I once met an ICT expert in Nairobi, Kenya (let’s call him ICT guy), who presented to me interesting perspectives on IoT and halal products.
Githunguri Sub-County is located in Kiambu County, only 39 kilometers north of Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi. Githunguri has the highest concentration of dairy cattle in sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 150,000-grade cows squeezed into less than 154km². The majority of farms here range between ¼ acre and 2 acres. Githunguri’s proximity to Nairobi makes smallholder farmers the premium suppliers of fresh vegetables to the capital city.
So, ICT guy was involved in a data collection exercise where they visited over 10,000 farming households; he noticed that close to 27% of these farms raised pigs whose manure they used to condition soil for vegetable production. After soul searching and consultations, he realized there were varied opinions on whether vegetables grown using swine manure may be regarded as haram or halal. His primary concern, though, was to create a system of traceability that would make information regarding farm inputs readily available for individual Muslims to make informed decisions as to their halal or haram status.
This was my introduction to the diverse world of IoT and BlockChain.
IoT, or internet of things, refers to an ecosystem of interconnected gadgets that monitor vital signs and characteristics of that particular environment or area, and constantly relay that data (via internet interconnectivity) to a central source. A good example is Libellium an IoT solutions company that develops smart devices to monitor water, soil, and climate conditions in large-scale farms, and enable commercial farmers to increase productivity through precision agricultural practices.
Blockchain technology is the power behind decentralized finance or cryptocurrencies. A blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, that are linked using cryptography. Each block contains an encrypted record (called a cryptographic hash) of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data (records of all changes between two blocks). A blockchain is designed in a way that its data cannot be modified.
So ICT guy was of the opinion that by combining IoT, blockchain, and mobile telecommunications, an entire agriculture sector would easily monitor anything from seeds, disease infections, post-harvest losses, and productivity in real-time enabling anyone within the ecosystem to trace the food they eat from seed to plate. Imagine the possibilities this presents for halal verification.
Over the years I’ve learned that people in IT live in an alternate reality full of outlandish ideas that, at best, belong in a movie. However, the 21st century has presented unique innovations that have, surprisingly, brought this outlandish idea to life, and within reach of ordinary people.
Given the challenges Somalia’s agricultural sector faces our best bet just maybe adopting these outlandish ideas. ICT guy’s idea combines blockchain and IoT might just present the magic touch Somalia needs to not only solve its perennial food security and food safety issues but also enable the country to be a net food exporter to the African continent
