Strengthening the Food Supply Chain through Blockchain Technology: A Strategy for Sustainable Development
Keywords:
Supply Chain, Sustainable Supply Chain, Blockchain TechnologyAbstract
In recent years, numerous studies have examined the impact of Blockchain Technology on supply chain sustainability. However, limited attention has been devoted to explaining how blockchain can be applied to enhance sustainable supply chain practices. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the factors influencing supply chain sustainability, investigate the role of blockchain in each identified factor, and examine the interrelationships among these factors in order to propose an appropriate model for the sustainability of the food supply chain. This study is applied in terms of objective and descriptive-causal in terms of nature and methodology. To conduct the research, eleven factors were initially identified through a review of the literature, and the application of blockchain technology in each factor was examined. Subsequently, by employing the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) technique, the relationships among the identified factors were determined, and based on these relationships, a conceptual model for sustainable supply chain management in the country’s food industry was developed. Furthermore, the goodness-of-fit of the proposed conceptual model was evaluated using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. A questionnaire consisting of 38 items was then designed and distributed among 350 experts, managers, and employees of the food industry using convenience sampling. The findings of the study demonstrated that resource utilization and working conditions are considered fundamental factors in achieving sustainable supply chain management in the country’s food industry.
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