Blockchain technology in food supply chains : A case study of the possibilities and challenges with an implementation of a blockchain technology supported framework for traceability

Sammanfattning: Throughout history, the food sector has been accountable for several crises, and as the market gets more global it is difficult to keep control of and trust the information. As a consequence to the food scandals, due to the information asymmetry, the customer awareness is increasing as well as initiatives such as certificates to address the problems. To be able to increase the transparency, the information infrastructure is constantly developing and most recently the technology of blockchain has gathered a lot of attention as a possible solution to the problems. A blockchain is an open, distributed and decentralized verification system for digital transactions where data about the transaction is stored safely in so called blocks which forms a chain in a network. In order to obtain food safety, it is necessary to have traceability systems that records and can provide product specific information. This study investigates the challenges and possibilities of a possible implementation of a traceability system supported by blockchain technology. This research is made by a case study, looking into a food supply chain for a package of milk, starting at the dairy manufacturer and ending at the retailer. By doing interviews and observations, a mapping of the case specific supply chain was made and a blockchain technology supported framework for traceability was suggested. From analyzing theoretical data and empirical findings the possibilities and challenges of a blockchain supported framework for traceability was discussed. The conclusion of the study is that the blockchain technology still is immature in the context of food supply chains and some of the biggest challenges are to develop a culture that promotes collaborations, information sharing and standardizations which are easy to adopt. However, blockchain technology has the possibility to offer secure and transparent traceability characteristics to a traceability system and a framework can lead to both cost and environmental savings in case of a product recall. Furthermore, to be willing to collaborate and to put time and effort into new implementations it is important to find the actual value of implementation for all stakeholders.