Server, information processing system, method, and program

Abstract

This server acquires DNA information pertaining to a farm product, plant breeder's rights information pertaining to the farm product, and agreement information pertaining to handling of the farm product, which have each been transmitted from a terminal. The server associates the DNA information pertaining to the farm product, the plant breeder's rights information pertaining to the farm product, and the agreement information with each other, transmits said information to a blockchain node, and registers the combination of the DNA information pertaining to the farm product, the plant breeder's rights information, and the agreement information to a blockchain held by the blockchain node, thereby making it possible to manage the farm product.

Description

Server, information processing system, method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server, an information processing system, a method, and a program.

[0002] A matching device, a matching method, and a matching program capable of achieving efficient matching in a short time are known (for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7177901). The matching device disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7177901, upon receiving sales conditions for agricultural products sold by a seller from a seller terminal, references a purchase conditions database that pre-stores agricultural product purchase conditions associated with one or more buyers, creates one or more candidate purchase conditions according to the sales conditions, and transmits them to the seller terminal. Then, upon receiving purchase conditions selected by the seller from the candidates from the seller terminal, the matching device processes a contract between the buyer and the seller relating to the selected purchase conditions.

[0003] Also known are monitoring devices, monitoring methods, monitoring programs, and contract management systems that can objectively determine the likelihood of fulfilling a futures contract (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7128337). This monitoring device acquires contract information for a futures contract established between a producer and a purchaser of agricultural products, and identifies a measurement site for the agricultural products based on the acquired contract information. The monitoring device then acquires measured growth conditions from a measurement device that measures the growth conditions of the agricultural products at the identified measurement site.

[0004] Breeders of new varieties of crops can acquire breeder's rights, which allow them to monopolize the use of their registered varieties and to prevent third parties from using those varieties without permission.

[0005] However, in reality, even if a breeder obtains breeder's rights, it is difficult for him or her to actually monopolize the use of agricultural products.

[0006] When a breeder provides agricultural seedlings (such as seedlings or seeds) to a farmer, an agreement is made between the breeder and the farmer regarding the seedlings. For example, if a breeder develops a new variety of grape, when the breeder provides the grape seedlings to the farmer, an agreement is made regarding the number of seeds and the cultivation area (for example, Okayama Prefecture) where the seeds will be grown, and the farmer then grows the seeds in accordance with the agreement and sells the grapes harvested from the seeds.

[0007] However, new grape varieties may also be released to the market through improper distribution processes, for example, when seedlings are stolen and unauthorized third parties cultivate the new grapes, which are then distributed to the market.

[0008] Furthermore, even if the seeds in question have been properly distributed up to a certain point and are distributed to the market, there are cases where the subsequent distribution is not proper. In response to this issue, the April 2021 amendment to the Seeds and Seedlings Act established a use restriction provision (see, for example, the Guide to Notification of Use Restrictions, https: / / www.maff.go.jp / j / shokusan / hinshu / info / tebiki / seigen_tebiki.pdf). This use restriction provision allows for the imposition of certain restrictions on the subsequent distribution of seeds, even if they are sold properly. For example, by utilizing the use restriction provision, a breeder's right holder can impose restrictions on the countries to which seeds can be exported and the areas in which they can be cultivated.

[0009] However, at present, there are no effective means to prevent the improper distribution of seeds or fruits and vegetables harvested from seeds or to implement the above-mentioned usage restrictions, and there is a problem in that it is not possible to effectively prevent the production and sale of agricultural products by unauthorized third parties.

[0010] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a server, information processing system, method, and program that can prevent unauthorized third parties from producing and selling registered varieties that have been granted breeder's rights.

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the server of the present disclosure is a server in an information processing system including a terminal, a server, and a blockchain node, which acquires DNA information of agricultural products, breeder's right information of the agricultural products, and agreement information regarding the handling of the agricultural products transmitted from the terminal, associates the DNA information, breeder's right information of the agricultural products, and agreement information, and transmits them to the blockchain node, and registers the combination of the DNA information, breeder's right information, and agreement information in the blockchain held by the blockchain node, thereby enabling the agricultural products to be managed.

[0012] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent unauthorized third parties from producing and selling registered varieties that have been granted breeder's rights.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the commercial flow of agricultural products. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining patterns of infringement of breeder's rights of agricultural products. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining various types of information stored in a blockchain. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a computer functioning as each device in the information processing system. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining processing executed by the information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining processing executed by the information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a modified example of the information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] <Configuration of information processing system>

[0016] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an information processing system 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of terminals 12A, 12B, and 12C, a server 14, and a plurality of blockchain nodes 16A, 16B, and 16C. The plurality of terminals 12A, 12B, and 12C, the server 14, and the plurality of blockchain nodes 16A, 16B, and 16C are connected by a network 20 such as the Internet.

[0017] The information processing system 10 of this embodiment associates DNA information of agricultural crops with various information and registers it on the blockchain, thereby preventing unauthorized third parties from producing and selling registered varieties that have been granted breeder's rights.

[0018] 2 is a diagram for explaining the commercial flow (also referred to as the value chain) of a new variety of agricultural product when the product is developed. The agricultural product in this embodiment is a concept that includes seeds and seedlings, as well as fruits and vegetables. The agricultural product in this embodiment is a vegetatively propagated agricultural product.

[0019] For example, if a breeder develops a new variety of agricultural crop, the breeder can obtain breeder's rights for that variety by filing a variety registration application for the new variety with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (application for variety registration under the Seeds and Seedlings Act).

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, when a breeder acquires a breeder's right, he or she becomes the breeder's right holder. Consider, for example, a case where the breeder delivers seeds of a new variety to a nursery company. In this case, an agreement regarding a seedling sales license or production consignment is made between the breeder and the nursery company based on the breeder's right. For example, the agreement regarding a seedling sales license or production consignment may incorporate provisions regarding restrictions on agricultural production, restrictions on distribution of agricultural products, and restrictions on use under the Seed and Seedlings Act.

[0021] Regulations regarding restrictions on agricultural production include, for example, restrictions on where and how many seedlings a seedling company can grow (e.g., the number of seedlings or the area of ​​land on which the seedlings can be grown).

[0022] Furthermore, the provisions regarding distribution restrictions on agricultural products are, for example, provisions regarding distribution restrictions such as prohibiting a seedling company from selling the seedlings it has cultivated to certain third parties.

[0023] Furthermore, the use restriction provisions in the Seeds and Seedlings Act include, for example, provisions regarding export restrictions and production area restrictions for registered agricultural crop varieties.

[0024] While the provisions regarding restrictions on the production of agricultural crops and the provisions regarding restrictions on the distribution of agricultural crops are private agreements between the parties, namely, the breeder's rights holder and the seedling company, the provisions regarding restrictions on use under the Seed and Seedlings Act are public agreements based on the Seed and Seedlings Act.

[0025] When an agreement is reached between the breeder and the seedling company, the breeder will transfer the seedlings of the variety he or she has developed to the seedling company, as shown in Figure 2. The seedling company will also pay a license fee to the breeder in accordance with the seedling sales license or production contract agreement.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, a seedling company, for example, cultivates seedlings acquired from a breeder's rights holder and sells the resulting seedlings to a farmer, who then pays the seedling company a fee. The farmer cultivates the seedlings to obtain fruit and vegetables, which are then sold to a dealer, who then pays the farmer a fee. The dealer then sells the fruit and vegetables to, for example, a retail store, a restaurant, or a consumer, and the retail store, restaurant, or consumer then pays the dealer a fee.

[0027] A breeder's right holder can essentially control the distribution of the agricultural variety he or she has developed, from upstream to downstream in the commercial flow as shown in Figure 2. Specifically, as mentioned above, a breeder's right holder can, in principle, control the production and distribution of agricultural products through regulations on production restrictions of agricultural products, regulations on distribution restrictions of agricultural products, and use restrictions in the Seed and Seedlings Act.

[0028] However, in reality, there are cases where agricultural products are distributed to the market through improper distribution processes without observing the above regulations. For example, seeds may be stolen, and unauthorized third parties may cultivate such seeds, and produce harvested from those seeds may be distributed to the market. Furthermore, even if seeds are sold properly, there are cases where produce is distributed without observing the use restrictions in the Seed and Seedlings Act.

[0029] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining patterns of infringement of breeder's rights for new varieties of agricultural products. As shown in Figure 3, there are six possible infringement patterns depending on the variety name under which the agricultural product is sold (horizontal axis) and the type of variety of the agricultural product (vertical axis).

[0030] For example, consider a case where a new variety of agricultural product is registered under variety name X and a breeder acquires its breeder's rights. In this case, as shown in Figure 3, if a third party sells the illegally acquired seedlings themselves or fruits and vegetables obtained from the seedlings under the same variety name X, this falls under pattern 1.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3 , for example, if a third party sells illegally acquired seeds or fruits and vegetables obtained from the seeds under the different variety name Y, this corresponds to pattern 2. Also, as shown in FIG. 3 , for example, if a third party sells a modified version of an illegally acquired seed or fruits and vegetables obtained from the modified seed under the same variety name X, this corresponds to pattern 3. Also, as shown in FIG. 3 , for example, if a third party sells a modified version of an illegally acquired seed or fruits and vegetables obtained from the modified seed under the different variety name Y, this corresponds to pattern 4. Also, as shown in FIG. 3 , for example, if a third party sells a different variety of seeds or fruits and vegetables obtained from the different variety under the same variety name X, this corresponds to pattern 5. Also, as shown in FIG. 3 , for example, if a third party sells a different variety of seeds or fruits and vegetables obtained from the different variety under the different variety name Y, this corresponds to pattern 6.

[0032] Of the patterns shown in Figure 3, patterns 1 and 2 constitute an infringement of a breeder's right. On the other hand, patterns 1, 3, and 5 shown in Figure 3 constitute an infringement of a trademark right if a trademark right has been acquired for variety name X.

[0033] Regarding patterns 1 and 2, if anyone can access the DNA information of registered crop varieties and it is possible to collect DNA information from crops distributed in the market, it will be possible to determine whether the crops have been produced properly and are being distributed properly.

[0034] For example, consider a case where, with regard to a crop variety named X, cultivation and production in only Region A and sales of fruits and vegetables are permitted only in Region A due to regulations regarding production restrictions on crops, regulations regarding distribution restrictions on crops, and usage restrictions under the Seed and Seedlings Act.

[0035] In this case, if DNA information is collected from seedlings cultivated in region B and that DNA information matches the DNA information of crops with variety name X, it will be determined that the regulations imposed on crops with variety name X have not been complied with.

[0036] Similarly, if DNA information is collected from fruits and vegetables sold in region B and that DNA information matches the DNA information of agricultural products with variety name X, it will be determined that the regulations imposed on agricultural products with variety name X have not been complied with.

[0037] Furthermore, in a situation where a trademark right has been granted to a variety name X, if DNA information is collected from fruits and vegetables sold under the variety name X and the DNA information does not match the DNA information of agricultural products with the variety name X, it will be clear that this could constitute trademark infringement.

[0038] In view of the above, in this embodiment, the DNA information of agricultural products is associated with various information and registered in a blockchain. This prevents unauthorized third parties from producing and selling agricultural products for which a breeder's right has been registered. Specifically, this embodiment makes it easy to detect the actions of patterns 1 and 2 shown in FIG. 3, thereby preventing third parties from engaging in the actions of patterns 1 and 2. Note that by associating the DNA information of agricultural products with various information and registering it in a blockchain, anyone can easily access the DNA information of agricultural products, thereby also preventing the actions of patterns 3 and 5 shown in FIG. 3.

[0039] This embodiment will be specifically described below.

[0040] [Terminal] Each of the multiple terminals 12A, 12B, and 12C is operated by a user of the information processing system 10. Note that, hereinafter, when referring to a single terminal without distinguishing between the multiple terminals 12A, 12B, and 12C, they will be simply referred to as terminal 12.

[0041] [Server] The server 14 registers various pieces of information in the blockchain by transmitting the various pieces of information transmitted from each of the multiple terminals 12A, 12B, and 12C to the blockchain node 16. As shown in FIG. 3 , the server 4 includes an acquisition unit 140 and a control unit 142.

[0042] [Blockchain Node] Each of the multiple blockchain nodes 16A, 16B, and 16C stores various information transmitted from the server 14 in the blocks that make up the blockchain. A blockchain (see, for example, reference (Satoshi Nakamoto, "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System")) is stored in the memory unit of each of the multiple blockchain nodes 16A, 16B, and 16C. Note that hereinafter, when referring to a single blockchain node without distinguishing between the multiple blockchain nodes 16A, 16B, and 16C, they will be simply referred to as blockchain node 16.

[0043] 4 is a diagram illustrating various types of information stored in the blockchain of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the blockchain of this embodiment stores DNA information of the agricultural product, information on the breeder's right of the agricultural product, information on the variety name of the agricultural product, information on agreements reached between the breeder's right and other parties, variety registration status information indicating the variety registration status of the agricultural product, and characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the agricultural product. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, details of the agreement information include, for example, information on production restrictions on the agricultural product, information on distribution restrictions on the agricultural product, and information on usage restrictions on the agricultural product.

[0044] The terminal 12, server 14, and blockchain node 16 of the information processing system 10 can be realized, for example, by a computer 70 shown in FIG. 5 . The computer 70 includes a CPU 71, a memory 72 as a temporary storage area, and a non-volatile storage unit 73. The computer 70 also includes an input / output interface (I / F) 74 to which input / output devices (not shown) are connected, and a read / write (R / W) unit 75 that controls reading and writing of data from and to a recording medium. The computer 70 also includes a network I / F 76 that is connected to a network such as the Internet. The CPU 71, memory 72, storage unit 73, input / output I / F 74, R / W unit 75, and network I / F 76 are connected to one another via a bus 77.

[0045] The storage unit 73 can be realized by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 73 as a storage medium stores a program for operating the computer 70. The CPU 71 reads the program from the storage unit 73, loads it into the memory 72, and sequentially executes the processes contained in the program.

[0046] <Operation of Information Processing System 10>

[0047] Next, the operation of the information processing system 10 of this embodiment will be described. For example, consider a situation in which a breeder who has developed a new variety of agricultural crop registers information about the crop in the blockchain. In this case, the breeder operates his / her own terminal 12A to access the server 14, thereby registering various information about the new variety of agricultural crop in the blockchain. At this time, for example, a sequence such as that shown in FIG. 6 is executed.

[0048] In step S100, the breeder inputs the above-mentioned various information about the agricultural crop (e.g., DNA information about the agricultural crop, information about the breeder's right, information about the variety name of the agricultural crop, information about agreements reached between the breeder and another party, variety registration status information indicating the variety registration status of the agricultural crop, and characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the agricultural crop) to his / her own terminal 12A. In this case, terminal 12A acquires the various information about the agricultural crop input by the breeder. Note that the various information about the agricultural crop includes at least DNA information about the agricultural crop, information about the breeder's right, and information about agreements regarding the handling of the agricultural crop. The variety name information of the agricultural crop, information about the variety registration status of the agricultural crop, and information about the characteristics of the agricultural crop may be incidentally included in the various information about the agricultural crop.

[0049] In step S102, the terminal 12A transmits to the server 14 various pieces of information regarding the agricultural crops input by the breeder.

[0050] In step S104, the acquisition unit 140 of the server 14 acquires the various pieces of information about the farm products transmitted from the terminal 12A in step S102.

[0051] In step S106, the control unit 142 of the server 14 transmits a signal requesting registration of the various information related to the agricultural crop acquired in step S104 to the blockchain node 16. In this case, the server 14 associates the information included in the various information related to the agricultural crop with each other and transmits it to the blockchain node 16. For example, the server 14 associates the DNA information of the agricultural crop with the breeder's right information and agreement information and transmits them to the blockchain node 16.

[0052] In step S108, the blockchain node 16 acquires the various information related to the agricultural products transmitted from the server 14 in step S106 and registers the information in the blockchain that it holds. At this time, the blockchain node 16 executes processing related to a known blockchain.

[0053] Once various pieces of information about agricultural products are registered in the blockchain, the information becomes difficult to tamper with and is accessible to anyone. A person who wishes to view the various pieces of information about agricultural products can, for example, operate their own terminal 12B and access the various pieces of information about the target agricultural product. For example, when a user operating terminal 12B performs a predetermined operation, the sequence shown in FIG. 7 is executed.

[0054] In step S200, a person who wants to view various information about agricultural products operates, for example, their own terminal 12B to access server 14 and inputs information requesting viewing of various information about the target agricultural product into their own terminal 12B. Terminal 12B acquires the information requesting viewing of various information about the target agricultural product and transmits a signal requesting viewing of various information about the target agricultural product to server 14.

[0055] In step S202, the server 14 accepts the view request signal transmitted from the terminal 12B in step S200.

[0056] In step S204, the control unit 142 of the server 14 transmits the view request signal received in step S202 to the blockchain node 16.

[0057] In step S206, the blockchain node 16 receives the viewing request signal sent from the server 14 in step S204 and sends various information about the corresponding agricultural products to the server 14.

[0058] In step S208, the control unit 142 of the server 14 acquires various information about the agricultural products transmitted from the blockchain node 16 in step S206.

[0059] In step S210, the server 14 transmits the various pieces of information about the farm products acquired in step S208 to the terminal 12B.

[0060] In step S212, the terminal 12B receives the various information about the farm products transmitted from the server 14 and displays it on a display unit (not shown).

[0061] The person in charge of the terminal 12B checks the various pieces of information displayed on the display unit (not shown).

[0062] As described above, the server according to this embodiment acquires the DNA information of the agricultural product, the breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and the agreement information regarding the handling of the agricultural product, all transmitted from a terminal. The server associates the DNA information of the agricultural product, the breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and the agreement information and transmits them to a blockchain node. The server then registers the combination of the DNA information of the agricultural product, the breeder's right information, and the agreement information in a blockchain maintained by the blockchain node, thereby enabling the management of the agricultural product. This makes it possible to prevent unauthorized third parties from producing and selling the agricultural product for which the breeder's right is registered. Registering various information regarding the agricultural product in the blockchain makes the information accessible from anywhere in the world. For example, if regulations regarding the use of agricultural products restrict the export of a certain agricultural product to a certain country, the specific country can access the blockchain and immediately determine whether the import of the relevant agricultural product is permitted.

[0063] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0064] For example, the following modifications are possible.

[0065] [Variation 1] At least one of the DNA information of the agricultural crop, the information on the breeder's rights of the agricultural crop, and the agreement information may be converted into an NFT (Non-Fungible Token). In this case, the server 14 requests other systems capable of converting this information into NFTs to convert this information into NFTs. The server 14 then further registers the NFTed information on the blockchain. This ensures the non-fungibility of the NFTed information.

[0066] [Variation 2] A tag (e.g., an RFID tag) may be attached to a crop (seed or fruit or vegetable) to enable tracking of the crop. For example, a tag (e.g., an RFID tag) may be attached to the crop (seed or fruit or vegetable), and a blockchain node 16 in which various information about the crop is registered may be accessed by holding a predetermined reading device over the tag. In this case, by reading a tag attached to a seedling grown in a certain area A with a predetermined device, it is possible to instantly access the blockchain node 16 and view information regarding usage restrictions on the cultivation area of ​​the crop. This makes it possible to immediately determine, for example, that a seedling of the crop is located in A, even though the cultivation area of ​​the crop is limited to B. This makes it possible to deter unauthorized third parties from producing and selling the crop for which a breeder's right has been registered. Furthermore, each time agricultural products are handed over from one entity to another in the agricultural product value chain (for example, from a farmer to a dealer), tracking information showing the transfer history of the agricultural products may be further stored in the blockchain. This makes it possible to determine whether the agricultural products are being distributed appropriately.

[0067] [Variation 3] A GPS device may be attached to the crop, allowing the location information of the crop to be tracked. In this case, server 14 receives location information output from the GPS device attached to the crop. Server 14 also acquires information on usage restrictions on the cultivation area of ​​the crop, which is stored in the blockchain. Server 14 then determines whether the location information output from the GPS device is within the area indicated by the information on usage restrictions on the cultivation area of ​​the crop, and outputs the determination result. This makes it possible to immediately determine whether regulations on usage restrictions on the cultivation area of ​​the crop are being complied with. Therefore, with regard to crops for which a breeder's right has been registered, it is possible to prevent unauthorized third parties from producing and selling the crop.

[0068] [Variation 4] A device or kit capable of identifying the DNA information of a crop based on marketed or cultivated crops, such as fruit juice, may be used. In this case, for example, the DNA information of the marketed or cultivated crop can be compared with the DNA information stored in the blockchain to determine whether the agreement information for the crop is being complied with. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an information processing system 210 of Variation 4. The identification terminal 13 shown in FIG. 8 is a device or kit capable of identifying the DNA information of a crop, and identifies the DNA information of the crop based on fruit juice, such as fruit juice, collected from the crop. The identification terminal 13 then transmits the identified DNA information of the crop to the server 214. The server 214 compares the DNA information of the crop transmitted from the identification terminal 13 with the DNA information stored in the blockchain to identify which registered variety of the crop the DNA information of the crop transmitted from the identification terminal 13 matches. Server 214 then transmits to identification terminal 13 information such as the name of the registered variety that corresponds to the DNA information of the crop transmitted from identification terminal 13. Note that instead of identification terminal 13 identifying the DNA information of the crop, server 214 may identify the DNA information of the crop based on some information about the crop (identification information for uniquely identifying the variety of the crop) transmitted from identification terminal 13. This makes it possible to immediately determine whether a crop distributed in the market or a cultivated crop is a registered variety, thereby preventing unauthorized third parties from producing and selling the crop.

[0069] [Variation 5] Agricultural crop varieties may be identified based on identification information that is different from the DNA information of the agricultural crop and that can uniquely identify the agricultural crop variety. For example, the identification terminal 13 shown in FIG. 9 may be a camera-equipped terminal, and the server 314 may identify the agricultural crop variety based on an image of the agricultural crop captured by the camera of the identification terminal 13. In this case, for example, image feature information or a trained machine learning model for each registered variety may be stored in a memory unit (not shown) of the server 314. The server 314 acquires the agricultural crop images captured by the camera of the identification terminal 13 and identifies the agricultural crop variety using the image of the agricultural crop and the image feature information or the trained machine learning model for each registered variety. The server 314 then determines whether the identified agricultural crop variety is a registered variety and transmits the determination result to the identification terminal 13. This makes it possible to immediately determine whether agricultural crops distributed in the market or cultivated agricultural crops are registered varieties, thereby preventing unauthorized third parties from producing and selling the agricultural crops.

[0070] Furthermore, various processors other than the CPU may execute the processes executed by loading software (programs) in the above embodiments. Examples of processors in this case include programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and dedicated electrical circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), which are processors having circuit configurations designed specifically to execute specific processes. Each process may be executed by one of these various processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). The hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the programs are pre-stored (installed) in a storage device, but this is not limiting. The programs may be provided in a form stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray Disc, or USB memory. The programs may also be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0072] (Supplementary Notes) The following supplementary notes are provided regarding aspects of the present disclosure.

[0073] (Supplementary Note 1) A server in an information processing system including a terminal, a server, and a blockchain node, the server acquiring DNA information of an agricultural product, breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and agreement information regarding the handling of the agricultural product transmitted from the terminal, associating the DNA information, the breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and the agreement information and transmitting them to the blockchain node, and registering the combination of the DNA information, the breeder's right information, and the agreement information in a blockchain held by the blockchain node, thereby enabling management of the agricultural product. (Supplementary Note 2) The server according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the agreement information includes at least one of information regarding production restrictions on the agricultural product, information regarding distribution restrictions on the agricultural product, and information regarding use restrictions on the agricultural product. (Supplementary Note 3) The server according to Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, wherein at least one of variety name information of the agricultural product, variety registration status information of the agricultural product, and information regarding characteristics of the agricultural product transmitted from the terminal is further registered in the blockchain. (Supplementary Note 4) The server according to any one of Supplements 1 to 3, which requests another system to convert at least one of the DNA information, the crop breeder's right information, and the agreement information into an NFT (Non-Fungible Token), and further registers the obtained NFT in the blockchain. (Supplementary Note 5) The server according to any one of Supplements 1 to 4, wherein a tag is attached to the crop, and wherein the server is configured to enable access to each piece of information stored in the blockchain by reading the information stored in the tag with a predetermined device. (Supplementary Note 6) The server according to any one of Supplements 1 to 5, wherein the crop is a vegetatively propagated crop.(Supplementary Note 7) A server described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 6, wherein the agreement information includes information regarding usage restrictions on the cultivation area of ​​the agricultural crops, a GPS device is attached to the agricultural crops, and the server receives location information output from the GPS device, obtains information regarding usage restrictions on the cultivation area stored in the blockchain, determines whether the location information is within the area indicated by the information regarding usage restrictions on the cultivation area, and outputs the determination result. (Supplementary Note 8) An information processing system including a terminal, a server, and a blockchain node, wherein the terminal accepts DNA information of an agricultural product, breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and agreement information regarding the handling of the agricultural product, and associates the DNA information, the breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and the agreement information and transmits them to the server, the server acquires the DNA information of the agricultural product, the breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and the agreement information regarding the handling of the agricultural product transmitted from the terminal, and associates the DNA information, the breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and the agreement information and transmits them to the blockchain node, and the blockchain node registers the combination of the DNA information, the breeder's right information, and the agreement information transmitted from the server in a blockchain held by the blockchain node, thereby enabling management of the agricultural product. (Supplementary Note 9) A method in which a computer executes each of the processes executed by the server described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7. (Supplementary Note 10) A program for causing a computer to execute each process executed by the server according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 7. (Supplementary Note 11) A server in an information processing system including an identification terminal and a server, the server determining whether or not an agricultural product is a registered variety under the Seed and Seedlings Act based on information for uniquely identifying the variety of the agricultural product transmitted from the identification terminal, and transmitting the determination result to the identification terminal.(Supplementary Note 12) A program to be executed by a server in an information processing system including an identification terminal and a server, the program executing a process by a computer to determine whether or not an agricultural product is a registered variety under the Seed and Seedlings Act, based on information for uniquely identifying the variety of the agricultural product transmitted from the identification terminal, and transmit the determination result to the identification terminal. (Supplementary Note 13) A method executed by a server in an information processing system including an identification terminal and a server, the computer executing a process to determine whether or not an agricultural product is a registered variety under the Seed and Seedlings Act, based on information for uniquely identifying the variety of the agricultural product transmitted from the identification terminal, and transmit the determination result to the identification terminal. (Supplementary Note 14) The server according to Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, wherein by registering a combination of the DNA information, the breeder's right information, and the agreement information in the blockchain, multiple users involved in the distribution of the agricultural product can access the combination of the DNA information, the breeder's right information, and the agreement information registered in the blockchain, thereby enabling management of the distribution of the agricultural product.

[0074] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-128200, filed on August 2, 2024, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. All documents, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A server in an information processing system including a terminal, a server, and a blockchain node, which acquires DNA information of agricultural products, breeder's right information of the agricultural products, and agreement information regarding the handling of the agricultural products transmitted from the terminal, associates the DNA information, breeder's right information of the agricultural products, and agreement information, and transmits them to the blockchain node, and registers the combination of the DNA information, breeder's right information, and agreement information in the blockchain held by the blockchain node, thereby enabling the agricultural products to be managed.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein the agreement information includes at least one of information regarding production restrictions on the agricultural products, information regarding distribution restrictions on the agricultural products, and information regarding usage restrictions on the agricultural products.

3. The server according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one of the following information transmitted from the terminal is further registered in the blockchain: variety name information of the agricultural crop, variety registration status information of the agricultural crop, and information relating to characteristics of the agricultural crop.

4. A server as described in claim 1 or claim 2, which requests another system to convert at least one of the DNA information, the crop breeder's right information, and the agreement information into an NFT (Non-Fungible Token), and further registers the obtained NFT on the blockchain.

5. A server as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a tag is attached to the agricultural product, and the information stored in the tag is read by a specified device, thereby enabling access to each piece of information stored in the blockchain.

6. The server according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the crops are vegetatively propagated crops.

7. A server as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the agreement information includes information regarding restrictions on use of the cultivation area of ​​the agricultural crops, the agricultural crops are equipped with a GPS device, and the server receives location information output from the GPS device, obtains information regarding restrictions on use of the cultivation area stored in the blockchain, determines whether the location information is within the area indicated by the information regarding restrictions on use of the cultivation area, and outputs the determination result.

8. A server as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein by registering the combination of the DNA information, the breeder's right information, and the agreement information on the blockchain, multiple users involved in the distribution of the agricultural products can access the combination of the DNA information, the breeder's right information, and the agreement information registered on the blockchain, thereby enabling management of the distribution of the agricultural products.

9. The server according to claim 1, wherein the agreement information includes information regarding production restrictions on the agricultural products.

10. The server according to claim 1, wherein the agreement information includes information regarding distribution restrictions on the agricultural products.

11. The server according to claim 1, wherein the agreement information includes information regarding restrictions on use of the agricultural products.

12. An information processing system including a terminal, a server, and a blockchain node, wherein the terminal accepts DNA information of an agricultural product, information on the breeder's right of the agricultural product, and information on agreements regarding the handling of the agricultural product, and associates the DNA information, the breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and the agreement information and transmits them to the server; the server acquires the DNA information of the agricultural product, the breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and the agreement information regarding the handling of the agricultural product transmitted from the terminal, associates the DNA information, the breeder's right information of the agricultural product, and the agreement information and transmits them to the blockchain node; and the blockchain node registers the combination of the DNA information, the breeder's right information, and the agreement information transmitted from the server in a blockchain it holds, thereby enabling management of the agricultural product.

13. A method in which a computer executes each process executed by the server according to claim 1 or claim 2.

14. A program for causing a computer to execute each process executed by the server according to claim 1 or claim 2.

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