Blockchain Papers

Xiaochun Li, Dan Huang

With the development of Internet technology, especially the application of mobile Internet technology in people’s daily lives, people’s lifestyles and production methods have changed, and they have brought huge economic benefits to society. In order to improve the development quality of agricultural e-commerce and expand the integration model of e-commerce, the paper analyzes the development and changes of Internet technology in the agricultural industry chain from the source to operation, production, service, security, and sales and studies the production experience model iterative upgrade. At the same time, a blockchain-based agricultural product traceability system is proposed. The system has a good supervision effect. Once recorded on the blockchain ledger, all data cannot be changed, which plays a very good traceability role for agricultural e-commerce. Actual cases show that the integrated model of agricultural e-commerce based on blockchain technology can bring huge development potential to the e-commerce industry and can improve the security and traceability of agricultural e-commerce.

Zeinab Shahbazi, Yung-Cheol Byun

One of the essential points of food manufacturing in the industry and shelf life of the products is to improve the food traceability system. In recent years, the food traceability mechanism has become one of the emerging blockchain applications in order to improve the anti-counterfeiting area’s quality. Many food manufacturing systems have a low level of readability, scalability, and data accuracy. Similarly, this process is complicated in the supply chain and needs a lot of time for processing. The blockchain system creates a new ontology in the traceability system supply chain to deal with these issues. In this paper, a blockchain machine learning-based food traceability system (BMLFTS) is proposed in order to combine the new extension in blockchain, Machine Learning technology (ML), and fuzzy logic traceability system that is based on the shelf life management system for manipulating perishable food. The blockchain technology in the proposed system has been developed in order to address light-weight, evaporation, warehouse transactions, or shipping time. The blockchain data flow is designed to show the extension of ML at the level of food traceability. Finally, reliable and accurate data are used in a supply chain to improve shelf life.

Sm Al-Amin, Shipra Rani Sharkar, M. Shamim Kaiser, Milon Biswas

Considering the overall situations of cultivator’s economic degradation, food safety chain issue, and whole food supply chain, newer technologies are emerging in the field of agriculture over time. If we look at third world countries, these traditional food supply chains still play the main bearish down prediction. For the result, if any customer deceived by adulterated foods, then in most cases, he/she could not get the original source of the food where it was produced or processed. And in this case, also the administration cannot make this possible to identify and punish the fraudsters. This is where the fraudsters get the opportunity to mix adulteration in foods, put new expiration on expired foods, and release them in the market. Again because of the lack of efficient distribution facilities between cultivators and industrial or last stage vendors, most of the cases cultivators could not get fair pay. And to solve this problem and set explicit or trustworthy communications, the civilization needed immutable and trustworthy technology so that all these problems can be solved. And in that stage, blockchain comes to the picture. In this research paper, we propose an effective, efficient, and satisfactory model or system and service solution to agro traders and also a food traceability system based on blockchain and the help of IoT to make their business more smart and rich. And through the blockchain, smart contract, and the help of IoT sensors, we tried to do maximum effort to reduce human intervention.

Ranveer Potel

Counterfeiting and fraudulent product diversion pose escalating threats to brand integrity, consumer safety, and global supply-chain stability. Traditional security measures—including holograms, barcodes, and conventional QR codes—are insufficient to guarantee authenticity or prevent digital tampering in adversarial environments increasingly augmented by quantum computing capabilities. This paper proposes a novel AI-enabled, post-quantum cryptography (PQC) framework for anti-counterfeiting and product authentication, integrating clone-proof digital identifiers, real-time traceability via distributed ledger technology, and rich consumer engagement channels. The architecture ensures end-to-end supply-chain transparency, protects digital assets against both classical and quantum adversaries, and enables secure post-purchase interactions at scale. Experimental deployment across food-and-beverage and healthcare supplement sectors demonstrates a 38-percentage-point improvement in counterfeit detection rate, a 37-point increase in supply-chain visibility, and a 97% reduction in anomaly-detection latency, establishing the framework as a robust and scalable model for securing physical and digital product lifecycles.

Shu Xu, Xiye Zhao, Zhe Liu

Abstract The establishment of food traceability supply chain is an effective way to solve the problem of food safety. But the cost of operating traditional food traceability supply chain system is high. The enterprise on the chain are not willing to participate, and the data on the chain is easy to falsified, which leads to the existence of food traceability and the lack of consumers’ willingness to buy for it. Based on this, solving the high cost in the technical point has become a feasible meaning. Introducing blockchain technology into food safety traceability can improve brand reputation, maintain market and consumer confidence, improve supply chain management, accelerate product and reduce liability risk. In this paper, from the compatibility of block technology and food traceability supply chain, it is concluded that the introduction of blockchain technology will reduce the transaction cost, quality cost, time cost, activity cost, and supply chain traceability additional cost in the food supply chain cost. By comparing with the application cost of block chain technology, this paper explores the cost control mechanism of food traceability supply chain based on block chain, so as to promote the development of food traceability supply chain. The application of blockchain technology in food traceability supply chain will improve the food traceability supply chain system.

Milan Marković, Naomi Jacobs, Konrad M. Dryja, Peter Edwards · 5 authors

In this article, we discuss our experience of realising a prototype IoT-based food safety monitoring solution which integrates inexpensive off-the-shelf open source IoT technology for monitoring food deliveries, semantic services for managing and reasoning about food safety provenance records, and private blockchain networks for persistent and secure storage of semantic provenance graphs. We describe how observation of real-world contexts was used to develop a prototype device, and the results of field trials deploying these prototypes as part of the food delivery process. Results indicate that continuous, context sensitive, trustworthy temperature measurement could provide benefits to multiple stakeholders across the delivery pathway. However, close attention has to be paid to the technology used - as cheap multi-functional IoT devices may produce low quality sensor observations which adversely affect the utility of the overall solution. Our experience also suggests that future food safety management systems may need to include machine-processable guidelines to support analysis of raw sensor data for food safety compliance.

Panagiota Katsikouli, Amelie Sina Wilde, Nicola Dragoni, Henning Høgh‐Jensen

The expansion of the food industry, within and beyond national borders, has resulted in complex collaborative networks and supply chains. The management culture adopted for food supply chains has an impact on the quality of the end product and the vitality of the businesses involved. In this report, we focus on the use of blockchain technology, and distributed ledgers in general, for managing supply chains in the food and agricultural sectors. We explore the challenges with which typical management systems are faced, such as food safety, food fraud, and inefficient processes, as well as ethical aspects like fair trade, animal welfare, and the environmental impact of food production. The use of blockchain-based systems for managing a supply chain offers significant benefits, such as faster and more reliable traceability. Our analysis, involving small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Denmark, highlights that SMEs could benefit from blockchain-based systems that encourage fair trade and authenticity documentation, expose good practices, and decrease management costs. However, due to a lack of important policies and standards, and due to the limited understanding of the technology itself, its large-scale adoption is at the moment immature. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Jianping Qian, Wenbin Wu, Qiangyi Yu, Luis Ruiz-García · 9 authors

Abstract Global food trade has become an increasingly crucial element for feeding the world's population. Enhancing bilateral or multilateral trust in food safety in international food trade is not only important for promoting the sustainable development of trade but is also beneficial for cooperation when facing a global food crisis. However, highly credible traceability systems (TSs) for the cross‐border movement of food are still absent in many countries and regions. Blockchain is regarded as a promising technology that can help build trust for transparency and security issues. In this paper, an interconnected conceptual traceability framework based on blockchain is proposed in order to increase trust in food safety during food trade. Taking the food trade between China and the European Union as an example, a conceptual framework is designed in order to take full advantage of existing TSs in these two locations, and the features of logistical flow, data flow, and blockchain flow are analyzed. Considering the data capacity and data privacy level, a hybrid data storage method combining on‐chain and off‐chain is adopted. Smart contracts according to the features of cross‐border food trade—including the recording of exportation data, exporter inspection data, shipment data, importer inspection data, importation data, and tracing queries—are packaged and deployed to a blockchain network. An effective operation mechanism involving the distribution of related rights for different roles is presented. The blockchain‐based TS framework has the advantages of enhancing bilateral trust in cross‐border food trade, providing a flexible and intelligent technical framework, and having effective operability. Future challenges, such as data security, special smart contracts, and consensus mechanisms, and interoperability with other systems, are discussed.

Mireille van Hilten, Guido Ongena, Pascal Ravesteijn

Purpose – This article evaluates the application of Blockchain technology to improve organic or fair-trade food traceability from ‘Farm to Fork’ in light of European regulations. This study aims to shed light on the challenges in the organic food chain to overcome, the drivers for Blockchain technology and the challenges in current projects. Design/methodology/approach – For this research a case study approach was taken in which four Blockchain projects were evaluated on their success. Findings - Organic food supply chain companies aiming to improve food traceability, with Blockchain face two key decisions, depending on the characteristics of the organic value chain in regard to (1) optimizing chain partner collaboration and (2) the selection of which data to capture in the Blockchain. Other challenges were data confidentiality, validation of data inputs and interoperability. Easy verification of certification data, accountability, improved risk management, insight into trade transactions, simplified data collection and exchange and improved communication account for the benefits. Regardless of what drives companies towards whole chain traceability, for example customer satisfaction, it does not necessarily require Blockchain technology. Blockchain does enable faster food traceability. which is expected to be more applicable to a complex food supply chain. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this study are represented mainly by the scarcity of organic blockchain projects aiming to minimize pesticide inputs and limited availability of information of commercial projects. Practical implications – This study shows that Blockchain is currently successfully being implemented on a small scale to create whole chain traceability of organic and fair-trade food. Originality/value - This research addresses the intersection of food supply chain and organic food quality and certification. The focus on origin information and importance of organic data elements may underpin other research on EU regulations in relation to food traceability, adding value to the body of knowledge on the current status of Blockchain technology.

Niccolò Patelli, Mauro Mandrioli

Distributed ledgers are becoming commonly used technologies to trace agrifood supply chains in view of their safety, immutability, transparency, and scalability. In the present review, we discuss the most relevant case studies of agrifood supply chain traceability using blockchain (BC) and other distributed ledgers technologies. Considering that each supply chain actually has specific requests of traceability, we here suggest a logical scheme in order to favor the identification of the BC structure that is more appropriate for each agrifood supply chain, including the identification of supply chains where complex BC technologies are actually not necessary.

Juan José Bullón Pérez, Araceli Queiruga‐Dios, Víctor Gayoso Martínez, A. Martı́n del Rey

Traceability and monitoring of industrial processes are becoming more important to assure the value of final products. Blockchain technology emerged as part of a movement linked to criptocurrencies and the Internet of Things, providing nice-to-have features such as traceability, authenticity and security to sectors willing to use this technology. In the retail industry, blockchain offers users the possibility to monitor details about time and place of elaboration, the origin of raw materials, the quality of materials involved in the manufacturing processes, information on the people or companies that work on it, etc. It allows to control and monitor textile articles, from their production or importing initial steps, up to their acquisition by the end consumer, using the blockchain as a means of tracking and identification during the whole process. This technology can also be used by the apparel industry in general and, more specifically, for ready-to-wear clothing, for tracing suppliers and customers along the entire logistics chain. The goal of this paper is to introduce the more recent traceability schemes for the apparel industry together with the proposal of a framework for ready-to-wear clothing which allows to ensure the transparency in the supply chain, clothing authenticity, reliability and integrity, and validity of the retail final products, and of the elements that compose the whole supply chain. In order to illustrate the proposal, a case study on a women’s shirt from an apparel and fashion company, where a private and open blockchain is used for tracing the product, is included. Blockchain actors are proposed for each product stage.

Zhiguo Du, Zhihui Wu, Bin Wen, Kehui Xiao · 5 authors

Block chain technology has the characteristics of decentralization, distributed storage, open and transparent, consensus mechanism, security, information encryption, anonymity and so on. It provides an important way to realize the value added of modern animal supply chain. This paper studies the blockchain related technology, an optimization scheme of sBFT consensus algorithm is proposed, and then the optimization scheme is applied to traceability of animal product quality and safety, which solves the problem of decentralization of traceability system and improves the efficiency of consensus in the case of large data input of traceability system. Then, based on Fabric framework, this paper proposes the design and implementation scheme of traceability system for aquaculture industry chain, which can ensure that the participants of traceability system can not tamper with and modify the aquaculture records, and realize the security, reliability and unforgeability of traceability information. Finally, this paper builds a 12-Node block-chain network test environment based on four cloud servers. Under the same test conditions, the sBFT algorithm, PBFT algorithm and dBFT algorithm are tested and compared, and the function and performance of the traceability platform are tested, which shows that the system is feasibility and efficiency of the schemes designed in this paper.

Yaşanur Kayıkçı, Nachiappan Subramanian, Manoj Dora, Manjot Singh Bhatia

The prevention of food loss throughout the supply chain, including manufacturers, has become a major challenge for a number of organisations. In addition, consumers are also increasingly interested in the authenticity of food and want to ensure that they receive the right quality of food. To address this issue, there is a need for reliable and robust tools to be available in the Industry 4.0 era that can trace the food throughout the supply chain from the farm through processing until it reaches the customer and, thus, ensure transparency. Using the people, process, and technology (PPT) model, this paper develops a blockchain-enabled food supply chain framework including the future opportunities and the present impediments based on the systematic literature review and semi-structured case interviews from the context of emerging economies. The study investigates the suitability of blockchain technology in resolving major challenges, such as traceability, trust, and accountability in the food industry. The study further paves the way for future researchers to address the technological and people-related challenges in the Industry 4.0 era to mitigate the emerging problems in the food sector. Interestingly, we did not find many issues in process- and performance-related aspects. The study offers empirical evidence of blockchain technology implementation in the Industry 4.0 era that opens up the discussion for future researchers and lists the potential threats.

Ya Wang, Yanmei Yang

Abstract As a disruptive Internet technology, blockchain technology is more open, authentic, and traceable than traditional Internet technology. Compared with the traditional food safety tracing system, the food safety tracing system based on blockchain technology has the advantages of reducing costs, improving efficiency, and facilitating supervision by the regulatory department or the general public. However, due to the short development time of the blockchain technology, the food safety under the “blockchain + agriculture” model will still face challenges such as lack of infrastructure and talent, higher hazards of information and data leakage, and lagging of relevant laws and regulations.

Stefanella Stranieri, Federica Riccardi, M.P.M. Meuwissen, Claudio Soregaroli

No abstract is available for this record.

Somdip Dey, Suman Saha, A.R. Singh, Klaus D. McDonald-Maier

Food safety is an important issue in today’s world. Traditional agri-food production system doesn’t offer easy traceability of the produce at any point of the supply chain, and hence, during a food-borne outbreak, it is very difficult to sift through food production data to track produce and origin of the outbreak. In recent years, blockchain based food production system has resolved this challenge, however, none of the proposed methodologies makes the food production data easily accessible, traceable and verifiable by consumers or producers using mobile/edge devices. In this paper, we propose FoodSQRBlock (Food Safety Quick Response Block), a blockchain technology based framework, which digitizes the food production information, and makes it easily accessible, traceable and verifiable by the consumers and producers by using QR codes. We also propose a large scale integration of FoodSQRBlock in the cloud to show the feasibility and scalability of the framework, and experimental evaluation to prove that.

Robert Garrard, Simon Fielke

We explore the potential for a blockchain ledger to record supply chain provenances in an inherently trustworthy manner. The use of blockchain in this setting may allow for traceability of products through the supply chain without fear that an item’s provenance is fraudulent or has been tampered with. We compare the desirable properties of a blockchain ledger to those of a traditional database. We also consider challenges to the trustworthiness of a provenance idiosyncratic to the context of supply chains. We present a case study in which we conduct a series of semi-structured interviews with members of the prawn aquaculture industry in Australia. This industry was chosen as it stands to gain from robust provenances due to international competition. We find that blockchain based technology is unlikely to deliver substantial gains to the industry when compared to alternatives. Rather, most gains are likely to arise from the industry becoming digitalized, which would be a precondition for any blockchain technology to be operational.

Konstantinos Demestichas, Νικόλαος Πεππές, Theodoros Alexakis, Evgenia Adamopoulou

Food holds a major role in human beings’ lives and in human societies in general across the planet. The food and agriculture sector is considered to be a major employer at a worldwide level. The large number and heterogeneity of the stakeholders involved from different sectors, such as farmers, distributers, retailers, consumers, etc., renders the agricultural supply chain management as one of the most complex and challenging tasks. It is the same vast complexity of the agriproducts supply chain that limits the development of global and efficient transparency and traceability solutions. The present paper provides an overview of the application of blockchain technologies for enabling traceability in the agri-food domain. Initially, the paper presents definitions, levels of adoption, tools and advantages of traceability, accompanied with a brief overview of the functionality and advantages of blockchain technology. It then conducts an extensive literature review on the integration of blockchain into traceability systems. It proceeds with discussing relevant existing commercial applications, highlighting the relevant challenges and future prospects of the application of blockchain technologies in the agri-food supply chain.

H.P.S. Makkar, Corrado Costa

Abstract This paper reviewed the existing and potential blockchain applications of this technology, which are to trade the agricultural wastes including animal wastes, energy, and byproducts among the farmers and entrepreneurs to generate wealth; to manage the animal product supply chains such as dairy products, beef, and chicken to enhance their safety and traceability; and to distribute the funds to refugees and migrants, displaced due to emergencies, to buy various farming inputs including feed. A blockchain is a distributed database of records in the form of encrypted “blocks” (smaller datasets), or a public ledger of all transactions or digital events that have been executed and shared among participating parties and can be verified at any time in the future. The attributes such as integrity, immutability collaboration, organization, identification, credibility, and transparency of blockchain technology make it ideal for a number of applications in animal production and animal health sectors. Some potential applications of the blockchain technology in the livestock sector, not limited to the ones stated here, are to effectively manage various input supply chains, such as animal feed, de-wormers, medicines, and vaccines, among others; integration of feed composition and environmental footprint databases; and sustainability and technology outreach platforms. Current challenges toward increased application of the blockchain technology are also presented. These topics would serve as the starting points for future applications of the blockchain technology in animal farming.

Ashok Chopra

Abstract Food industry is unique from the point of view of Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) which is a supply chain management initiative specific to the food industry and reflects organizations’ efforts to achieve quick response to reaching to market and ultimately consumer using Electronic Data Interchange, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification and bar codes. This paper would focus on looking at pros and cons of evaluating traditional traceability (is an important link in protecting public health since it allows health agencies to more quickly and accurately identify the source of contaminated food, fruit or vegetables believed to be the cause of an outbreak of foodborne illness, remove them from the marketplace, and communicate to the supply chain) matrix versus newly introduced disruptive technology called blockchain. This report outlines various components of traceability and its relation to other parts and methodologies in ensuring food product authenticity the paper further outlines detailing of blockchain technology its various types, implementation with examples and application in food industry. The concluding part of paper compares traditional vs. blockchain methods in regard to cost benefit analysis and implementation perspective of blockchain. The paper through reasoning and arguments justifies that how blockchain bases systems of food traceability are more suitable from speed, confidentiality and ease of implementation perspective as compared to traditional electronic traceability and current systems. From limitation perspective this paper highlights how lack of interoperability is currently the biggest one obstacle preventing system-wide, farm-to-fork food product traceability.

Erik Mahan

The seafood supply chain is largely opaque, which allows for overfishing, organized crime,and even human rights abuses. Illegally caught fish enter the supply chain at various points, andimportant data about the fish (e.g. species, provenance, catch method, etc...) can be lost orfabricated. Although some third-party auditors offer to trace an actor’s supply chain, these services are expensive and the data are siloed away, leaving only the third-party’s guarantee. One option for seafood traceability lies in blockchain technology, which marries a network of computers to an immutable, add-only ledger of transactions. In a supply chain managed by digital ledger technology, the potential for transparency is far greater than in the status quo. However, because the global seafood supply chain is so fragmented, and adoption of blockchain technology requires stakeholder buy-in at all levels of the supply chain, there exists no reliable roadmap for implementation. This Capstone Research Project will use a start-up company – DockChain – as a proxy to examine how to incentivize actors in the seafood supply chain to adopt blockchain technology.DockChain is a blockchain-enabled restaurant distributor and direct-to-consumer seafood subscription service. Dockchain aims to use blockchain in order to connect local seafood consumers with San Diegan fishermen through the use of a distributed application, and QR codes. This application will allow seafood consumers to scan a QR code to access a story showing all relevant key data elements and critical tracking events, such as the identity of the harvester, and where the seafood had been processed and filleted. The business will have three phases of development in which it will focus on particular markets for adoption. The primary fish that DockChain will purvey will be opah, because of its potential as to grow in popularity. Although opah will be the primary fish the company deals, DockChain will be eager to distribute other fish as well.

Utkarsh Tiwari

Supply chain traceability is one of the most important problems faced by all organizations globally. Tracking any commodity is a tedious job and requires a lot of manual attention. The existing system uses a centralised database system to track a commodity. Blockchain is a decentralised, immutable ledger managed by a cluster of computers. The very nature of blockchain makes it suitable technology for traceability in a supply chain. Blockchain creates immutable records. Once a transaction is stored in the blockchain, it is impossible to tamper it illegally. This immutability of blockchain builds trust among the participants that conduct business in a lack of trust environment. Using consensus protocols, blockchain builds trust between the various participants. Blockchain provides traceability since immutable records are added in blockchain; it is easy to track the source of the product. This paper illustrates the Application of Blockchain in Agri-Food Supply Chain. It unfolds how blockchain technology can be integrated to an Agri Supply Chain and improves the traceability. This integration enables companies to quickly track unsafe products back to their source and see where else they have been distributed. This integration can result to prevent illness and save lives, as well as reduce the cost of product recalls.

QUT Design Lab, Shoufeng Cao, Uwe Dulleck, Warwick Powell · 7 authors

The BeefLedger Export Smart Contracts project is a collaborative research study between BeefLedger Ltd and QUT co-funded by the Food Agility CRC. This project exists to deliver economic value to those involved in the production, export and consumption of Australian beef to China through: (1) reduced information asymmetry; (2) streamlined compliance processes, and; (3) developing and accessing new data-driven value drivers, through the deployment of decentralised ledger technologies and associated governance systems. This report presents early insights from a survey deployed to Chinese consumers in Nov/Dec 2019 exploring attitudes and preferences about blockchain-credentialed beef exports to China. Our results show that most local and foreign consumers were willing to pay more than the reference price for a BeefLedger branded Australian cut and packed Sirloin steak at the same weight. Although considered superior over Chinese processed Australian beef products, the Chinese market were sceptical that the beef they buy was really from Australia, expressing low trust in Australian label and traceability information. Despite lower trust, most survey respondents were willing to pay more for traceability supported Australian beef, potentially because including this information provided an additional sense of safety. Therefore, traceability information should be provided to consumers, as it can add a competitive advantage over products without traceability.

Deepak Prashar, Nishant Jha, Sudan Jha, Yong-Ju Lee · 5 authors

The globalization of the food supply chain industry has significantly emerged today. Due to this, farm-to-fork food safety and quality certification have become very important. Increasing threats to food security and contamination have led to the enormous need for a revolutionary traceability system, an important mechanism for quality control that ensures sufficient food supply chain product safety. In this work, we proposed a blockchain-based solution that removes the need for a secure centralized structure, intermediaries, and exchanges of information, optimizes performance, and complies with a strong level of safety and integrity. Our approach completely relies on the use of smart contracts to monitor and manage all communications and transactions within the supply chain network among all of the stakeholders. Our approach verifies all of the transactions, which are recorded and stored in a centralized interplanetary file system database. It allows a secure and cost-effective supply chain system for the stakeholders. Thus, our proposed model gives a transparent, accurate, and traceable supply chain system. The proposed solution shows a throughput of 161 transactions per second with a convergence time of 4.82 s, and was found effective in the traceability of the agricultural products.