Colin Pitet received a National Science Foundation Cultural Anthropology Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (CA-DRIG) of $26,610 to conduct fieldwork for his dissertation titled “Blockchain and the Frontiers of Provenance and Risk in the Cattle Ranching Industry.”

This doctoral dissertation research project investigates contemporary means of recording and accounting for ownership and responsibility by exploring cattle ranchers? use of technology in animal husbandry. The researcher will focus on U.S. ranches that have adopted blockchain, the record-keeping mechanism underlying cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Agriculture is among the first sectors of the U.S. economy to implement blockchain in real-world cases unrelated to cryptocurrency. Historically, ranchers have proven ownership and controlled movement of cattle through a combination of branding and barbed wire, both of which had significant social impacts beyond cattle husbandry. Beef producers are now testing blockchain?s promise of making detailed transactional information publicly available, aiming to enable consumers to self-verify the provenance and quality of their food rather than placing trust in often opaque supply chains. This project, which trains a graduate student in methods of scientific data collection and analysis, explores the motivations and potential social ramifications of cutting-edge technology adoption.