The United Nations taps blockchain to solve world hunger
Hundreds of millions of people go hungry every night, and after a succesful pilot the UN thinks that blockchain could help them solve world hunger
Key takeaways
- Earlier this week United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) announced that 10,000 individuals had taken advantage of its trial to deliver food to Syrian refugees in Jordan using the Ethereum blockchain.
- Five million people have fled Syria alone, and many now live in poverty in nearby Jordan which is trying to deal with a major refugee crisis.
- In 2016 alone, the UN estimated it’s now home to over 650,000 Syrian refugees, two million Palestinian refugees, and an ever increasing number of asylum seekers who are fleeing conflicts in Yemen, Somalia, and Iraq.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'The United Nations taps blockchain to solve world hunger', 311 Institute, 28 June. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/the-united-nations-taps-blockchain-to-solve-worlds-hunger/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Earlier this week United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) announced that 10,000 individuals had taken advantage of its trial to deliver food to Syrian refugees in Jordan using the Ethereum blockchain. The WFP’s platform, which was created by Parity Technologies, a start up lead by Gavin Wood, who was also a co-founder of Ethereum, and big data firm Datarella.
The scheme worked by letting Syrian refugees collect food paid for by the WFP from participating markets in the refugee camp in Jordan. The individuals had their eyes scanned to confirm they were one of the more than half a million refugees cleared to receive aid, and once they passed they were given their food.
Needless to say with the project already looking like a stunning success it could one day be a model for feeding refugees worldwide . Five million people have fled Syria alone, and many now live in poverty in nearby Jordan which is trying to deal with a major refugee crisis. In 2016 alone, the UN estimated it’s now home to over 650,000 Syrian refugees, two million Palestinian refugees, and an ever increasing number of asylum seekers who are fleeing conflicts in Yemen, Somalia, and Iraq.
One of the great benefits of using Blockchain, which is also being trialled to wipe out child poverty, is the fact that it could provide help on a much larger scale than ever seen before, and the WFP has an ambitious goal, firstly to expand the scheme to cover 100,000 individuals by August, then secondly to help the entire Jordanian refugee population by 2018, and thirdly eliminate hunger worldwide by 2030, a project they’re calling “ZeroHunger.”
I think you’ll admit that that’s an ambitious project that deserves a round of applause, whether or not it achieves its goals, and now many experts are starting to think that blockchain could be the technology of choice to help transform the humanitarian and sustainability sectors.
“Using blockchain, we aim to cut payment costs, better protect beneficiary data, control financial risks, and respond more rapidly in the wake of emergencies,” explained Robert Opp, the WFP’s Director of Innovation and Change Management, “using blockchain can be a qualitative leap, not only for WFP, but for the entire humanitarian community.”
I hope you’ll agree it’s a great project, and I wish them all the best, we’ll see how they’re getting along again later in the year.
What this means for your organisation
Aid becomes traceable.
Recording each transaction shows where help goes. Donors gain confidence and fraud falls.
Scale is the goal.
The aim is to serve whole refugee populations. Systems must work for millions, not thousands.
Identity is central.
Eye scans confirm who receives aid. Strong safeguards are needed for such sensitive data.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Could a ledger make our aid or grants more transparent?
- How would we protect biometric data of vulnerable people?
- Which partners could help us scale distribution systems?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Hundreds of millions of people go hungry every night, and after a succesful pilot the UN thinks that blockchain could help them solve world hunger
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- World Food Programme www1.wfp.org
- Parity Technologies parity.io
- Datarella datarella.com
- Un using blockchain technology help refugees fight world hunger 2534759 ibtimes.com
- Zerohunger un.org
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 28 June 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). The United Nations taps blockchain to solve world hunger. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/the-united-nations-taps-blockchain-to-solve-worlds-hunger/
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