A global network that enables conscious consumption and improves transparency in supply chains

“We believe that seeing how something is made allows you to better understand its value,” says Jessi Baker, founder of Provenance, a new social enterprise that uses data technology to present the authentic stories of products in order to enable conscious consumption and improve transparency in supply chains. “We think makers are keen to share their ‘secrets’ because that's where the real value in what they’re producing lies."

Provenance will launch officially in April as a web platform and network of independent makers and producers who will tell their stories through images, video and stories. Baker ultimately hopes it will provide a new way for brands to track and share the supply chains of their products, using data technology, and launching projects using the Blockchain, to create new frameworks for authenticating products. "Makers' processes aren’t secrets, they’re assets," she explains. "Consumers are demanding transparency, but also making judgements about what they buy based on how they were made. The more a maker can share about the story of their products, the better.”

There are a growing number of brands which, mindful of public concern, are taking a lead in allaying consumer worries over where product comes from, and how it is made. Check out our Honest Policies Observation to find our more about the brands that are not only promoting ethical production, but also adopting a strategy that places transparency at its core.