Blockchain technology adoption, architecture, and sustainable agri-food supply chains

Saurabh, Samant; Dey, Kushankur

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124731

Cited by 311 publications

(188 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…As observed by many authors (Antonucci et al, 2019;Bolt, 2019;Casino et al, 2018;Rana et al, 2021;Saurabh and Dey, 2021), the list of blockchain use cases is steadily growing in agriculture and food. Our framework is built upon studies of these use cases as well as our own experiences in developing various use cases.…”

Section: Understanding Blockchain Applications In Agriculture and Food The Use Of Blockchain In Agriculture And Foodmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…The rapid but unpredictable direction of blockchain innovation makes it particularly hard for commercial organisations and government agencies to make strategic decisions on how to respond to BCT. The growing number of applications, however, makes it possible to study and understand different facets of the technology and enables realistic assessment of the potentials and challenges (Rana et al, 2021;Saurabh and Dey, 2021;Upadhyay, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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What Blockchain Are We Talking About? An Analytical Framework for Understanding Blockchain Applications in Agriculture and Food

Verdouw

Wolfert

2021

Front. Blockchain

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With the many promises it holds in addressing problems concerning information exchange and digital transactions in multi-actor processes, blockchain technology (BCT) has gained considerable traction in the agrifood sector. Governments, international organisations, private companies, consortia of public and private actors are launching various blockchain projects for improving transparency, traceability, and many other key issues in the agrifood sector. This has resulted in a large number of use cases. It is often unclear, however, what and how technical, social and economic aspects were considered in different usecases. Due to the novelty and elusiveness of the technology, there is no ready-to-use analytical framework or guideline yet for assessing its applicability and choosing the right technical and organisational setup. As a result, many stakeholders have to grope in the dark when designing and implementing their “blockchain application.” Based on studies of use cases worldwide and experiences in organizing different blockchain pilots in the Netherlands, this paper seeks to address this problem by providing an overview of the choices to be made at three layers of a blockchain application: the ledger, the governance structure and the ecosystem. This can serve as a reference framework for understanding different blockchain applications and choosing key parameters for new use cases in the agrifood sector. It is expected that such demystification of the blockchain will contribute to more realistic and effective application of the technology to pressing problems in agriculture and food.

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Section: Understanding Blockchain Applications In Agriculture and Food The Use Of Blockchain In Agriculture And Foodmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Blockchain Are We Talking About? An Analytical Framework for Understanding Blockchain Applications in Agriculture and Food

Verdouw

Wolfert

2021

Front. Blockchain

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“…Additionally, various challenges and disputes might arise regarding infrastructure and data ownership [12,21], as well as data and sensor tampering [1,34,44,46,67], and information and data incredibility [73,76,77]. Due to the reluctance among FSC stakeholders [18] to implement DLT and IoT solutions, another major challenge is to involve stakeholders in DLT adoption in FSCs [25,59,[78][79][80].…”

Section: Summary and Outlook Of Challenges And Enablers Of Dlt Adoptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distributed Ledger Technology Applications in Food Supply Chains: A Review of Challenges and Future Research Directions

et al. 2021

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The lack of transparency and traceability in food supply chains (FSCs) is raising concerns among consumers and stakeholders about food information credibility, food quality, and safety. Insufficient records, a lack of digitalization and standardization of processes, and information exchange are some of the most critical challenges, which can be tackled with disruptive technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs). Studies provide evidence that novel technological and sustainable practices in FSCs are necessary. This paper aims to describe current practical applications of DLTs and IoT in FSCs, investigating the challenges of implementation, and potentials for future research directions, thus contributing to achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within a systematic literature review, the content of 69 academic publications was analyzed, describing aspects of implementation and measures to address the challenges of scalability, security, and privacy of DLT, and IoT solutions. The challenges of high costs, standardization, regulation, interoperability, and energy consumption of DLT solutions were also classified as highly relevant, but were not widely addressed in literature. The application of DLTs in FSCs can potentially contribute to 6 strategic SDGs, providing synergies and possibilities for more sustainable, traceable, and transparent FSCs.

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“…At the time of writing, Devoleum has shaped three different experiments to track the sustainability of the supply chain through the blockchain of companies operating in the agri-food sector. The choice of the agri-food sector is motivated by the fact that it is a sector in which the consumer is particularly sensitive to sustainability disclosure [48,49].…”

Section: The Environment (A)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Blockchain Technology and Sustainable Business Models: A Case Study of Devoleum

2021

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The lack of transparency along global supply chains poses challenges in the areas of fraud, pollution, human rights abuses, and inefficiencies. In this context, the blockchain has the potential to offer an unprecedented level of transparency, with a shared and decentralized database in which immutable and encrypted copies of information are stored on every node of the network. Using a single case study methodology, this paper investigates how blockchain technology can improve and facilitate sustainable business models. The aim of this paper is to understand how blockchain technology can drive the development of sustainable business models. Recent studies show the importance of sustainability perspectives for business models. The study was conducted by applying the CAOS (“Characteristic, Ambience, Organization, Start-up”) model to a start-up operating in the agri-food sector, not yet institutionalized, called Devoleum. The results indicate that blockchain technology can increase sustainability through realizing the traceability, security, and non-manipulability of information, which are particularly useful in the agri-food sector. Furthermore, the absence of intermediaries in blockchain technology contributes to reducing transaction costs and the time required to consolidate relations between the company and the environment. The limitations of this study must be identified in that the company is operational but not yet incorporated.

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Blockchain technology adoption, architecture, and sustainable agri-food supply chains

Cited by 311 publications

References 25 publications

What Blockchain Are We Talking About? An Analytical Framework for Understanding Blockchain Applications in Agriculture and Food

What Blockchain Are We Talking About? An Analytical Framework for Understanding Blockchain Applications in Agriculture and Food

Distributed Ledger Technology Applications in Food Supply Chains: A Review of Challenges and Future Research Directions

Blockchain Technology and Sustainable Business Models: A Case Study of Devoleum

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