Author(s)

MIGUEL ANGEL QUILAMBAQUI, ALFONSO LOMBEIDA-ROMÁN, ROBERT VACA-REYES, ALANIS JARA-VARGAS, MARÍA JAYA-MONTALVO

Abstract

Traceability is crucial for ensuring food safety, maintaining consumer trust and complying with national and international regulations. This study analyses the perceptions of key actors in the agri-food supply chain regarding food traceability, its relationship with food safety and the possible incorporation of emerging technologies such as blockchain. This research, based on the Design Thinking methodology, consists of three phases: (i) diagnosis of the food traceability context in Ecuador, (ii) exploration of perceptions through semi-structured interviews, and (iii) analysis of successful cases. While efforts have been made by regulatory bodies such as the Ecuadorian Institute of Standardisation, most of the actors involved in the agri-food chain in the study expressed ignorance about the term ‘traceability’. However, they recognise the importance of knowing the origin of products and support the need for government education campaigns on the topic. The findings reveal that while there is a positive predisposition toward systems that guarantee food quality, barriers to knowledge and access to technical information persist. The implications for future implementation strategies of blockchain-based traceability in agri-food chains, such as the Ecuadorian cacao sector, are discussed. Successful cases, including Pacari, the Sustainable Shrimp Partnership, and IBM Trust Food, were considered, which could lay the groundwork for implementing blockchain systems.

Keywords

blockchain traceability, food regulations, food sustainable, food chain, SDG 12