Leveraging blockchain technology to augment food waste reduction in food supply chain:

Abstract

The global stability of the Food Supply Chain (FSC) is heavily threatened by the widespread prevalence of Food Waste (FW) at every stage of the human supply chain. Rapid population growth, coupled with constrained production, continues to undermine Food Security (FS). Addressing the inefficiencies within the FSC is challenging without technological intervention. Blockchain Technology (BT) emerges as a powerful solution, contributing enhanced traceability, transparency, and accountability among FSC actors. This study examines BT’s potential for reducing FW and identifies the key challenges hindering its adoption. Results reveal that BT can track food movement, identify exit points and causes of waste, and monitor the operations of the FSC. However, the realization of these benefits is significantly hindered by factors such as low digital literacy, actor diversity, inadequate digital infrastructure, high costs, poor digital data governance, and limited adaptability. By detailing both the benefits and challenges of BT implementation, this study contributes actionable insights for leveraging BT to address FW within the FSC. The study emphasizes the critical need for collaboration among all FSC stakeholders. In the current competitive global landscape, achieving sustainability increasingly depends on integration of advanced technologies like blockchain.