. Could you briefly explain what EUDR is and why it’s crucial for agriculture?

JT: EUDR certification plays a vital role in agriculture as it assures that shipments come from deforestation-free areas and adhere to stringent environmental standards. Our technologies are crucial in achieving this by providing transparent and traceable supply chains.

Through the use of satellite tracking and blockchain technology, we can accurately document and confirm each phase of production, from the farm to the market. This empowers farmers to showcase the sustainability of their practices and guarantee that their shipments comply with deforestation-free requirements, enhancing their market opportunities and bolstering consumer trust in agricultural products.

CT: How does Dimitra help smallholder farmers with EUDR compliance?

JT: Dimitra helps smallholder farmers follow EUDR rules by providing special digital tools. Our platform lets farmers accurately track their work, ensuring transparency in the supply chain. By using satellite tracking, AI analytics and blockchain technology, we support farmers in managing their activities to meet EUDR standards in a much cheaper way than pursuing a conventional certification.

Additionally, our training programs prepare farmers to meet and maintain compliance rules. Our EUDR module measures levels of deforestation, comparing the EU’s deforestation cutoff date at the end of 2020 to the current forest state of the farm to demonstrate that the farmer hasn’t violated any rules.

CT: How does Dimitra ensure its innovations meet the real-world needs of smallholder farmers?

JT: Engaging directly with smallholder farmers is crucial to adopting new technologies. Our partners, like cooperatives and local organizations also play a crucial role in building a relationship of trust with farmers. Dimitra ensures that our innovations truly meet their needs by prioritizing accessibility with the DMTR token.

Even though some farmers don’t even understand how tokens work, they understand the concept of earning and buying points to exchange for products and services. And so, through services and technologies that they previously did not have access to, we are building an increasingly larger base of farmers who benefit from the DMTR ecosystem.

When farmers stake DMTR tokens (points), they can easily use all our agricultural technologies, which help them improve crop management and make their supply chain more transparent using AI analytics and blockchain solutions. This token system makes it fair for all farmers to access advanced technology, so even those with limited resources can get helpful insights and enhance their farming methods for long-term success and prosperity.

CT: How does Dimitra’s technology promote sustainability and help farmers adopt more eco-friendly practices?

JT: Technical assistance is crucial so that producers know how to produce more and better in the same area, making better use of available natural resources and turning degraded areas into productive areas. It is in this scenario that our AI and DMTR tokenholders play a key role in supporting sustainability on small farms worldwide. By staking their tokens, they encourage farmers to use eco-friendly practices such as reducing water and pesticide usage, enhancing soil quality and preserving biodiversity.

These tokens offer a tangible way to recognize and incentivize farmers for their efforts in sustainability, promoting the adoption of environmentally friendly techniques. Through their support, DMTR tokenholders help small farms operate sustainably, promoting resilience and long-term success in agricultural communities around the world.

CT: What are some upcoming technologies at Dimitra that you’re particularly excited about, and how will they continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in Agtech?

JT: I am thrilled about Dimitra’s upcoming projects and technologies that will transform Agtech. One exciting initiative includes AI forest monitoring in our Dimitra Connected app, helping farmers comply with environmental regulations like the EUDR by spotting deforestation issues. Our DMTR token’s improved usefulness will make high-tech tools and market information more accessible to farmers and entrepreneurs worldwide.

Using nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and real-world assets (RWAs), we are digitizing real agricultural assets, like trees, to offer financial support for small farms and encourage sustainability globally. Making carbon credit projects available to small farmers and encouraging environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices in agricultural organizations are also on our roadmap. These efforts show our dedication to pushing Agtech boundaries, supporting sustainability and empowering farmers to succeed in the changing agricultural world.