Year Awarded 2020
FFAR award amount $2,000,000
Total award amount $4,000,000
Location Memphis, TN
Matching Funders AgLaunch, Mississippi State University, The Seam, Tennessee State University, Wallace Center at Winrock International, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated that greater tools are needed to ensure flexibility in the food supply chain during major crises to ensure both economic security for farmers and food security for consumers. The Open Market Consortium (OMC)is developing and piloting an open-source, public-access blockchain system to connect small and mid-size farmers to institutional buyers and minimize supply disruptions. OMC, led by AgLaunch Initiative, includes founding members Mississippi State University, The Seam, Tennessee State University and the Wallace Center at Winrock International.