Develop a blockchain-based system for botanical traceability of Ayurvedic herbs including geo-tagging from the point of collection (farmers/wild collectors) to the final Ayurvedic formulation label
Organization: Ministry of Ayush
Category: Software | Theme: Blockchain & Cybersecurity

Background

The Ayurvedic herbal supply chain in India is characterised by fragmented networks of smallholder farmers, wild collectors and multiple intermediaries, leading to challenges in ensuring consistent quality, authenticity and sustainable sourcing of medicinal plants. Variations in harvesting practices, environmental conditions and manual record-keeping introduce risks of mislabeling, adulteration and over-harvesting of vulnerable species, undermining consumer trust and compliance with regulatory standards. Geographic provenance is often undocumented or opaque, making it difficult for manufacturers and regulators to verify that herbs originate from approved regions or follow sustainable collection guidelines.

A blockchain-based traceability system, augmented with geo-tagging technology, can address these gaps by creating an immutable, decentralised ledger that records every step of the herb's journey—from on-site GPS-tagged collection events through processing, testing and formulation. Smart contracts on a permissioned network (e.g., Hyperledger Fabric) can enforce sustainability criteria and automate quality validations, while IoT-enabled devices capture real-time location and environmental data at remote collection points, even via SMS-over-blockchain gateways where connectivity is sparse. By integrating FHIR-style metadata bundles (e.g., "CollectionEvent," "QualityTest," "ProcessingStep") and QR-code scanning at aggregation nodes, stakeholders gain end-to-end visibility, enabling rapid verification of provenance, streamlined certification for export and robust audit trails to support both biodiversity conservation and supply-chain efficiency. When herbs are formulated into finished products, unique, serialised QR codes generated by the blockchain platform could be affixed to each package. End customers scan these codes with a mobile app or web portal—powered by the same blockchain ledger—to retrieve a FHIR-style provenance bundle detailing each upstream event: farm of origin, harvest conditions, intermediary custody, laboratory certificates and batch formulation parameters. This consumer-facing transparency not only verifies authenticity and builds trust, but also supports ethical marketing, enables rapid recall management and fosters incentives for sustainable collection practices by linking premium pricing to verified harvest data. Over time, analytics on consumer scans can feed back into demand forecasting, closing the loop between consumer assurance and supply-chain optimisation.

Description

A permissioned blockchain network will immutably record every stage of an Ayurvedic herb's journey—from geo-tagged harvest events by farmers or wild collectors, through multi-stage processing and laboratory testing, to the finished product on retail shelves. At the point of collection, GPS-enabled mobile or IoT devices capture precise location, timestamp, collector identity, species identification and initial quality metrics as a "Collection Event." Subsequent "Processing Step" and "Quality Test" events—each embedding standardised metadata bundles—are added by processing facilities and testing laboratories. Smart contracts enforce National Medicinal Plants Board sustainability guidelines and Good Agricultural and Collection Practices by automatically validating geo-fencing rules, seasonal restrictions and quality thresholds before committing each transaction to the ledger.

When formulation is complete, unique QR codes generated on-chain are affixed to product packaging. End customers scan these codes via a lightweight web or mobile portal (no specialised app required) to retrieve the full provenance record: farm coordinates and harvest conditions; chain-of-custody handoffs; lab certificates for moisture, pesticide and DNA-barcode tests; and sustainability and fair-trade compliance proofs. This consumer-facing transparency assures authenticity and safety, enables rapid recall notifications for affected batches and tells the story of each product—complete with interactive maps and farmer or community profiles. By combining tamper-proof audit trails, geo-tagged traceability and automated compliance enforcement, the system delivers a replicable model for ethical, sustainable and trust-driven Ayurvedic herb sourcing.

Expected Solution

Participants will deliver a proof-of-concept blockchain-based botanical traceability system addressing end-to-end provenance of Ayurvedic herbs. The solution should include the following core components and capabilities:

1. Permissioned Blockchain Network
• A lightweight, permissioned ledger (e.g., Hyperledger Fabric or Corda) that records every supply-chain transaction.
• Network nodes representing farmers' cooperatives, wild-collector groups, testing laboratories, processing facilities and manufacturers.
• Smart contracts enforcing:
- Geo-fencing rules based on collectors' GPS coordinates and approved harvesting zones.
- Seasonal-harvest restrictions and species-specific conservation limits per National Medicinal Plants Board guidelines.
- Quality-gate validations (e.g., moisture thresholds, pesticide limits, DNA barcoding checks).

2. Geo-Tagged Data Capture
• IoT/GPS-enabled mobile DApp (or SMS-over-blockchain gateway) for collectors to record "CollectionEvent" metadata: latitude/longitude, timestamp, collector ID, species and initial quality metrics.
• Sensor integrations or manual interfaces for "QualityTest" events (lab results) and "ProcessingStep" events (drying, grinding, storage conditions).

3. Smart Labeling & Consumer Portal
• On-chain generation of unique QR codes for each finished product batch.
• A lightweight web/mobile portal (no specialised install required) allowing end customers to scan QR codes and retrieve a complete FHIR-style provenance bundle:
- Collection location map and harvest details
- Chain-of-custody handoffs through each supply-chain node
- Laboratory certificates for moisture, pesticide analysis, DNA authentication
- Sustainability compliance proofs and fair-trade verifications
- Interactive farmer/community profiles and conservation credentials

4. Integration & Interoperability
• RESTful APIs for supply-chain managers to query real-time dashboards of harvest volumes, batch statuses, QA results and sustainability metrics.
• Plugins or connectors to existing ERP/quality-management systems for seamless data exchange.
• Use of FHIR-style resource models (CollectionEvent, QualityTest, ProcessingStep, Provenance) for standardized metadata exchange.

5. User Interfaces & Reporting
• A mobile DApp interface optimized for low-bandwidth rural environments, with offline data capture and SMS synchronization.
• A web dashboard for stakeholders to monitor network health, query provenance records and generate compliance reports aligned with AYUSH Ministry export and sustainability requirements.
• Automated reporting modules that compile environmental-impact metrics and conservation compliance data for certification bodies.

6. Demonstration & Evaluation
• A live pilot using one botanical species (e.g., Ashwagandha) across a small farming cooperative and a collaborating processor.
• End-to-end demonstration: geo-tagging harvest, adding lab results, processing events, QR code scanning by simulated consumers and recall simulation.
• Metrics collection on data-capture latency, transaction throughput, offline sync reliability and consumer-scan engagement.

By delivering these elements, participants will showcase a replicable, transparent and sustainable model for botanical traceability that bridges traditional Ayurvedic sourcing with modern blockchain technology and consumer empowerment.