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Blockchain and Its Potential Applications in Food Supply Chain Management in Ecuador

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Advances in Emerging Trends and Technologies (ICAETT 2019)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 1066))

Abstract

In recent years, attention has been directed to the problem of food loss and waste. On the one hand, there is an increasing demand for higher quality fresh produce and products. On the other hand, studies suggest that at least one-third of food production is lost along its supply chain. The most crucial part is constituted by suppliers-retailers-consumers, since it presents the highest percentages of loss or waste. Several works in the literature suggest that the exchange of information is one of the most important means to reduce waste. Shared information can improve decisions regarding the quantity in supplier’s orders and vendor’s inventory allocation among retailers. Based on these needs, the Blockchain technology, developed in recent years to generate secure transactions on different sectors, has the characteristics of decentralization, information security, and reliability. If this technology can be applied as an underlying basis of a supply chain, it could improve exchanges of information and products among all parts of the system. In this context, the current article presents a systematic review on Blockchain in food supply chain management (FSCM) in Ecuador, its main contributions, and potential benefits. Findings indicate that Blockchain in FSCM is a recent research area whose importance is rapidly growing. However, little is known about Ecuadorian studies applying Blockchain. Additionally, no studies have reported the combination of Blockchain and Internet of Things technologies, one of the most prominent and complementary applications of Blockchain.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is supported by the Research Department of the University of Cuenca (DIUC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Department, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador

    Mario Peña

  2. Department of Applied Chemistry and Systems of Production, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador

    Juan Llivisaca

  3. Department of Computer Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador

    Lorena Siguenza-Guzman

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  1. Mario Peña
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  2. Juan Llivisaca
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  3. Lorena Siguenza-Guzman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lorena Siguenza-Guzman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, The Netherlands

    Miguel Botto-Tobar

  2. Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, Babahoyo, Ecuador

    Joffre León-Acurio

  3. Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Angela Díaz Cadena

  4. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Profesional, Babahoyo, Los Rios Province, Ecuador

    Práxedes Montiel Díaz

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Peña, M., Llivisaca, J., Siguenza-Guzman, L. (2020). Blockchain and Its Potential Applications in Food Supply Chain Management in Ecuador. In: Botto-Tobar, M., León-Acurio, J., Díaz Cadena, A., Montiel Díaz, P. (eds) Advances in Emerging Trends and Technologies. ICAETT 2019. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 1066. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32022-5_10

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