On May 15, Ripple announced the launch of its second pilot of the year with Mercy Corps Ventures, working in partnership with traceability technology provider WËIA, to advance agricultural finance in Colombia. The initiative is part of Ripple Impact’s broader “Unlocking Opportunity” program and focuses on using blockchain technology to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The pilot uses WËIA’s traceability platform, built on the XRP Ledger, to track the production of agricultural goods, specifically panela, a traditional unrefined cane sugar, from planting to harvest. The system assigns each product a QR code that offers verifiable information, meeting the growing demand for transparency in global food supply chains. XRPL’s speed, cost efficiency, and carbon-neutral architecture provide the technical foundation for secure, immutable record-keeping. Additionally, the pilot introduces a “Farm Now, Pay Later” (FNPL) financing option that allows farmers to purchase inputs in advance and defer repayment until harvest. This mechanism aims to alleviate liquidity constraints that have historically limited farmers’ productivity. Image: freepik Designed by Freepik