Enhancing agricultural supply chain through the effective adoption of blockchain technology : a South African context

Abstract

This research explored how the effective adoption of blockchain technology could enhance supply chains in South Africa’s agriculture sector. The focus was on leveraging blockchain to address inefficiencies in agricultural supply chains. Ultimately contributing to the resilience of the agricultural sector, reducing food insecurities and promoting sustainable practices. Through semi-structured interviews with 12 supply chain managers from different agricultural organisations of different sizes, the research highlighted that blockchain could facilitate transparency and traceability, streamline processes, improve collaborations, and enhance the overall performance of agricultural supply chains. Furthermore, the research found that the narratives around blockchain adoption challenges were significantly influenced by the sizes of the organisations. Hence, most managers from smaller organisations felt that blockchain was beyond their resource capabilities and more suited for larger organisations. Whereas managers from large organisations who adopted blockchain identified cultural resistance and maintenance costs as key challenges. To effectively adopt blockchain, manager perspectives revealed that organisations need to conduct internal assessments of resources and capabilities, develop effective communications plans, and conduct training. This study contributed to the literature on blockchain applications in agriculture in the context of a developing country. Moreover, it offered practical recommendations for stakeholders seeking to enhance agriculture supply chains.