Affiliation:
1. University of Glasgow, UK
Abstract
As customer demand and regulations drive the coffee industry towards greater traceability and sustainability, coffee farmers in producing countries continue to face challenges in capturing the intangible value-added in their products. This chapter examines the implementation of blockchain technology to address economic and social challenges faced by producers in the coffee industry. The findings demonstrate that blockchain implementation holds promise in reducing information asymmetry in the supply chain, establishing stronger customer-farmer connections, and generating various economic and social benefits for coffee farmers. However, blockchain-enabled third-party verification remains relatively uncommon in current practice. Several challenges must be effectively addressed to realize the full potential of blockchain and foster a more transparent, equitable, and sustainable coffee supply chain.