IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/joiaen/v14y2025i1d10.1186_s13731-025-00465-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Comparison of blockchain vs. centralised IT infrastructure costs for food traceability: a Thai broiler supply chain case study

Author

Listed:
  • Suchit Pongnumkul

    (King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi)

  • Patcharawadee Ittipornpaisarn

    (King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi)

  • Suporn Pongnumkul

    (National Electronics and Computer Technology Center)

Abstract

A robust food traceability system is crucial for ensuring seamless information flow within supply chains. While the current centralised approach, typically led by a supply chain leader, facilitates information exchange, it faces significant limitations, such as prolonged tracing processes and a lack of transparency. Blockchain technology presents a promising solution to address these challenges. However, concerns persist about the costs of IT infrastructure required to operate blockchain-based systems. This research compares the costs between centralised and blockchain ecosystems, focusing on the total cost for the entire industry, using the Thai broiler supply chain as a case study. We analysed both centralised and blockchain IT models, selecting 13 deployment scenarios for comparison. The Thai broiler supply chain provided data on IT infrastructure usage, with Monte Carlo simulation employed to address undisclosed supply chain data. The IT infrastructure costs for each scenario were calculated and compared. The analysis reveals a significant finding: blockchain implementation results in approximately 43% lower infrastructure costs compared to the practical centralised approach. This cost-effectiveness suggests that third parties, such as government bodies or central regulatory agencies, could play a crucial role in supporting the transition from centralised to blockchain-based food traceability systems, thereby enhancing supply chain transparency, efficiency, and food safety.

Suggested Citation

  • Suchit Pongnumkul & Patcharawadee Ittipornpaisarn & Suporn Pongnumkul, 2025. "Comparison of blockchain vs. centralised IT infrastructure costs for food traceability: a Thai broiler supply chain case study," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 1-22, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joiaen:v:14:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1186_s13731-025-00465-0
    DOI: 10.1186/s13731-025-00465-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s13731-025-00465-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1186/s13731-025-00465-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Giuseppe Varavallo & Giuseppe Caragnano & Fabrizio Bertone & Luca Vernetti-Prot & Olivier Terzo, 2022. "Traceability Platform Based on Green Blockchain: An Application Case Study in Dairy Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-14, March.
    2. Pervaiz Akhtar & Arsalan Mujahid Ghouri & Haseeb Ur Rehman Khan & Mirza Amin ul Haq & Usama Awan & Nadia Zahoor & Zaheer Khan & Aniqa Ashraf, 2023. "Detecting fake news and disinformation using artificial intelligence and machine learning to avoid supply chain disruptions," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 327(2), pages 633-657, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Priyanka Vern & Anupama Panghal & Rahul S Mor & Sachin S. Kamble, 2025. "Blockchain technology in the agri-food supply chain: a systematic literature review of opportunities and challenges," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(1), pages 643-675, February.
    2. Büşra Ayan & Elif Güner & Semen Son-Turan, 2022. "Blockchain Technology and Sustainability in Supply Chains and a Closer Look at Different Industries: A Mixed Method Approach," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-39, December.
    3. Akhtar, Pervaiz & Ghouri, Arsalan Mujahid & Ashraf, Aniqa & Lim, Jia Jia & Khan, Naveed R & Ma, Shuang, 2024. "Smart product platforming powered by AI and generative AI: Personalization for the circular economy," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    4. Yunus Kareem & Djamel Djenouri & Essam Ghadafi, 2024. "A Survey on Emerging Blockchain Technology Platforms for Securing the Internet of Things," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-19, August.
    5. Tan, Yiheng & Huang, Xiying & Li, Wei, 2023. "Does blockchain-based traceability system guarantee information authenticity? An evolutionary game approach," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    6. Boyu Liu & Xiameng Si & Haiyan Kang, 2022. "A Literature Review of Blockchain-Based Applications in Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-24, November.
    7. Goran Bjelobaba & Marija Paunovic & Ana Savic & Hana Stefanovic & Jelena Doganjic & Zivanka Miladinovic Bogavac, 2022. "Blockchain Technologies and Digitalization in Function of Student Work Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-22, April.
    8. Xin Zhang & Yue Li & Xiangzhen Peng & Zhiyao Zhao & Jiaqi Han & Jiping Xu, 2022. "Information Traceability Model for the Grain and Oil Food Supply Chain Based on Trusted Identification and Trusted Blockchain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-21, May.
    9. Wankmüller, Christian & Pulsfort, Johannes & Kunovjanek, Maximilian & Polt, Romana & Craß, Stefan & Reiner, Gerald, 2023. "Blockchain-based tokenization and its impact on plastic bottle supply chains," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    10. Minyi Xu & Shujian Ma & Gang Wang, 2022. "Differential Game Model of Information Sharing among Supply Chain Finance Based on Blockchain Technology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-21, June.
    11. Junbo He & Min Fan & Yaojun Fan, 2024. "Digital transformation and supply chain efficiency improvement: An empirical study from a-share listed companies in China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(4), pages 1-21, April.
    12. Atul Kumar Singh & V. R. Prasath Kumar & Muhammad Irfan & Saeed Reza Mohandes & Usama Awan, 2023. "Revealing the Barriers of Blockchain Technology for Supply Chain Transparency and Sustainability in the Construction Industry: An Application of Pythagorean FAHP Methods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-27, July.
    13. Kadim Lahcen Nadime & Jamal Benhra & Rajaa Benabbou & Salma Mouatassim, 2025. "The Impact of Emerging Blockchain Trends on Supply Chain Management," SN Operations Research Forum, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-35, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:joiaen:v:14:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1186_s13731-025-00465-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.