• The study highlights how blockchain technology improves traceability in the agri-food industry. • Blockchain integration can significantly enhance sustainability efforts by facilitating better resource management. • The paper utilizes a bibliometric approach to identify trends that contribute to blockchain research in the agri-food industry. • The study acknowledges several challenges hindering the widespread adoption of blockchain. • The paper offers forward-looking insights into how the agri-food industry can overcome current barriers. The globalization of the agri-food industry in recent years has increased the difficulty and complexity of improving productivity and addressing challenges in food security. Thus, advanced techniques are promptly required to tackle the present obstacles and improve the agri-food sustainability challenges. Hence, blockchain is a prospective distributed information technology that could support food supply chains by decreasing transaction time and cost, improving traceability efficiency, and developing stakeholder trust. The main aim of this paper is to examine the functionalities and characteristics of blockchain technology in the agri-food industry, explore blockchain-based solutions for addressing food traceability and sustainability challenges, and highlight the benefits and challenges related to applying blockchain-based traceability systems. This work examines 114 research papers from 2017 to 2024, demonstrating a review of bibliometric literature to propose a wide and organized body of research regarding blockchain application in the agri-food supply chain. The analysis recognizes essential ideas, fundamental themes, research gaps, and potentials in blockchain application in agri-food. Results show an exponential rise in the number of publications, ranging from 9 % in 2017 to 23 % in 2024, directed mainly at farmers’ advantage, traceability, supply chain efficiency, and food security. For accurate farming possibilities, integrating blockchain and agro-food will encourage smart farms and enhance the regulation of supply-chain systems. Similarly, the bibliometric analysis across the discipline shows that computer science accounts for 18.8 %, engineering records 59.9 %, energy shares 6.9 %, and social sciences contribute 6.5 %. The review describes substantial issues, including the absence of standardization, technical intricacy, and regulatory issues that may deter blockchain's wider application. This analysis presents a guideline for researchers and industry experts, enlightening them on the field's present state, contributing ideas to its route, and offering a basis for future study in improving the sustainability of blockchain technology within the agri-food industry.
Elia Henrichs, Meta Leonie Boller, Johnathan Stolz, Christian Krupitzer
Background: Food and pharmaceutical supply chains face similar issues, such as product counterfeits allowing low-quality products to enter the market and supply chain inefficiencies. Applying blockchain technology could increase transparency and efficiency in the supply chains. However, the technology is still relatively young and, thus, has barely been implemented. Scope and Approach: This work aims to provide an overview of blockchain applications in food and pharmaceutical supply chains. Following the PRISMA method, the systematic literature review analyzes 78 applications in 74 publications. Deriving from the results, a general framework for blockchain applications in food and pharmaceutical supply chains is proposed, which should support practitioners in implementing blockchains and researchers in identifying research challenges. Key Findings and Conclusions: The literature review reveals that permissioned and private blockchain networks are most commonly applied, using Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric as leading platforms. Many applications stored data off the blockchain and implemented different techniques to restrict access to confidential data. Smart contracts are crucial for improving supply chain management as they enable automatization. The general framework recommends a permissioned consortium network using the Hyperledger Fabric platform and Proof-of-Authority consensus protocol for supply chains. Challenges like regulations, standardization, and infrastructure must be solved to foster technology adoption in operations. • Review of blockchain technology applied in food and pharmaceutical supply chains. • Following a structure literature review, we reviewed 78 applications in detail. • Permissioned and private blockchain networks are applied most. • We propose a framework to foster blockchain implementation in these supply chains. • Challenges like regulations, standardization, and infrastructure as current hurdles.
Abstract The blockchain was initially designed to secure cryptocurrency transactions, a distributed and unalterable registry technology. After its innovative application in the world of cryptocurrencies, solutions based on this technology are now offered to deal with various issues in various sectors, such as the agricultural sector. It is currently one of the most disruptive technologies. This article explores the convergence of Hyperledger Aries blockchain technology and artificial intelligence to improve the management of agricultural disease detection data. We present an innovative system that guarantees complete traceability of each data point, from initial detection to analysis results. Blockchain ensures the transparency and immutability of information, while artificial intelligence, integrated into the detection process, accurately distinguishes infected sheets from healthy ones. This approach provides a robust solution for sustainable agriculture, enabling rapid and targeted response to disease threats while ensuring data integrity.
A robust food traceability system is crucial for ensuring seamless information flow within supply chains. While the current centralised approach, typically led by a supply chain leader, facilitates information exchange, it faces significant limitations, such as prolonged tracing processes and a lack of transparency. Blockchain technology presents a promising solution to address these challenges. However, concerns persist about the costs of IT infrastructure required to operate blockchain-based systems. This research compares the costs between centralised and blockchain ecosystems, focusing on the total cost for the entire industry, using the Thai broiler supply chain as a case study. We analysed both centralised and blockchain IT models, selecting 13 deployment scenarios for comparison. The Thai broiler supply chain provided data on IT infrastructure usage, with Monte Carlo simulation employed to address undisclosed supply chain data. The IT infrastructure costs for each scenario were calculated and compared. The analysis reveals a significant finding: blockchain implementation results in approximately 43% lower infrastructure costs compared to the practical centralised approach. This cost-effectiveness suggests that third parties, such as government bodies or central regulatory agencies, could play a crucial role in supporting the transition from centralised to blockchain-based food traceability systems, thereby enhancing supply chain transparency, efficiency, and food safety.
The agricultural sector is a cornerstone of economic development and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the region's agricultural supply chains face persistent challenges, including inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and limited traceability. These issues result in high post-harvest losses, unfair pricing for farmers, and compromised consumer trust. Blockchain technology, with its decentralized, immutable, and transparent ledger system, has emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges. This review explores the application of blockchain technology in improving efficiency and transparency within agricultural supply chains in SSA. By integrating blockchain with smart contracts, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and real-time data sharing, stakeholders can automate processes, enhance traceability, and reduce transaction costs. For instance, blockchain-based platforms can provide farmers with direct market access, ensuring fairer prices and reducing the influence of intermediaries. Moreover, the immutable nature of blockchain ensures the credibility of supply chain data, fostering consumer trust and facilitating compliance with international quality standards. Despite its potential, blockchain adoption in SSA faces significant barriers, including high implementation costs, inadequate infrastructure, and limited technical expertise. Social challenges, such as resistance to change and low awareness of blockchain benefits, also hinder widespread adoption. To unlock blockchain’s potential, the study emphasizes the need for affordable, scalable solutions and supportive policy frameworks tailored to the unique context of SSA. This review highlights the transformative potential of blockchain in addressing critical inefficiencies and transparency gaps in SSA's agricultural supply chains. It underscores the importance of collaborative efforts among governments, private sector stakeholders, and international organizations to drive adoption and foster sustainable agricultural development in the region. By leveraging blockchain, SSA can achieve more equitable and resilient supply chains, contributing to economic growth and food security.
Global supply chains, especially in commodity trading, are plagued by fragmentation, lack of transparency, and trust deficits among participants. These issues lead to inefficiencies, increased costs, and an over-reliance on intermediaries. The present Communication describes a blockchain-based platform that leverages Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and Verifiable Credentials (VCs) to address these challenges in supply chain management. Developed in collaboration with coffee industry stakeholders, our approach proposes a platform with an integrated marketplace for seller discovery, enables precise order definition with detailed terms and conditions, and actively guides both buyers and sellers throughout the shipping process, managing financial guarantees and ensuring a secure transaction flow. The platform is compatible with both traditional banking infrastructure and modern crypto-based systems, enabling seamless financial transactions. In cases where disputes arise, we empower users to easily collect all communications and documents to present to legal authorities, expediting the resolution process. The platform is implemented using the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) for secure, on-chain storage and application hosting, and is integrated with the Ethereum blockchain to leverage its extensive decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, significant liquidity, and robust stablecoin infrastructure, thereby facilitating secure financial transactions. Moreover, we introduce an SSI-based authentication and authorization framework that spans across the entire platform, including both the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and Internet Computer Protocol (ICP), enabling unified role-based access control through verifiable credentials. A value-added of the present Communication, the framework is demonstrated by means of a detailed case study in the coffee industry, highlighting the technical challenges addressed during implementation. While quantitative efficiency metrics will be established through upcoming real-world testing with industry partners, the platform’s design aims to streamline operations by reducing intermediary dependencies and automating key processes. Finally, the Communication provides insights into its adaptability to other industries facing comparable supply chain challenges, presenting an approach focused on enhancing trust and reducing reliance on intermediaries.
Devraj V. Rajput, Pavankumar R. More, Preeti A. Adhikari, Shalini S. Arya
The current status of the global food supply chain offers several challenges, particularly those related to traceability, transparency, and sustainability.
In developing nations like India, the agri-food supply chain faces challenges and difficulties such as minimal traceability, limited transparency, and reliance on intermediaries, which can lead to farmer abuse and eroded customer trust. This study suggests and evaluates a paradigm that combines blockchain technology with artificial intelligence (AI) to improve agri-food systems' traceability, transparency, and equity. IoT-based sensing, IPFS for decentralised data storage, Ethereum-based smart contracts, and AI-driven analytics with a Random Forest model are all integrated into the system. Using a hypothetical onion supply chain case study, a four-layer architecture comprising user interface, AI analytics, blockchain infrastructure, and IoT data capture was created and assessed. Major performance gains over conventional systems are demonstrated by the results, which include a 35% decrease in operating expenses, 90% data consistency, and 75% increased transparency. A 93% task completion rate and a System Usability Score (SUS) of 78.2 were obtained from stakeholder usability testing. Proof-of-authority consensus has been suggested as a remedy for Sybil attacks and consensus delays, which are the issues in low-connectivity areas. A suitable roadmap for implementing blockchain-AI solutions in agriculture is presented in this paper. Multilingual interfaces, offline functionality, voice assistance, federated learning for privacy-preserving AI, and real-world scaling through platforms like Polygon or Hyperledger will be the main areas of future growth.
Jamilya Nurgazina, Joaquín Ordieres‐Meré, Thomas Moser, Gerald Reiner
Food donation became a strategy for reducing food waste and food insecurity. However, incentivizing food bank supply chain (FBSC) stakeholders to donate food instead of disposing of it, especially in the retail sector, is still a major challenge. The lack of transparency and incentives, process inefficiencies, and the lack of evidence on the effectiveness of food donations are some of the reasons that hinder the widespread adoption of food donation practices. Emerging technologies, such as distributed ledger technologies (DLTs), can potentially facilitate food donation processes (FDPs) by improving stakeholder communication, reducing distribution time, and extending the remaining shelf life of donated food products. With the existing lack of empirical studies on the technologysupported food donation and food sharing practices as well as on measuring their impact, this study provides an outlook on quantitative impact of DLTs implementation and their anticipated potential in FBSCs. A case study with two Austrian non-profit organizations in the food donation sector provided empirical input for developing and evaluating a simulation model. This study estimates the DLTs' implementation potential towards reducing food waste generated across two stakeholder levels, increasing the extent of satisfied demand in the FDP, and increasing the effectiveness of food donations by means of system dynamics modeling.
Duc Tran, Filisia Melissari, Samuel Le Féon, Andreas Papadakis · 9 authors
• The blockchain traceability system caused inconsiderate environmental impacts. • Using blockchain system is profitable if consumers pay more for traceable products. • Blockchain-based traceability systems can be applied to different production scale. • Energy consumption for a mixed (private and public) blockchain is not high. The implementation of blockchain (BC) technology in food traceability has attracted the attention of both scholars and practitioners because this technology enhances transparency and efficiency. While previous studies have attempted to assess the technical performance of BC-based applications, comprehensive economic and environmental assessments of BC-based food traceability systems are lacking. This study performs a technical, environmental and economic assessment of BC-based food traceability using a private BC (Quorum) and a public BC (Ethereum). The case study is the production of protected designation of origin feta cheese in Greece. The proposed BC-based system was found to have insignificant environmental impacts when compared to the existing impacts of feta production. Furthermore, the implementation of BC-based food traceability was found to be profitable for dairy producers when consumers’ willingness to pay a price premium for BC-based traceable products is taken into account. Sensitivity analyses under different scaling-up scenarios, from a purely technical perspective (i.e. increase in transaction volume and frequency) to scaling production, emphasised the potential benefits of BC-based food traceability from a scalability perspective.
With the rise in food insecurity, one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals is to end hunger, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agriculture. This can be achieved through the strengthening and development of existing food systems. Integrating emerging technologies such as blockchain technology can help develop sustainable food systems. Blockchain technology allows the tracking and tracing of food items as they move through the supply chain. Blockchain technology also allows for low transactional costs at almost instantaneous applications. There is however a low adoption rate of blockchain technology amongst organisations in the food supply chain. The objective of the study was to explore factors that affect the adoption of blockchain technology in the food supply chain. The study adopted a quantitative research method that was guided by the technology, organisation, and environment Framework (TOE) to explore factors affecting blockchain technology adoption in the food supply chain. A systematic literature review was used for the study. Quantitative content analysis was used to analyse peer-reviewed articles. Results showed that TOE factors affect the adoption of blockchain technology in the food supply chain. Factors such as cost, scalability, firm size, and IT policy were noted as important factors affecting the adoption of blockchain technology in the food supply chain. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on factors that affect the adoption of blockchain technology in the food supply chain.
Carlos S. H. Shiraishi, Custódio Lobo Roriz, Márcio Carocho, Miguel A. Prieto · 7 authors
The rising global population has created an urgent need for increased food production. Food loss and waste remain significant challenges throughout the food supply chain, from cultivation to consumption. Blockchain, a decentralized peer-to-peer network that stores information can help making food more traceable, from production to consumption. It can also help enhance food production sustainability, transparency, quality and safety. By tracking all aspects of food it plays a crucial role in reducing food loss and waste. Several organizations that have briefly introduced this technology, along with the Internet of Things, although the real benefit of blockchain is achieved when several players in the food chain adhere to this technology. This review emphasizes how blockchain was adapted to the food chain, its challenges, benefits and limitations, and how some food sectors have used this technology. A brief perspective on how the Internet of Things and Blockchain will evolve in the future. • Sustainable food production can benefit from the traceability of blockchain. • Blockchain can help with food safety and security from farm to fork. • Information contained in the blockchain can be accessed using mobile applications.
With the recent growth of the sharing economy, businesses offering shared-kitchen services are expanding rapidly. Due to the communal nature of these kitchens, there is a heightened need for systematic food safety management. However, existing research on blockchain applications has largely overlooked shared kitchens, a complex setting with numerous stakeholders and sensitivity to real-time kitchen conditions. This study addresses this gap by proposing a blockchain-based food safety management system for shared kitchens. The system’s functional requirements were meticulously outlined based on guidelines from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Key participants were identified as system users, and use cases were crafted in alignment with their responsibilities and roles to ensure effective safety management. Additionally, the blockchain system’s mechanisms for enhancing safety in shared kitchens were substantiated through specific use cases and detailed data structures, addressing issues related to forgery, alteration, and management challenges. This study also offers practical insights that can facilitate more structured safety management in shared-kitchen environments.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) faces obstacles in guaranteeing food security because of its desert climate, restricted arable land, and significant reliance on food imports. Establishing a robust and transparent food supply chain is crucial. This study investigates the crucial functions of blockchain technology in protecting and improving food security in the UAE. Using bibliographic and co-citation network analyses, this study examines 143 research articles that provide a thorough review of the current status of blockchain technology in relation to food security. We examine the interrelationships among studies, highlighting significant themes and identifying three emerging food security patterns in the incorporation of blockchain into the food security domain. This study enhances the understanding of how blockchain technology can transform the food security dimensions of availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability in the UAE and worldwide.
The integration of blockchain technology in agricultural traceability has shown immense potential, yet its widespread adoption faces significant roadblocks. Using bulk product traceability as a foundational reference, this paper presents a comprehensive evaluation framework for Blockchain-based Agricultural Traceability. The framework accentuates product identification and data traceability across the supply chain, addressing traceability disconnections caused by bulk product blending. It dives into depth levels from adoption decision-making to system design, development, and deployment, emphasizing the critical aspects of traceability compliance and standardization. As a result, we identified the obstacles to adopting agricultural digital traceability and pave the pathway to traceability system deployment. We examined the barriers to implementing digital traceability of agricultural products, taking the Australian grain supply chain as an example. Our findings reveal that lack of standardization and participation barriers are the primary challenges in implementing digital traceability for agricultural products. Our paper offers insights and recommendations for researchers, industry practitioners, and business owners to overcome these challenges and enable digital traceability of agricultural products in global supply chains. • Proposes a novel evaluation framework tailored for Blockchain-based Agricultural Traceability (BAT). • Highlights critical traceability challenges caused by product blending and disconnections in agricultural bulk supply chains. • Identifies key barriers to BAT adoption, including lack of standardization, compliance, and participation hurdles. • Presents a pathway to adopting agricultural product traceability with key performance assessment points listed at each step.
The agricultural sector is a vital component of Bangladesh's economy, but its agri-food supply chain faces signifi-cant inefficiencies primarily due to the involvement of numerous intermediaries. This complexity not only reduces the profits for farmers but also affects the overall transparency and efficiency of the supply chain. This study aims to em-ploy blockchain technology to transform the traditional agri-food supply chain in Bangladesh, focusing on increasing transparency, enhancing efficiency, and improving profitability for farmers, thus potentially bolstering the entire agri-food ecosystem in the country. The research involves setting up a blockchain-based smart contract on the Ethereum Blockchain network. This approach guarantees that all transactions within the agri-food supply chain are transparent, traceable, and accountable. Additionally, the study develops a web application to facilitate user interaction with the smart contract, enhancing accessibility and usability. Performance analysis and testing of the implemented smart con-tract demonstrate its capability to handle a significant volume of transactions without compromising on performance. The solution effectively reduces the dependency on intermediaries, thereby increasing the profit margins for the farm-ers involved. The integration of blockchain technology in the agri-food supply chain has shown promising results in enhancing transparency and efficiency. It lays a solid foundation for future improvements and suggests a scalable model that could be applied to other sectors within the country to further enhance agricultural practices and economic growth.
Rizwan Matloob Ellahi, Lincoln C. Wood, Alaa Ei-Din A. Bekhit
This systematic review critically examines the diverse applications of Blockchain technology in the food supply chain and identifies areas where its potential remains underutilized. By analysing 60 Blockchain-based frameworks, the study highlights the most frequently employed drivers such as transparency, traceability, and security within food supply chains. Additionally, underexplored applications such as food donation and redistribution, supply chain financing, animal welfare, food waste management, and data analysis are identified, revealing opportunities for further innovation. The research employed NVivo 14 to analyze the extent of Blockchain’s implementation in various food supply chain drivers, and the findings informed the development of a more diverse framework for Blockchain integration. Key insights demonstrate Blockchain’s transformative potential, particularly in enhancing data integrity, trust, and operational efficiency through its immutable ledger and smart contracts, which streamline transactions, cut administrative costs, and reduce fraud. In terms of sustainability and safety, Blockchain improves traceability, accelerates safety responses, promotes environmental sustainability by tracking resource usage, and enhances humanitarian efforts with transparent, efficient resource distribution. Additionally, Blockchain facilitates food waste reduction by optimizing inventory and distribution, while ensuring surplus food reaches those in need. The study concludes by offering a roadmap for future research, pointing toward untapped dimensions of Blockchain’s application in food traceability, sustainable supply chain management, and environmental & social impact. While the review provides a comprehensive understanding of Blockchain’s current usage in food supply chains, the scope is limited by the systematic review process and specific inclusion criteria. This study serves as a foundation for exploring Blockchain’s broader potential in shaping the future of food supply chains.
Cong Doanh Duong, Thanh Tung Dao, Trong Nghia Vu, Thi Viet Nga Ngo · 5 authors
Although the role of blockchain technology application in the organic food supply chain has been scholarly acknowledged, our understanding of how blockchain-enabled food traceability impacts consumer trust and purchase decisions is still limited. Adopting the lens from the stimulus-organism-response theory, this research draws a moderated mediation model to explore the direct and indirect impacts of blockchain-enabled food traceability system on organic food purchase behavior underlying a moderated mediation mechanism of blockchain knowledge and trust in the organic food chain. The PROCESS macro was approached using a purposive sample of 5,326 consumers in Vietnam to test the formulated hypotheses. The findings reveal that blockchain-enabled traceability significantly enhances trust in the organic food chain, which in turn positively influences organic food purchase behavior. Additionally, the study identifies blockchain knowledge as a crucial moderating factor, amplifying the direct and indirect effects of the traceability system on trust and purchase behavior. The study offers significant contributions to the literature by extending the application of the SOR model to technology-mediated environments and highlighting the role of consumer knowledge in moderating technology adoption outcomes. Some practical implications for practitioners are discussed.
Blockchain is a virtual, distributed ledger that operates across multiple peer-to-peer computing devices without the need for a centralized authority. It utilizes unique software systems to manage transaction data file (block), facilitating the transmission, processing, storing, and display of data. As a solution to combat food fraud and enhance food safety, blockchain technology is gaining traction in the global food supply chain. It provides an immutable ledger system and transparent record-keeping, which offers unmatched traceability and accountability, enabling stakeholders to track food products from farm to fork. Despite its potential, the adoption of blockchain in the food industry faces challenges such as scalability, interoperability, and data accuracy, which need to be overcome to fully utilize its capabilities. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how blockchain technology address food fraud and improves food safety. By employing a review methodology, we analyze existing literature and case studies to examine blockchain's role in enhancing transparency, traceability, and sustainability in the food supply chain. This study identifies research gaps and discusses theoretical implications, practical applications, and potential future directions for blockchain technology within the context of food safety. Our findings highlight the transformative potential of blockchain to revolutionize the food industry by providing unparalleled traceability and accountability. We also emphasize the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders and the integration of innovative approaches such as decentralized data adjustment and the inclusion of genomic information on blockchain platforms. Theoretically, further research is needed to explore the synergy blockchain and emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. Practically, our study underscores the critical need for blockchain adoption to safeguard the integrity of the food supply chain and protect consumer health. Through collective action and technological innovation, stakeholders can ensure that every food product is traceable, safe, and trustworthy, thereby enhancing the sustainability and resilience of the food industry. • This study explores the role of blockchain technology in preventing food fraud. • Tangible evidence of blockchain's effectiveness can be seen through its implementation by two industry giants. • The discussion presents a balanced analysis of blockchain's limitations and benefits, as well as the challenges. • The paper offers an exciting outlook on the future, where blockchain's integration with IoT and AI.
Rosangela de Araújo Santos, Eduardo Oliveira Teles, Francisco Gaudêncio Mendonça Freires
Agriculture is one of the most economically important practices in the world; it is essential for food security and socioeconomic development in several countries. However, the use of pesticides, which are essential for fighting pests and weeds and guaranteeing agricultural yields, has brought about an environmental issue pertaining to the management of empty pesticide packaging. The improper disposal of pesticide packaging can put both environmental and human health at risk. Therefore, the implementation of reverse logistics systems will be essential if we are to ensure that packages are collected, recycled, and disposed of safely. Blockchain technology is an innovative solution that offers transparent and immutable recording of data, thereby facilitating traceability. In this study, we present the application of a circular economy-based framework to agricultural production via blockchain (and involving all actors within production and consumption) to enable the more responsible disposal of empty pesticide packaging for eventual reuse, recovery, or recycling. Bibliographical research was carried out through Scopus and Web of Science from 2018 to 2023; we principally aimed to provide an overview of this pertinent area of research using the following keywords: “blockchain”, “circular economy”, “pesticide packaging”, and “reverse logistics”. Bibliometrics using graphs and tables made it possible to refine the information collected from the databases. We analyzed how blockchain can be integrated alongside reverse logistics, highlighting how it can promote the principles of the circular economy through various methods of sustainable and responsible agriculture.
Abstract This study examines how smart food‐sharing platforms (SFSP) can help reduce food waste and suggests a method for using smart contracts to share extra food among different partners effectively. For smart contracts to work automatically and prevent food wastage, artificial intelligence systems can recognize how smart clauses should be executed. This will involve analyzing several factors like the selling price, expiration dates, offers from other partners, transport costs, wholesale price, shelf life, donation rates, and demand rates. The findings indicate that adopting an SFSP is an efficient solution for preemptively adopting redistribution strategies and improving social outcomes through donations as well as achieving positive environmental outcomes through reduced waste. However, we also identify cases in which reducing food waste to achieve social sustainability may negatively impact economic performance.
Food safety has emerged as the topmost priority in the current fast-paced food industry era. According to the World Health Organization, around 600 million people, approximately 1 in 10 individuals worldwide, experience illness due to contaminated food consumption, resulting in nearly 0.42 million fatalities annually. The recent development in software and hardware sectors has created opportunities to improve the safety concerns in the food supply chain. The objective of this review is to explain the fundamentals of blockchain and its integration into the supply chain of various food commodities to enhance food safety. This paper presents the analysis of 31 conceptual works, 10 implementation works, 39 case studies, and other investigations in blockchain-based food supply chain from a total of 80 published papers. In this paper, the significance of adapting conceptual ideas into practical applications for effectively tracing food commodities throughout the supply chain has been discussed. This paper also describes the transformative role of blockchain platforms in the food industry, providing a decentralized and transparent ledger to access real-time and immutable records of a product's journey. In addition, both the positive impacts and challenges associated with implementing blockchain technology in the food supply chain have been evaluated. In summary, the blockchain-based food supply chains offer greater transparency, traceability, and trust, ultimately resulting in higher standards of food safety and quality.