In the latest episode of the Cryptonews Podcast, host Matt Zahab sat down for a meaningful discussion with Jon Trask, the CEO of the blockchain-based, agriculture technology-focused Dimitra platform.

In this exclusive interview, Jon Trask talked about:

• blockchain and Web3 technologies revolutionizing agriculture across Africa and the globe;
• how Dimitra utilizes AI, machine learning, IoT, and data-driven insights to combat deforestation;
• Dimitra’s NFT Avocado initiative facilitating farmers with access to the necessary funds required for their farms to flourish;
• the future of blockchain tech in farming and agriculture;
• traceability and using blockchain to improve farmers’ lives.

Watch the Full Episode with Jon Trask

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Check out below some of the many things Trask and Matt discussed.

From Farming to Big Tech

Trask noted that he grew up on his grandfather’s farm, after which he got into tech and supply chain business. He, in fact, worked for a number of multinational corporations in the food industry.

Six years ago, he built a blockchain-based identity system to manage businesses and farmers in Africa. Shortly after that, Trask traveled to DRC to witness some of the disparity between agriculture in Africa and agriculture in Canada, for example.

“There was a real need for things that we considered easily available and basic on farms in Canada,” he said, but farmers were not using it in Africa. This was due to availability, price, and technological accessibility.

“And we felt maybe we could do something about that.”

His colleagues and he started looking for other opportunities to expand upon the identity software that they had built. They created the foundation of Dimitra.

Dimitra Is Designed To Help Smallholder Farms

Smallholder farmers in the food industry make up just under 10% of the world’s population. But they’re very underserved from a tech perspective and earn very little for their effort.

Per Trask,

“A lot of them are really just focused on feeding their family and selling food into the community.”

He started working on bridging some of the gaps. For example, in Kenya right now, to be able to move their product out of the country and earn money for their product, need to meet several conditions. These include traceability, regulatory standards, satellite reports in order to tell if they’re deforesting their farm or not, etc.

“And we do that through working with cooperatives and governments in many of these countries. And I wake up with a smile on my face every day, I wake up happy to help and serve the community and work with all these great people around the world.”

Bringing Easy Access Through Mobile Apps

Dimitra has several valuable mobile applications. Farmers in the world, particularly in developing countries, have access to phones but don’t typically have laptops or PCs.

Dimitra has two Android apps focused on livestock, a government application that works on genetics, as well as apps for coffee and cacao farmers, among others.

The apps help farmers identify the aspects that work and those that need to be improved to increase and enhance production.

“Once they grow the crop, then we start to track and trace.”

In one of the examples Trask offered, he showcased how satellite analysis can help enrich solis with the correct supplements to boost crop output.

Solok Radjo in Indonesia is one of our cooperatives, 3300 farmers on the side of the mountain in Sumatra, all with coffee farms. And so we start with the satellite report and then we do some soil analysis. We know by the soil analysis that their soil is not pH rich. And if we can increase the pH by using calcium carbonate, we can increase their output. In some cases, we can triple or quadruple their output for a small investment.

Information like this is offered to Dimitra users throughout the ecosystem of mobile apps. Farmers get details about the soil, crop production, enhancements they can introduce and weather patterns they can expect. All in an easily accessible mobile app.

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About Jon Trask

Jon Trask is the CEO and Founder of Dimitra and has been working with blockchain since 2017.

Prior to founding Dimitra, Trask had an extensive career building and developing enterprise software solutions to revolutionize supply chain processes and improve immutable traceability.

A recognized expert in his field, he is also the Founder and CEO of Blockchain Guru and a Partner with the Blockchain Training Alliance.

Trask’s mission now is to increase farming connectivity worldwide, particularly with those disenfranchised, and to leverage the power of innovative technologies to bridge farming and tech.

The CEO also won the 2023 Government Blockchain Association Annual Achievement Award in the “Social Impact” Category.