Virginia’s farmers are facing an innovation gap. For every dollar Americans spend in the food system, farmers receive just nine cents. That’s not because they lack hard work or skill, but because they often don’t have full control over the inputs, the machinery and even the data. Instead, this information is concentrated in separate businesses and corporations, who can use it to squeeze farmers, reduce competition and make our food system less resilient.
As the founder of a Virginia-based blockchain technology company, I’ve seen firsthand how emerging tools can flip this dynamic. Blockchain has the power to restore control to farmers by ensuring the farmers own and benefit from the data their land and equipment generate. However, to unlock this potential, we need clear, thoughtful rules from lawmakers that provide certainty for innovators and protection for farmers.
Our work offers a glimpse of what’s possible. My company has deployed weather stations on farms, which store their data on a blockchain-secured network that allows growers to share critical environmental data directly with one another. In practice, this means farmers can use trustworthy, real-time information to protect crops, negotiate better insurance terms and advocate for a fairer share of profits. We’ve worked with wineries in Virginia, Canadian growers and vineyards in Portugal, who are unlocking more bargaining power and insight because their data is secure, transparent and owned by them.
This ownership matters for consumers, too. Transparency in agriculture isn’t just about economics but about health. We know nutrient levels in produce have declined since the 1980s, and there’s also risks of contamination from disease or chemicals. Imagine if every package of spinach or wheat carried a digital history that shows the soil it grew in, the weather conditions during harvest, and even the supply chain it traveled. Blockchain makes this possible. With the right policy framework, consumers could access this data instantly, building trust in the food system while rewarding farmers who invest in sustainable practices.
The challenge here is that innovation is moving faster than regulation. Entrepreneurs in Virginia and across the country are developing tools that could revolutionize agriculture, but the lack of clear federal rules has created a “pacing problem.” Farmers, businesses and consumers all deserve certainty.
That’s why legislation like the bipartisan CLARITY Act that recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives is so important. The bill provides a sensible framework for distinguishing between digital commodities and securities, ensuring that blockchain-based innovations have a clear legal pathway. Leaders on both sides of the aisle, including Virginia’s own Senator Mark Warner, have rightly warned that if American lawmakers don’t shape these rules, other nations will.
By urging our federal representatives on both the House and Senate sides to advance market structure legislation bills like these, Virginia can be positioned to lead the forefront of not just blockchain but also agriculture.
This is about more than technology. It’s about food security, farmer empowerment and national resilience. Farmers are the backbone of our economy and the stewards of our land. With the right policies, we can give them not only the tools to succeed but the freedom to own their future.
Alexander Mann is the founder of Vineyard Vantage, a blockchain-based system built to empower precision agriculture on farms. He is based in Harrisonburg.
Related stories
