Understanding the dynamics and use of blockchain technology against food fraud

• In Event: Fraud in digital societies: technological innovations, emerging threats, regulatory tensions, and enforcement challenges

Abstract

Food frauds, including the intentional adulteration or misrepresentation of a food product for financial gain, undermine the safety, reliability, and integrity of food supply chains. These fraudulent processes and practices compromise the quality and authenticity of food products, ultimately eroding consumer trust. In response, industry stakeholders have increasingly turned to digital technologies such as the Internet of Things and blockchain to address these issues. Originally developed for cryptocurrency, blockchain is a digital ledger system that records transaction details at every stage of the supply chain, creating a permanent and immutable record that is intended to enhance transparency and integrity throughout the chain. Despite its growing application in the food industry, the features, operational strategies, benefits, and challenges of blockchain technology have been largely overlooked in criminological research on food crimes, particularly food fraud.

This paper seeks to address this gap by presenting an assessment of blockchain from a criminological perspective. Drawing on secondary research, we examine how UK food companies across different stages of the supply chain are implementing blockchain, as well as the motivations behind their adoption. We will highlight the technology’s supposed benefits, such as improved transparency and traceability, while also discussing its drawbacks, including environmental impacts, high implementation costs, and vulnerabilities that may allow criminals to circumvent the system. We argue that blockchain, while potentially valuable, is often used as a ’gimmick’ to reduce the challenges posed by food fraud, and so is limited when addressing the deeper-rooted, systemic issues within food supply chains that facilitate the perpetration of food frauds.

Authors

• Alice Rizzuti, University of Hull

• Jon Davies, The University of Manchester