Peter Gabriel: From Genesis to Blockchain

Peter Gabriel, the English (Surrey born) songwriter and performer known as one of the founders of that landmark of prog rock, Genesis, and for his epic solo video hit “Sledgehammer” in 1987, is one of the backers of a blockchain startup designed to provide transparency to the food industry.

The German statesman Otto von Bismarck famously compared laws to sausages. The ordinary citizen/consumer is best off not knowing too much about how either is made. But the point of the startup is to challenge the food-industry side of that analogy, on the presumption that in the 21st century a lot of people do want to know about the whole supply chain behind their sausages.

In a statement, Gabriel said that he is convinced the project, Provenance, “is going to find a big role going forward and will be of great use to the consumer” as well as leveling the playing field for “smaller, independent producers” trying to compete with the agri-giants.