Blockchain in agricultural value chains of developing economies – progress, challenges, and future pathways
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21510203 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Willem De Lange (0000-0001-5369-7049, Stellenbosch University, corresponding author), W J de Lange (Stellenbosch University), Melissa van der Merwe (0000-0002-2852-8419, Stellenbosch University), Kumbirai Takawira (Stellenbosch University), C J van Rooyen (Stellenbosch University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 64 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 130-148 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-03 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Agrekon (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0303-1853 • E-ISSN: 2078-0400 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03031853.2025.2495245 |
| OpenAlex | W4410570434 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 98 |
Blockchain technology has been evolving with widespread applications where it enables timestamping and transfer of goods based on cryptographic proof instead of trust. This allows parties to transact without a trusted third party, which lowers transaction costs and supports efficient trade. Although sharing almost tamper-proof records is a significant benefit of blockchain, several authors caution against presenting the technology as a silver bullet for authenticity-related challenges. We review agricultural applications of the technology in developing economies to reflect on the ability and readiness of blockchain to authenticate/verify credence quality attributes in agricultural value chains of these economies. We found that developing economies are still well served by centralised, digital cloud-based data storage, which does not require the decentralisation capability provided by blockchain. The application of blockchain for agriculture in these economies therefore depend on fast-tracking the digitisation of agricultural value chains. We highlight the physical transformation of agricultural commodities as a major challenge to blockchain in general and list some research priorities for successful uptake in the future
Agricultural economics · Agriculture · Blockchain · Business · Economics · Geography · Industrial organization · International trade · Blockchain Technology Applications and Security · Computer Science · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development
| Highly cited | No |
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