The Adoption of Blockchain Technology in the Australian Agriculture Supply Chain

The Adoption of Blockchain Technology in the Australian Agriculture Supply Chain

Agriculture supply chains have grown from independent and unsupervised local stakeholders to an interconnected global system of various actors linked by complex interactions that affect food supply, storage, processing, transportation, and delivery to end consumers. Frequent incidents of lack of traceability, slower financial transactions, and intensive manual work demonstrate a lack of transparency in the agriculture supply chains. These have generated concerns about financial losses, thereby eroding customer trust and diminishing business. Although blockchain is viewed as a solution to the agricultural sector's problems, various challenges remain regarding its adoption.

One significant barrier related to its adoption has been the lack of research into the field, primarily due to its relatively new status. The complexity of the agricultural supply chain due to various stakeholders and evolving consumer demands has created a whole new challenge. This thesis addresses the complications in the current body of knowledge by identifying and modelling the determinants of Blockchain Technology (BCT) adoption in the agriculture sector given that majority of previous research has focused on the non-agricultural sector. The study adopted a quantitative methodology to identify the determinants of BCT adoption in the Australian agriculture sector.

The finding were used to develop a practical BCT adoption scale in the supply chain. The results show that perceived behavioural control, insecurity, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude towards use, and transparency are related to BCT adoption in the agriculture supply chain. The knowledge on blockchain adoption has three main theoretical contributions. First, it provides the basis for enhancing business process capabilities through the integration of information systems and for facilitating the completion of online transactions in a trustful environment. Second, it contributes to highlighting how the certainty aspect of BCT due to its transparency and traceability has transformed digital marketing in the agricultural supply chain. Third, it contributes useful insights into how BCT can improve farming experience and productivity in the agriculture sector by creating connectivity with stakeholders.

File reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/author.