From farm to plate: Q-analysis of consumer requirements in blockchain-based agri-food supply chains

Blockchain platforms have revolutionized the food industry by establishing a more trustworthy supply chain. By providing a secure and open record of all transactions, blockchain technology helps improve food safety. This reassures consumers who may wish to ensure that products are guaranteed to meet certain dietary or nutritional standards. However, the adaptability of existing supply chains and consumers' full adoption of such systems remains a gap in scholarly research. This field study employs Q-methodology to explore the concourse of requirements and priorities of food consumers in blockchain-based agri-food supply chains. Abductive reasoning is utilized to elaborate on the subjective perspective of consumers when specifying the system design requirements of blockchain technology. Although the study is exploratory, testable hypotheses for future research are proposed using abductive reasoning pertaining to enhancing consumer trust and improving blockchain adoption in the agri-food supply chains (ASCs). This paper concludes that consumer-driven food production supported by blockchain-enabled ASCs is an effective pathway to understanding how blockchain features may be harnessed to reshape discerning consumers’ informed purchasing decisions in the evolving landscape of ASCs.