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Use of blockchain in the agri-food value chain: State of the art in Spain and some lessons from the perspective of public support

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  • Martínez-Castañeda, Mónica
  • Feijoo, Claudio

Abstract

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union, in effect since January 2023, seeks to differentiate products on quality, provide greater transparency on food origin, and on the transactions and the actors involved in the supply chain. At the same time, in Spain, the adoption of new technologies for the digitization of the agri-food sector has been proposed as a solution to address structural issues such as lack of competitiveness and innovation. In fact, systems using blockchain-related technologies for food control and traceability have seen great progress in recent years and, currently, the use of blockchain in supply chain management is almost doubling year on year. In this context, this paper investigates the level of development of blockchain technology in the agri-food sector in Spain and its applications for certifying food production conditions within the supply chain, and how it is supported by public policies. It identifies several challenges that need to be addressed for a widespread adoption could take place, such as data recorded on the blockchain, lack of standards, limited scope of projects, and integration of data capture automatically or with other technologies like RFID and AI. The document proposes to reorient public development policies to address these challenges, such as reusing data from, already in place, European data collections for production control and food traceability, educating users and stakeholders about the use of blockchain technology, and fostering legal and technical provisions which ensure system transparency to facilitate a successful implementation of blockchain.

Suggested Citation

  • Martínez-Castañeda, Mónica & Feijoo, Claudio, 2023. "Use of blockchain in the agri-food value chain: State of the art in Spain and some lessons from the perspective of public support," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:telpol:v:47:y:2023:i:6:s030859612300085x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2023.102574
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chang, Victor & Baudier, Patricia & Zhang, Hui & Xu, Qianwen & Zhang, Jingqi & Arami, Mitra, 2020. "How Blockchain can impact financial services – The overview, challenges and recommendations from expert interviewees," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Moritz Berneis & Devis Bartsch & Herwig Winkler, 2021. "Applications of Blockchain Technology in Logistics and Supply Chain Management—Insights from a Systematic Literature Review," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-15, June.
    3. Yanling Chang & Eleftherios Iakovou & Weidong Shi, 2020. "Blockchain in global supply chains and cross border trade: a critical synthesis of the state-of-the-art, challenges and opportunities," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(7), pages 2082-2099, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Benedetta Fasciolo & Luigi Panza & Franco Lombardi, 2024. "Exploring the Integration of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Agriculture: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-20, October.
    2. Valentina Giannini & Donato Iacobucci & Martina Orci, 2025. "The adoption of blockchain technology to support supply chain traceability in the agri-food industry: firm-level evidence from Italy," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 52(3), pages 775-804, September.
    3. Abdul Jabbar & Pervaiz Akhtar & Syed Imran Ali, 2025. "The interplay between blockchain and big data analytics for enhancing supply chain value creation in micro, small, and medium enterprises," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 350(2), pages 649-671, July.
    4. Ikramuddin Junejo & Dr. Taskeen Zahra Buriro & Muhammad Sufyan Ramish & Dr. Syed Salahuddin, 2024. "Impact of Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness on Behavioral Intention to Use Blockchain in Food Supply Firms: The Mediating Role of Employee Attitude," Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 13(2), pages 174-180.
    5. Arenal, Alberto & Armuna, Cristina & Ramos, Sergio & Feijoo, Claudio & Aguado, Juan Miguel, 2024. "Digital transformation, blockchain, and the music industry: A review from the perspective of performers’ collective management organizations," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(8).

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