The innovative role of blockchain in agri-food systems: A literature analysis

The agri-food sector has come under increasing pressure to increase safety standards. Both consumers and expert authorities are demanding that the agri-food chain implement higher levels of traceability and transparency to make the system less susceptible to fraud and to ensure higher quality. These needs have become even more pressing following food scandals that occurred in the 2000s. Recent European policies have supported the growth of technological and digital innovations in firms, recognizing that digitization has a strategic role to play in modernizing the agri-food sector and moving toward ecological transition. This paper aims to verify whether blockchain’s cutting-edge technology can provide effective technical and strategic support to the agri-food system in achieving the aforementioned goals. A total of 123 articles underwent descriptive analysis and network analysis focusing on the topic of blockchain in the agri-food context. The methods used were the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol and VOSviewer software. The results highlight the growing importance of (and increased interest in) blockchain and its functionality when applied to the agri-food sector.