Enhancing Sustainability and Transparency in Food Supply Chains through Blockchain-Based Traceability, Smart Contracts, and Decentralized Data Security in E-Business Environment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22399/ijcesen.3093Keywords:
Supply Chain Efficiency, Ethical Sourcing, Smart Contracts, Traceability, Transparency, Food Supply Chain and BlockchainAbstract
Currently, being considered is the pandemic of sustainability concerns along with the issues related to transparency and efficiency in the global food supply chain. In addition, blockchain technology is a transformational solution that facilitates stakeholders to build trust, operational efficiency and traceability. From management perspective, this research also examined the part that blockchain plays in the food supply chain including its possible effect or impact on sustainability, ethical sourcing, transparency as well as efficiency in food retail chain. This study’s methodology is quantitative research approach. The method in the study was a purposive sampling while survey questionnaires were used. A total of 280 participants have participated in the study. In this research, it was explored key blockchain applications as such as traceability systems, decentralized ledgers and smart contracts. Besides, blockchain improved the rate at which the supply chain worked through removing the inefficiencies, automating transactions and enhancing the workflow efficiency. It also reinforced trust by proper and clear product traceability and compliance with the regulatory standards and ethical sourcing. The results, however, suggest that blockchain technology holds the ability to undermine the handling of the supply chain where efficiencies in resource management and sustainable practices, fair trade, and convenient coordination are facilitated. Apart from the above, blockchain technology offers a solid suitable platform for boosting sustainability in operational efficiencies and streaming the food supply chain to the farthest point. But the adoption of this unnatural process continued and ultimately shaped the future of resilient and transparent food systems.
Keywords: Supply Chain Efficiency, Ethical Sourcing, Smart Contracts, Traceability, Transparency, Food Supply Chain and Blockchain.
References
[1] Gaudio, M. T., Chakraborty, S., & Curcio, S. (2022). Agri-food supply-chain traceability: A multi-layered solution. 2022 IEEE Intl Conf on Dependable, Autonomic and Secure Computing, Intl Conf on Pervasive Intelligence and Computing, Intl Conf on Cloud and Big Data Computing, Intl Conf on Cyber Science and Technology Congress (DASC/PiCom/CBDCom/CyberSciTech), 1–5. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9928017/
[2] Hossain, M. I., Steigner, T., Hussain, M. I., & Akther, A. (2024). Enhancing Data Integrity and Traceability in Industry Cyber Physical Systems (ICPS) through Blockchain Technology: A Comprehensive Approach (arXiv:2405.04837). arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2405.04837
[3] Kaur, A., Singh, G., Kukreja, V., Sharma, S., Singh, S., & Yoon, B. (2022). Adaptation of IoT with Blockchain in Food Supply Chain Management: An Analysis-Based Review in Development, Benefits and Potential Applications. Sensors, 22(21), Article 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22218174
[4] Katsikouli, P., Wilde, A. S., Dragoni, N., & Høgh‐Jensen, H. (2021). On the benefits and challenges of blockchains for managing food supply chains. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 101(6), 2175–2181. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.10883
[5] Bhat, S. A., Huang, N.-F., Sofi, I. B., & Sultan, M. (2021). Agriculture-food supply chain management based on blockchain and IoT: A narrative on enterprise blockchain interoperability. Agriculture, 12(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12010040
[6] Collart, A. J., & Canales, E. (2022). How might broad adoption of blockchain‐based traceability impact the U.S. fresh produce supply chain? Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 44(1), 219–236. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13134
[7] Esmaeilian, B., Sarkis, J., Lewis, K., & Behdad, S. (2020). Blockchain for the future of sustainable supply chain management in Industry 4.0. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 163, 105064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105064
[8] Zwitter, A., & Hazenberg, J. (2020). Decentralized network governance: Blockchain technology and the future of regulation. Frontiers in Blockchain, 3, 12.
[9] Helo, P., & Shamsuzzoha, A. H. M. (2020). Real-time supply chain—A blockchain architecture for project deliveries. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 63, 101909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcim.2019.101909
[10] Nurgazina, J., Pakdeetrakulwong, U., Moser, T., & Reiner, G. (2021). Distributed ledger technology applications in food supply chains: A review of challenges and future research directions. Sustainability, 13(8), 4206. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084206
[11] Fidow, A. N., Odoyo, S., & Wambalaba, F. (2022). The effect of transaction cost on the performance of SMEs in Kenya. International Journal of Accounting, Finance and Risk Management, 12(2), 11–19. doi: 10.11648/j.ijafrm.20220701.12
[12] Vazquez Melendez, E. I., Bergey, P., & Smith, B. (2024). Blockchain technology for supply chain provenance: Increasing supply chain efficiency and consumer trust. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 29(4), 706–730.
[13] Baia, E., Ferreira, J. J., & Rodrigues, R. (2020). Value and rareness of resources and capabilities as sources of competitive advantage and superior performance. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 18(3), 249–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2019.1599308
[14] Aslam, J., Saleem, A., & Kim, Y. B. (2023). Blockchain-enabled supply chain management: Integrated impact on firm performance and robustness capabilities. Business Process Management Journal, 29(6), 1680–1705.
[15] Salazar, R. J., Rauniar, R., Monge, C. M., & Shah, S. (2020). Diffusion of innovative technology in US oil and gas industry: An empirical study. International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, 20(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTPM.2020.104861
[16] Ali, M. H., Chung, L., Tan, K. H., Makhbul, Z. M., Zhan, Y., & Tseng, M.-L. (2024). Investigating blockchain technology adoption intention model in halal food small and medium enterprises: Moderating role of supply chain integration. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 27(12), 2753–2777. https://doi.org/10.1080/13675567.2023.2217772
[17] Kamble, S. S., Gunasekaran, A., & Sharma, R. (2020). Modeling the blockchain enabled traceability in agriculture supply chain. International Journal of Information Management, 52, 101967.
[18] Majdalawieh, M., Nizamuddin, N., Alaraj, M., Khan, S., & Bani-Hani, A. (2021). Blockchain-based solution for Secure and Transparent Food Supply Chain Network. Peer-to-Peer Networking and Applications, 14(6), 3831–3850. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12083-021-01196-1
[19] Saberi, S., Kouhizadeh, M., Sarkis, J., & Shen, L. (2019). Blockchain technology and its relationships to sustainable supply chain management. International Journal of Production Research, 57(7), 2117–2135. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2018.1533261
[20] Wang, L., Xu, L., Zheng, Z., Liu, S., Li, X., Cao, L., Li, J., & Sun, C. (2021). Smart contract-based agricultural food supply chain traceability. IEEE Access, 9, 9296–9307. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3050112
[21] Dasaklis, T. K., Voutsinas, T. G., Tsoulfas, G. T., & Casino, F. (2022). A systematic literature review of blockchain-enabled supply chain traceability implementations. Sustainability, 14(4), 2439. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042439
[22] Prashar, D., Jha, N., Jha, S., Lee, Y., & Joshi, G. P. (2020). Blockchain-based traceability and visibility for agricultural products: A decentralized way of ensuring food safety in india. Sustainability, 12(8), 3497. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083497
[23] Wang, Y., Singgih, M., Wang, J., & Rit, M. (2019). Making sense of blockchain technology: How will it transform supply chains? International Journal of Production Economics, 211, 221–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019.02.002
[24] Sharma, A., Sharma, A., Singh, R. K., & Bhatia, T. (2023). Blockchain adoption in agri-food supply chain management: An empirical study of the main drivers using extended UTAUT. Business Process Management Journal, 29(3), 737–756. https://doi.org/10.1108/BPMJ-10-2022-0543
[25] Kramer, M. P., Bitsch, L., & Hanf, J. H. (2021). The impact of instrumental stakeholder management on blockchain technology adoption behavior in agri-food supply chains. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 14(12), 598. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm14120598
[26] Kshetri, N. (2017). Blockchain’s roles in strengthening cybersecurity and protecting privacy. Telecommunications Policy, 41(10), 1027–1038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2017.09.003
[27] Duan, J., Zhang, C., Gong, Y., Brown, S., & Li, Z. (2020). A content-analysis based literature review in blockchain adoption within food supply chain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 1784. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051784
[28] Queiroz, M. M., Telles, R., & Bonilla, S. H. (2020). Blockchain and supply chain management integration: A systematic review of the literature. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 25(2), 241–254. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-03-2018-0143
[29] Venkatesh, V. G., Kang, K., Wang, B., Zhong, R. Y., & Zhang, A. (2020). System architecture for blockchain based transparency of supply chain social sustainability. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 63, 101896. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcim.2019.101896
[30] . Sunny, J., Undralla, N., & Pillai, V. M. (2020). Supply chain transparency through blockchain-based traceability: An overview with demonstration. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 150, 106895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2020.106895
[31] Ghanad, A. (2023). An overview of quantitative research methods. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Analysis, 6(08), 3794–3803. DOI: 10.47191/ijmra/v6-i8-52
[32] Appah, M., Long, D. L., Howard, G., & Smith, M. J. (2024). Comparison of methods for mediation analysis with multiple correlated mediators (arXiv:2406.16174). arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2406.16174
[33] McBeath, A. (2020). Doing Quantitative Research with a Survey. In S. Bager-Charleson & A. McBeath (Eds.), Enjoying Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy (175–193). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55127-8_10
[34] Ellahi, R. M., Wood, L. C., & Bekhit, A. E.-D. A. (2023). Blockchain-based frameworks for food traceability: A systematic review. Foods, 12(16), 3026. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12163026
[35] Chang, S. E., Chen, Y.-C., & Lu, M.-F. (2019). Supply chain re-engineering using blockchain technology: A case of smart contract based tracking process. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 144, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.03.015
[36] . Rejeb, A., Keogh, J. G., Simske, S. J., Stafford, T., & Treiblmaier, H. (2021). Potentials of blockchain technologies for supply chain collaboration: A conceptual framework. The International Journal of Logistics Management, 32(3), 973–994. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-02-2020-0098
[37] Lin, X., Chang, S.-C., Chou, T.-H., Chen, S.-C., & Ruangkanjanases, A. (2021). Consumers’ intention to adopt blockchain food traceability technology towards organic food products. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 912. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18030912
[38] Kshetri, N. (2021). Blockchain and sustainable supply chain management in developing countries. International Journal of Information Management, 60, 102376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2021.102376
[39] Sri Vigna Hema, V., & Manickavasagan, A. (2024). Blockchain implementation for food safety in supply chain: A review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 23(5), e70002. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.70002
[40] Friedman, N., & Ormiston, J. (2022). Blockchain as a sustainability-oriented innovation?: Opportunities for and resistance to Blockchain technology as a driver of sustainability in global food supply chains. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 175, 121403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121403
[41] Chandan, A., John, M., & Potdar, V. (2023). Achieving UN SDGs in food supply chain using blockchain technology. Sustainability, 15(3), 2109. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032109
[42] Vijaykumar, V., Mercy, P., Lucia Agnes Beena, T., Leena, H. M., & Savarimuthu, C. (2024). Convergence of IoT, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Approaches for Supply Chain Management. In Dr. V. Grover, Dr. B. B. Balusamy, Dr. M. Milanova, & Dr. A. Y. Felix (Eds.), Blockchain, IoT, and AI Technologies for Supply Chain Management (45–89). Apress. https://doi.org/10.1007/979-8-8688-0315-4_2
[43] 43. Cao, S., Xu, H., & Bryceson, K. P. (2023). Blockchain traceability for sustainability communication in food supply chains: An architectural framework, design pathway and considerations. Sustainability, 15(18), 13486. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813486
[44] Drljevic, N., Aranda, D. A., & Stantchev, V. (2022). An integrated adoption model to manage blockchain-driven business innovation in a sustainable way. Sustainability, 14(5), 2873. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052873
[45] Hasan, M. R., Shiming, D., Islam, M. A., & Hossain, M. Z. (2020). Operational efficiency effects of blockchain technology implementation in firms: Evidence from China. Review of International Business and Strategy, 30(2), 163–181. https://doi.org/10.1108/RIBS-05-2019-0069
[46] Mustafa, G., Rafiq, W., Jhamat, N., Arshad, Z., & Rana, F. A. (2025). Blockchain-based governance models in e-government: A comprehensive framework for legal, technical, ethical and security considerations. International Journal of Law and Management, 67(1), 37–55. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLMA-08-2023-0172
[47] Chauhan, M., & Sahoo, D. R. (2024). Towards a greener tomorrow: Exploring the potential of AI, blockchain, and IoT in sustainable development. Nature Environment and Pollution Technology, 23(2), 1105–1113. https://doi.org/10.46488/NEPT.2024.v23i02.044
[48] Saari, A., Sinclair, S., Leshinsky, R., & Junnila, S. (n.d.). Best Practices for Blockchain-Driven Digital Transformation in Traditional Industries. Available at SSRN 5074237. Retrieved March 17, 2025, from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5074237.
[49] Aboalsamh, H. M., Khrais, L. T., & Albahussain, S. A. (2023). Pioneering perception of green fintech in promoting sustainable digital services application within smart cities. Sustainability, 15(14), 11440. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411440.
[50] Khrais, L. T. (2020). IoT and blockchain in the development of smart cities. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 11(2).
[51] Ali, A. A. A., Fayad, A. A., Alomair, A., & Al Naim, A. S. (2024). The role of digital supply chain on inventory management effectiveness within engineering companies in Jordan. Sustainability, 16(18), 8031. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188031
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Computational and Experimental Science and Engineering
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
