Unlocking Potential: Blockchain Technology and its impact on Agricultural Supply Chains in Pakistan

This review article explores the potential of blockchain technology in revolutionizing agricultural supply chains in Pakistan. In light of growing evidence, this is a new and emerging connection with great scope for agricultural development globally. The case of Pakistan is particularly interesting since its agriculture sector serves as the backbone of the nation's economy with agriculture significantly contributing to economic growth. However, sectoral and supply chain challenges allow for technology adoption to emerge as a transformative solution. Against this backdrop, the article reviews how blockchain technology, with its decentralized architecture and consensus algorithms, addresses key issues within agricultural supply chains particularly. The article highlights the global and local contexts, emphasizing blockchain technology as a solution to ensuring security in data sharing, permanence in record-keeping, and transparency end-to-end in the supply chain. Examining applications from developing countries, including India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Nigeria, and keeping a focus on specific evidence and learnings derived for Pakistan, the review provides a cross-country analysis, aiding understanding of this emerging technology and its applications. The global evidence identified in the article aid the development of key learnings for Pakistan, emphasizing the potential for improved data management, transparency, and reduced reliance on intermediaries. The article concludes with a futuristic outlook for Pakistan, proposing the effectiveness of blockchain-based frameworks for the agricultural supply chain and highlighting the role of the government that makes optimizing agricultural processes and fostering sector-wide transformation possible.