Blockchain and Megatrends in Agri-Food Systems: A Multi-Source Evidence Approach

Key findings from this study

• The study found that blockchain can strengthen product-level traceability and improve verification of sustainability and safety claims in agri-food supply chains.
• The authors report that persistent constraints include heterogeneous technical standards, limited interoperability, high deployment costs for smallholders, and governance risks within consortium-led platforms.
• The researchers demonstrate that blockchain functions most effectively when embedded in participatory strategies aligning digital innovation with sustainability and equity goals.

Overview

Blockchain technology increasingly receives implementation in agri-food systems to enhance traceability and data integrity. This structured review examined blockchain's broader capacity to support sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems within the context of global megatrends reshaping agri-food transitions. The investigation synthesized peer-reviewed literature, industry sources, European and international pilot implementations, and stakeholder-led foresight activities to characterize blockchain's role across multiple dimensions of food system sustainability.

Methods and approach

The authors conducted a structured literature review encompassing peer-reviewed and industry sources to identify evidence on blockchain-enabled improvements in transparency, certification, and supply chain coordination. Cross-case analysis evaluated technological architectures, governance models, and performance outcomes from a curated dataset of pilot implementations. Stakeholder-based foresight activities and scenario development, conducted within the TRUSTyFOOD project, examined interconnections between blockchain adoption pathways and global megatrends affecting agri-food sectors.

Results

Blockchain can strengthen product-level traceability and improve verification of sustainability and safety claims across agri-food supply chains. Significant technical and structural constraints persist, including heterogeneous standards, limited interoperability between systems, high deployment costs for smallholders, and governance risks within consortium-led platforms. The technology functions most effectively when embedded within wider, participatory strategies aligning digital innovation with long-term sustainability and equity objectives.

Implications

Blockchain deployment in agri-food systems requires alignment with broader food system sustainability goals rather than narrow technical implementation. Governance structures and platform architecture fundamentally shape whether blockchain deployments advance equity and resilience or reinforce existing inequalities. Heterogeneous technical standards and interoperability challenges necessitate coordinated standardization efforts across sectoral stakeholders to achieve scalable adoption.

Smallholder participation in blockchain-enabled systems depends on reducing deployment costs and providing technical support infrastructure. Consortium-led governance models require explicit mechanisms ensuring diverse stakeholder representation beyond incumbent supply chain actors. Megatrend analysis reveals that demographic shifts, climate pressures, and digital transformation simultaneously create constraints and opportunities for blockchain-enabled food system transitions.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.