Agri-food safety optimized by blockchain technology: review

Review article https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/refame Agri-food safety optimized by blockchain technology: review Seguridad agroalimentaria optimizada por medio de la tecnología blockchain: revisión https://doi.org/10.15446/rfnam.v75n1.95760 Iván González-Puetate1,4*, Carmen Marín-Tello2 and Henry Reyes Pineda3 ABSTRACT Keywords: Agri-food sector Blockchain technology Food supply Health surveillance Traceability Trust Blockchain technology is a distributed database, an innovation tool in the agri-food supply chain in processes such as production, distribution, marketing. In this research work, the blockchain technology application in agri-food security processes was evaluated, establishing the best conditions for its adoption in companies, this proposal synthesizes the contributions as a disruptive technology, for this, the information was collected from the period 2018-2020 from the Scopus and Web of Science bases, performing an analysis of the information using the Atlas TI 8.4 software, establishing the focus of the research on a network of codes suggested by some authors. It was found that the contribution of Blockchain for the years of study was traceability 26%, supply chain 17.5%, technological development 10.4%, trust 9.8%, among others. It is concluded that establishing the theoretical link between technology and traceability processes in supply chains, traceability in the agri-food sector is essential to certify information of interest to the stakeholder group. This is because traceability is the transcendental element of the food safety system that allows guaranteeing control in the supply chain when processes are being recorded and enriching the databases, which can be available to the final consumer to check the details of the production cycle and that technological elements generate competitiveness in companies with blockchain in their procedures, promote high levels of transparency, data security, decentralization, among other terms associated with trust, and a better relationship with the consumer is developed and a greater number of sale increasing profitability. RESUMEN Palabras clave: Sector agroalimentario Tecnología blockchain Suministro de alimentos Vigilancia de la salud Trazabilidad Confianza La tecnología Blockchain es una base de datos distribuida, una herramienta de innovación en la cadena de suministro agroalimentario en procesos como: producción, distribución, mercadeo. En este trabajo de investigación documental se evaluó la aplicación de la tecnología Blockchain en los procesos de seguridad agroalimentaria, estableciendo las mejores condiciones para su adopción en las empresas, esta propuesta sintetiza los aportes como tecnología disruptiva, para ello se recolectó información entre 2018 -2020 a partir de las bases Scopus y Web of Science, realizando un análisis de la información utilizando el programa Atlas TI 8.4, estableciendo el foco de la investigación en una red de códigos sugeridos por algunos autores. Se encontró que el aporte de Blockchain para los años de estudio fueron trazabilidad 26%, cadena de suministro 17.5%, desarrollo tecnológico 10.4%, confianza 9.8%, entre otros. Se concluye que, estableciendo el vínculo teórico entre tecnología y procesos de trazabilidad en las cadenas de suministro, la trazabilidad en el sector agroalimentario es fundamental para certificar información para el grupo de interés. Esto porque la trazabilidad es el elemento trascendental del sistema de seguridad alimentaria que permite garantizar el control en la cadena de suministro cuando se están registrando los procesos y enriqueciendo las bases de datos, que pueden estar a disposición del consumidor final para verificar los detalles del ciclo de producción y que los elementos tecnológicos generen competitividad en empresas con blockchain en sus trámites, que promuevan altos niveles de transparencia, seguridad de datos, descentralización entre otros términos asociados a la confianza y se desarrolle una mejor relación con el consumidor y mayor número de ventas aumentando la rentabilidad. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Administrativas y Contables. Universidad del Quindío. Colombia. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Universidad Nacional de Trujillo. Perú. 3 Facultad de Ciencias Agroindustriales. Universidad del Quindío. Colombia. 4 Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia. Universidad de Guayaquil. Ecuador. * Corresponding author 1 2 Received: October 30, 2021; Accepted: November 30, 2021 Rev. Fac. Nac. Agron. Medellín 75(1):9839-9851. 2022 ISSN 0304-2847 / e-ISSN 2248-7026 González-Puetate I, Marín-Tello C, Reyes-Pineda H 9840 INTRODUCTION The world economy is undergoing dramatic changes, driven largely by the availability of digital information at high speed that allows the exchange of assets quickly, in real-time, and with remote sensors that generate a line of traceability, blockchain technology along with other digital tools are currently making inroads in the financial, pharmaceutical, agri-food, and other sectors. The generation of knowledge of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) is in its initial stage. This research evaluated the application of blockchain technology (BT) in the agri-food supply chain, the strengths of the implementation of blockchain technology in agri-food innovation processes, and the influence of BT on the competitiveness of agri-food supply chains. This technology is constantly growing, the dynamism of its applications is of interest to businessmen, entrepreneurs and research and innovation personnel because they are in constant search of its implementation in the production, distribution, marketing processes and consumption of raw materials, by-products, and processed foods (Saberi et al., 2019; Torky and Hassanein, 2020). The information generated by economic transactions, the exchange of information and product tracking, creates a traceability system, which allows the end customer to perform a reliable control of the food or service. Blockchain technology establishes commitments, business, audits, certifications, or validations in real-time, with simultaneous verification of information by users. Advances in this monitoring system would allow those in the supply chain to establish more rigorous control, indicating improvements in quality and safety standards. Systematic adoption in the agricultural sector would help in local, national and international negotiation processes, establishing a reliable and dynamic intervention with instant feedback, to speed up a decision making (Feng et al., 2020; Mahyuni et al, 2020). The pace of technological and business innovation has increased over the last few years, making it difficult to develop business models that maintain sustained profitability over time. It should be emphasized that the internet enables the creation of new business models with instant global reach (Alvarez, 2018). Blockchain technology after cryptocurrencies and th (...truncated)