How AI and DNA unlock the mysteries of global supply chains
At a cotton gin in California's San Joaquin Valley, a square machine helps spray a fine mist containing billions of DNA molecules onto freshly cleaned Pima cotton.
< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">This DNA will act as a sort of tiny barcode, nestled in the middle of the swollen fibers as they are transported to factories in India. There, the cotton will be spun into yarn and woven into sheets, before landing on the shelves of Costco stores in the United States. At any time, Costco can test for the presence of DNA to ensure its U.S.-grown cotton hasn't been substituted with cheaper materials — like cotton from China's Xinjiang region, which is banned in the United States due to its links to the labor force.Amid growing concerns about opacity and abuse in global supply chains, companies and government officials are increasingly turning to technologies such as DNA tracking, artificial intelligence and blockchains to try to trace raw materials from source to store.
< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Businesses in the United States are now subject to new rules that require companies to prove their products are made without forced labor, or face having them seized at the border. U.S. customs officials said in March they had already detained nearly $1 billion in shipments entering the United States suspected of having ties to Xinjiang. Products from the region have been banned since last June.Customers are also demanding proof that expensive, high-end products - like conflict-free diamonds, organic cotton , sushi - quality tuna or Manuka honey - is authentic and produced in an ethical and environmentally sustainable way.
This has imposed a new reality on companies that have long relied on a tangle of global factory markets to source their goods. More than ever, companies need to be able to explain where their products really come from.
At a cotton gin in California's San Joaquin Valley, a square machine helps spray a fine mist containing billions of DNA molecules onto freshly cleaned Pima cotton.
< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">This DNA will act as a sort of tiny barcode, nestled in the middle of the swollen fibers as they are transported to factories in India. There, the cotton will be spun into yarn and woven into sheets, before landing on the shelves of Costco stores in the United States. At any time, Costco can test for the presence of DNA to ensure its U.S.-grown cotton hasn't been substituted with cheaper materials — like cotton from China's Xinjiang region, which is banned in the United States due to its links to the labor force.Amid growing concerns about opacity and abuse in global supply chains, companies and government officials are increasingly turning to technologies such as DNA tracking, artificial intelligence and blockchains to try to trace raw materials from source to store.
< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Businesses in the United States are now subject to new rules that require companies to prove their products are made without forced labor, or face having them seized at the border. U.S. customs officials said in March they had already detained nearly $1 billion in shipments entering the United States suspected of having ties to Xinjiang. Products from the region have been banned since last June.Customers are also demanding proof that expensive, high-end products - like conflict-free diamonds, organic cotton , sushi - quality tuna or Manuka honey - is authentic and produced in an ethical and environmentally sustainable way.
This has imposed a new reality on companies that have long relied on a tangle of global factory markets to source their goods. More than ever, companies need to be able to explain where their products really come from.
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