بررسی روابط میان شاخص‌های موثر بلاکچین برای بهبود رقابت‌پذیری صنایع غذایی

ورود بلاکچین به صنایع غذایی، باعث بهبود ردیابی مواد غذایی و کسب مزیت رقابتی در این صنعت شده است. هدف این پژوهش، بررسی تاثیر شدت عوامل مهم بلاکچین در حوزۀ صنایع غذایی است. بر این اساس، شاخص‌های اساسی در صنایع غذایی براساس فنّاوری بلاکچین شناسایی، سپس با استفاده از روش دیمتل فازی، روابط ساختاری و علت و معلولی بین هشت شاخص شناسایی‌شده براساس نظرات خبرگان مشخص می‌شود. برای این منظور 950 پرسش‌نامه دربارۀ بلاکچین به استادان دانشگاه و خبرگان در داخل و خارج کشور فرستاده شد. از بین پاسخنامه‌های دریافت‌شده، فقط تعداد 19 نفر به‌طور کامل به پرسش‌نامه‌ها پاسخ دادند. یافته‌های پژوهش نشان داد شاخص قابلیت ردیابی و جلوگیری از تقلب، موثرترین شاخص است. همچنین، شاخص جلوگیری از ضایعات غذایی، بیشترین تعامل را با دیگر شاخص‌ها دارد و شاخص قرارداد هوشمند، تاثیرپذیرترین شاخص است. این پژوهش برای اولین بار در کشور ایران انجام شده است و نشان می‌دهد وجود یک سیستم ردیابی مطمئن در صنایع غذایی، تا چه میزان بر بهبود کارایی دیگر شاخص‌های این حوزه موثر است. همچنین، بلاکچین، روشی برای حل مسائل قابلیت ردیابی و در عین حال، دستیابی به شفافیت است. این مطالعه، برای مدیران و تصمیم‌گیرندگان در سطح کلان انگیزه ایجاد می‌کند که برای داشتن یک سیستم ردیابی مطمئن از مزایای فنّاوری بلاکچین بهره ببرند.

Investigating the relationships between the influencing indicators of blockchain in the food industry

Purpose: This paper aims to study the intensity effect of the significant blockchain factors in the food industry. Also, it develops the application of blockchain technology in the food industry and identifies the relationship between the influencing indicators of blockchain in this area.  Design/methodology/approach: This paper is typically qualitativedescriptive research in which the fuzzy decisionmaking trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method used for analysis. For this purpose, 950 questionnaires sent to the university professors and experts of blockchain technology in Iran and abroad. Among the received answers, only 19 respondents completed the questionnaires. The study population included academic experts who were aware of the blockchain field. The selected experts were from the research and social network of Researchgate, university faculty members and researchers with at least one published paper on the blockchain application. The relationships between the indicators and the effect intensity between them measured by the fuzzy DEMATEL method.  Findings: The literature reviewed comprehensively and resulted in 16 extracted influencing indicators of the blockchain in the food industry. After reviewing and merging, they reduced to 8. Finally, by the fuzzy DEMATEL method, their effective relationship determined. The influencing indicators identified included food waste prevention, smart contract, simplification of international transactions, rapid identification of organic products, supply chain coordination and cost reduction, tracking and prevention of fraud in the food industry, permanent and secure storage of information and balancing the pricing process. Research findings indicated that the traceability and fraud prevention index was the most influencing indicator. Also, food waste prevention had the most relationship with the other variables, and finally, the smart contract was the most influencing indicator.  Research limitations/implications: Blockchain technology has recently emerged in the food industry and supply chain. Blockchain is a solution that can increase integration and productivity in the food industry by having a positive impact on indicators such as traceability, fraud prevention, supply chain coordination, and cost reduction. Due to the various features of the emerging technology, the food and agriculture industries evolute significantly. Based on a comprehensive literature review, the conceptual model proposed and the extracted indicators and their effect on each other identified. The fuzzy DEMATEL method used and based on the viewpoints of experts, the causeandeffect relationships identified. Also, there was no evidence of implementing blockchain in the country, and therefore it was not possible to test the model. Data gathering performed by questionnaires and created a limitation in the exact evaluation of the model. Practical implications: This study outlined the role of a reliable tracking system in the food industry in improving the efficiency of other indicators in this area. Blockchain is also a way to solve traceability issues while achieving transparency. This study motivates the managers and decisionmakers at the macro level to take advantage of blockchain technology to have a reliable tracking system. Social implications: The food industry is highly critical and significant due to its direct relationship with human health. As a result, it is necessary that the food that reaches the consumer is of the highest safety and quality and has a reliable tracking system. We introduce blockchain as a technology that has great potential to achieve such benefits.  Originality/value: The literature review indicated that no study performed on blockchain technology in the food supply chain of Iran. Therefore, it is necessary to fill the existing literature gap by conducting this research and ultimately enrich the existing scientific resources in this field.