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.
Increasing demand for transparency in agri-food through customer expectation and regulatory imposition has fostered a swift adoption of blockchain technology. Demand for transparency is rising in the agri-food industry driven by consumer expectations and regulatory requirements, which has fast-tracked the adoption of blockchain technology. It creates innovative solutions to augment traceability and combat food deception, while also informing consumers about their origin. Blockchain is by nature trusted and immutable; thus, it is well suited for agri-food stock chains. Considering that the transactions on such supply chains have to be safe and transparent, the existing Smart contract technology based on Ethereum is being improved. Even if updating is difficult and disruptive, the topic of data migration and its users is growing more difficult. This has led most of the agri-food sector migration to Binance Smart Chain (BSC). BSC offers the benefits of confirmation times for transactions, a more efficient consensus mechanism, and thus better scalability. On the latter aspect, use of BSC will eventually ease the updation of smart contracts, thereby upgrading the entire speed and reliability of blockchain solutions for ensuring transparency and traceability in a supply chain.
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.
Rakesh G. Nair, Pankaj Kumar Detwal, M. Muthukumar
The agri-food system, involving fertile terrains and thriving livestock farms that sustain our planet, plays a dominant role in achieving the goal of global food security. However, the intricate nature and involvement of multiple stakeholders in the agri-food supply chain pose a distinct challenge to maintain transparency and inclusive traceability. This study explores the potential of blockchain technology to shed light on this enigmatic sector, paving the way for an agri-food system characterized by unprecedented transparency and verifiable sources. This article uncovers the transformative capabilities of blockchain, a distributed ledger technology that records transactions immutably. We intricately demonstrate how blockchain can be seamlessly integrated into the agri-food supply chain, enabling meticulous tracking and verification of every stage in the food journey. To further elucidate the real-world applications of blockchain, we present a compelling case study of TE-FOODS, an innovative agri-food enterprise that has successfully leveraged blockchain technology to facilitate traceability from farm to table. The agri-food supply chain, which is vital to our population, calls for a shift toward verifiable provenance and enhanced transparency by embracing the disruptive potential of blockchain technology.
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.
The security, safety, and authenticity of food are major issues in the modern world. Despite being extensive, the global food supply chain faces several difficulties, including phoney labels, the possibility of contamination, and unsustainable practices. Consumer health and environmental sustainability are at risk as a result of these problems. The demand for a safe and open food supply system has increased along with the world population's steady rise.As a creative solution to these problems, "FQAChain" pioneers the integration of blockchain and IoT technology. This method effortlessly combines the transparency and immutability of blockchain technology with real-time monitoring and data collecting using IoT devices. Its key elements are the thorough documentation of product information, the involvement of blockchain in assuring data immutability, and the development of distinctive Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to validate each food item. 'FQAChain' empowers customers by providing real-time product information through user-friendly interfaces, ensuring product authenticity while boosting responsibility across the supply chain. It enables customers to make knowledgeable decisions and acts as a driver for improvement in the food business. 'FQAChain' represents a paradigm-shifting step towards a more safe, open, and environmentally conscious food supply chain by making it easier to assess the environmental effect and sustainability of food production and distribution. It goes beyond simple innovation, successfully meeting the urgent demands of our time and providing benefits to producers, consumers, and the environment.
A.R Baku, Emmanuel Amadi, Udoka Felista Eze, G. A. Chukwudebe · 5 authors
The agri-food industry faces increasing demands for transparency and accountability due to concerns over product safety and sustainability. Current traceability systems often fall short due to fragmented data, potential inaccuracies, and limited scalability. This research proposes a novel blockchain-based framework to address these challenges. The proposed framework features a multi-layered architecture, dividing the system into distinct layers for data storage, consensus mechanisms, and user interactions. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using academic databases (e.g., Scopus, Web of Science) and industry reports to identify existing research on blockchain technology, agri-food supply chains, and traceability. Key search terms included "blockchain," "agri-food," "traceability," "transparency," and "privacy." The identified research was analyzed to identify the key challenges and opportunities in agri-food traceability. A detailed analysis of the existing systems was conducted to understand their limitations and potential improvements. Based on the analysis, a blockchain-based framework was designed. The framework incorporates a multi-layered architecture, including a data layer, consensus layer, and application layer. Parallel side chains and zero-knowledge proofs were integrated to enhance scalability and privacy. The proposed framework was modeled using the Unified Modeling Language (UML) to visualize the system's components, relationships, and interactions. Microsoft Visio was used as a modeling tool to create diagrams and visualize the system's architecture. Key Contributions includes a robust and scalable blockchain-based framework for agrifood traceability, a multi-layered architecture that addresses the specific needs of the agri-food industry, the use of zero-knowledge proofs to enhance privacy and trust and a comprehensive system design based on a rigorous methodology. Keywords: blockchain, agri-food supply chain, traceability, transparency, privacy, zero-knowledge proofs, OOAD, system design.
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.