The Next Web Keynote: Provenance founder speaks on transparency, circularity and the future of commerce

“How can technology can empower us to be citizens, not consumers?”

This was the question our founder, Jessi Baker, posed as she took the stage for The Next Web conference in Amsterdam last month.Bringing together the most powerful and innovative names in technology to share and disrupt, the conference was the perfect forum to engage with like-minded leaders and challenge the status quo around transparency.Key takeaways from Jessi’s talk:

• The exploitation of people and the environment thrive in opaque supply chains.
• Blockchains enable a meritocracy. People participating all along the supply chain can contribute and interact – creating more equality.
• Materials have value – and if we treat them like that, they can be traded in.
• Accountability through radical transparency is the way forward for brands. Open up this information and show us so we can trust you.

See the full video below.

Continuing to champion the innovations while also highlighting the problems to address still within blockchain tech, the theme of the talk was around “Web 3.0” (or the next phase of the internet centered around blockchain) and how we at Provenance use it to make supply chains transparent. The very nature of the technology and what makes us so excited to use it in our work related to how everyone can interact; there’s not one centralised ruler. In supply chains today, the people at the start who often participate the most usually get the least reward. So, we’re working with purpose-driven business who are looking to change that model. Why shouldn’t everyone benefit in a way equitable to their participation?Additionally, Jessi continued to highlight the need for transparency when it comes to the actual materials used to create products. If we as consumers know what something is actually made from and what went into it, we have a clearer understanding of how to use it and ultimately pass it on.

This was explained through a project we have launching soon with DSM / Niaga around recyclable carpets. They open up the exact chemical composition, when it was made and how to recycle – allowing their customers to help them close the loop.Many brands have no idea what’s going on within their supply chains, but this is changing. Brands will need to apply radical transparency to be accountable as people become more engaged around their own impact, which includes the impact of the things they buy. Opening up the information and showing us who was involved and what materials are used empowers us all to be citizens of the wider world and not just consumers of a product. 🌏Help build a more transparent future for brands and products. Discover how. 🌏(Headline image credit of Beto Ruiz Alonso at The Next Web (#TNW2019) / www.betoruizalonso.com)