Implementation of Blockchain Technology in the Food Supply Chains: A Qualitative Literature Study

Every year, several scandals occur in the food sector where millions of people become ill with food-related disorders. To counter the problem and increase transparency from producer to consumer, blockchain technology can be used to investigate whether quality of food is compromised. A literature study of application of blockchain provides a basis for presenting the advantages and disadvantages that an implementation may bring. The literature study shows that the implementation of Blockchain adds increased transparency but initially adds to cost. The areas for improvement in transparency were that the traceability of foodstuffs becomes more controlled, which leads to improved food safety. The increase in transparency leads to improved traceability and a better overview of food production costs, which in turn facilitates troubleshooting and identification of problems along the supply chain. The consequence of the increase in transparency is a reduction in costs in several areas. The disadvantage is that the implementation cost is still very high and this is due to the fact that the level of experience in the area is low, which leads to higher salaries. The SWOT analysis of the work shows that blockchain adds many positive aspects that can affect the food sector in a positive way while disadvantages are more linked to costs, lack of knowledge, and that the method is not sufficiently proven.