Leveraging Deep Learning and Blockchain for Enhanced Transparency and Traceability in the Indian Herbal Product Supply Chain

Medicinal plants have been a cornerstone of healthcare practices globally, serving a significant population in developing countries who rely on affordable herbal remedies. However, the current marketing system through Mandis and wholesale markets suffers from opacity. Numerous intermediaries create an information gap for farmers regarding fair pricing and market trends. Additionally, concerns exist about misidentification and adulteration of medicinal plants due to limited knowledge among collectors and traders. The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) recognizes the need for a robust supply chain. This paper proposes a blockchain-based platform ‘Indian Herbal Blockchain Network (IHBN)’ integrated with Deep Learning for image processing. The deep learning model has achieved a decent accuracy of 90.24% which decreases the chance of misidentification. The platform ensures transparent traceability of medicinal plants from source to consumer, along with accurate identification using image analysis. This system promotes transparency within the medicinal plant supply chain, reducing the risk of adulteration and improving overall trust.