A Blockchain-Based Approach to Enhancing Traceability and Transparency in the Supply Chain

Abstract

The agricultural food supply chain (FSC) is a critical infrastructure that demands robust traceability, transparency, and security to ensure food safety and consumer trust. However, current FSC systems suffer from third-party dependencies, data integrity concerns, limited traceability, and fragmented communication among stakeholders. To address these issues, we propose a novel blockchain-based solution featuring a hybrid architecture that efficiently balances on-chain security with off-chain scalability. Unlike conventional approaches, our design introduces specialized smart contracts tailored to agricultural workflows. The system is implemented using Ethereum smart contracts and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to ensure end-toend traceability. Experimental evaluation demonstrates 50.41% lower CPU usage, 65.37% reduced latency, and 48.73% higher throughput compared to existing methods. Additionally, security analysis with Slither confirms the system's robustness. This work sets a new benchmark for building efficient, transparent, and secure food supply chains.