scholarly journals Blockchain Technology in the Food Industry: A Review of Potentials, Challenges and Future Research Directions

Logistics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Abderahman Rejeb ◽  
John G. Keogh ◽  
Suhaiza Zailani ◽  
Horst Treiblmaier ◽  
Karim Rejeb

Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising technology with far-reaching implications for the food industry. The combination of immutability, enhanced visibility, transparency and data integrity provides numerous benefits that improve trust in extended food supply chains (FSCs). Blockchain can enhance traceability, enable more efficient recall and aids in risk reduction of counterfeits and other forms of illicit trade. Moreover, blockchain can enhance the integrity of credence claims such as sustainably sourced, organic or faith-based claims such as kosher or halal by integrating the authoritative source of the claim (e.g., the certification body or certification owner) into the blockchain to verify the claim integrity and reassure business customers and end consumers. Despite the promises and market hype, a comprehensive overview of the potential benefits and challenges of blockchain in FSCs is still missing. To bridge this knowledge gap, we present the findings from a systematic review and bibliometric analysis of sixty-one (61) journal articles and synthesize existing research. The main benefits of blockchain technology in FCSs are improved food traceability, enhanced collaboration, operational efficiencies and streamlined food trading processes. Potential challenges include technical, organizational and regulatory issues. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our research and present several ideas for future research.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pervez Akhtar ◽  
Nora Azima ◽  
Abdul Ghafar ◽  
Shahab Ud Din

Blockchain technology, as a distributed digital ledger technology that ensures traceability, security, and transparency is displaying potential for easing some comprehensive supply chain problems. Scholars have started analyzing systematically the potential benefits and effects of block-chain on numerous activities of an organization. This paper presents the barricades in the adoption of blockchain technology in supply chain management. The potential benefits of blockchain adoption such as quality, cost, speed, transparency, durability, and immutability are also discussed in this paper. We present the early literature discussing the use of blockchain in the field of the supply chain to enhance accountability and transparency. This study explains the several mechanisms by which supply chain managers can prepare their organizational structure to adopt the latest technology. It further highlights the mechanisms to achieve supply chain objectives. Part of this paper also discusses how blockchains, a potentially disruptive solution that is on its early evolution, can overcome several potential barricades. Future research directions are proposed which can further provide insights into overcoming barriers and adoption of blockchain technology in the field of supply chain management.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 193
Author(s):  
Yohannes T. Aklilu ◽  
Jianguo Ding

Power generation, distribution, transmission, and consumption face ongoing challenges such as smart grid management, control, and operation, resulting from high energy demand, the diversity of energy sources, and environmental or regulatory issues. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of blockchain-based solutions for smart grid management, control, and operations. We systematically summarize existing work on the use and implementation of blockchain technology in various smart grid domains. The paper compares related reviews and highlights the challenges in the management, control, and operation for a blockchain-based smart grid as well as future research directions in the five categories: collaboration among stakeholders; data analysis and data management; control of grid imbalances; decentralization of grid management and operations; and security and privacy. All these aspects have not been covered in previous reviews.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4206
Author(s):  
Jamilya Nurgazina ◽  
Udsanee Pakdeetrakulwong ◽  
Thomas Moser ◽  
Gerald Reiner

The lack of transparency and traceability in food supply chains (FSCs) is raising concerns among consumers and stakeholders about food information credibility, food quality, and safety. Insufficient records, a lack of digitalization and standardization of processes, and information exchange are some of the most critical challenges, which can be tackled with disruptive technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs). Studies provide evidence that novel technological and sustainable practices in FSCs are necessary. This paper aims to describe current practical applications of DLTs and IoT in FSCs, investigating the challenges of implementation, and potentials for future research directions, thus contributing to achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within a systematic literature review, the content of 69 academic publications was analyzed, describing aspects of implementation and measures to address the challenges of scalability, security, and privacy of DLT, and IoT solutions. The challenges of high costs, standardization, regulation, interoperability, and energy consumption of DLT solutions were also classified as highly relevant, but were not widely addressed in literature. The application of DLTs in FSCs can potentially contribute to 6 strategic SDGs, providing synergies and possibilities for more sustainable, traceable, and transparent FSCs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 795-848
Author(s):  
Alina Köchling ◽  
Marius Claus Wehner

AbstractAlgorithmic decision-making is becoming increasingly common as a new source of advice in HR recruitment and HR development. While firms implement algorithmic decision-making to save costs as well as increase efficiency and objectivity, algorithmic decision-making might also lead to the unfair treatment of certain groups of people, implicit discrimination, and perceived unfairness. Current knowledge about the threats of unfairness and (implicit) discrimination by algorithmic decision-making is mostly unexplored in the human resource management context. Our goal is to clarify the current state of research related to HR recruitment and HR development, identify research gaps, and provide crucial future research directions. Based on a systematic review of 36 journal articles from 2014 to 2020, we present some applications of algorithmic decision-making and evaluate the possible pitfalls in these two essential HR functions. In doing this, we inform researchers and practitioners, offer important theoretical and practical implications, and suggest fruitful avenues for future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiankan Liao ◽  
Daniel R. Cooper

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) is widely recognized as a critical pillar of advanced manufacturing and is moving from the design shop to the factory floor. As AM processes become more popular, it is paramount that engineers and policymakers understand and then reduce their environmental impacts. This article structures the current work on the environmental impacts of metal powder bed processes: selective laser melting (SLM), direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), electron beam melting (EBM), and binder jetting (BJ). We review the potential benefits and pitfalls of AM in each phase of a part's lifecycle and in different application domains (e.g., remanufacturing and hybrid manufacturing). We highlight critical uncertainties and future research directions throughout. The environmental impacts of AM are sensitive to the specific production and use-phase context; however, several broad lessons can be extracted from the literature. Unlike in conventional manufacturing, powder bed production impacts are dominated by the generation of the direct energy (electricity) required to operate the AM machines. Combined with a more energy-intensive feedstock (metal powder), this means that powder bed production impacts are higher than in conventional manufacturing unless production volumes are very small (saving tool production impacts), and/or there are significant material savings through part light weighting or improved buy-to-fly ratios.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Sebastian Birkel ◽  
Evi Hartmann

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a comprehensive overview of challenges and risks of the Internet of Things (IoT) in supply chain management (SCM) and provide a structured framework for classifying and analyzing the relevant literature to deduce insights for research and practice.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review (SLR) of 102 peer-reviewed journal articles on the topic of IoT in SCM was conducted.FindingsThis review identifies, categorizes and describes the relevant literature regarding the dimensions time and specificity. The resulting framework contains a holistic overview including focus areas and relations of macro-environmental, network-related and organizational challenges and risks. Furthermore, this review represents a conceptual framework for future research, considering the multidisciplinary body of the subject and provides an analysis of the timeline of literature, journals and used methodologies.Practical implicationsThis study offers valuable insights into IoT and its impact on applications, processes and the structure of organizations and supply chains (SCs). The identification of challenges and risks helps to prepare for changes in the future because of the disruptive nature of this technology.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper lies in the synthesis of the fragmented body of literature of IoT challenges and risks for SCM. The derived framework and identification of relations and research gaps provide the foundation for further research to evaluate the relations between challenges and risks and offer solutions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne De Keyser ◽  
Sarah Köcher ◽  
Linda Alkire (née Nasr) ◽  
Cédric Verbeeck ◽  
Jay Kandampully

PurposeSmart technologies and connected objects are rapidly changing the organizational frontline. Yet, our understanding of how these technologies infuse service encounters remains limited. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to update existing classifications of Frontline Service Technology (FST) infusion. Moreover, the authors discuss three promising smart and connected technologies – conversational agents, extended reality (XR) and blockchain technology – and their respective implications for customers, frontline employees and service organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a conceptual approach integrating existing work on FST infusion with artificial intelligence, robotics, XR and blockchain literature, while also building on insights gathered through expert interviews and focus group conversations with members of two service research centers.FindingsThe authors define FST and propose a set of FST infusion archetypes at the organizational frontline. Additionally, the authors develop future research directions focused on understanding how conversational agents, XR and blockchain technology will impact service.Originality/valueThis paper updates and extends existing classifications of FST, while paving the road for further work on FST infusion.


Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1705
Author(s):  
Aziz Alotaibi

Many image processing, computer graphics, and computer vision problems can be treated as image-to-image translation tasks. Such translation entails learning to map one visual representation of a given input to another representation. Image-to-image translation with generative adversarial networks (GANs) has been intensively studied and applied to various tasks, such as multimodal image-to-image translation, super-resolution translation, object transfiguration-related translation, etc. However, image-to-image translation techniques suffer from some problems, such as mode collapse, instability, and a lack of diversity. This article provides a comprehensive overview of image-to-image translation based on GAN algorithms and its variants. It also discusses and analyzes current state-of-the-art image-to-image translation techniques that are based on multimodal and multidomain representations. Finally, open issues and future research directions utilizing reinforcement learning and three-dimensional (3D) modal translation are summarized and discussed.


2022 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-41
Author(s):  
Rafael Belchior ◽  
André Vasconcelos ◽  
Sérgio Guerreiro ◽  
Miguel Correia

Blockchain interoperability is emerging as one of the crucial features of blockchain technology, but the knowledge necessary for achieving it is fragmented. This fact makes it challenging for academics and the industry to achieve interoperability among blockchains seamlessly. Given this new domain’s novelty and potential, we conduct a literature review on blockchain interoperability by collecting 284 papers and 120 grey literature documents, constituting a corpus of 404 documents. From those 404 documents, we systematically analyzed and discussed 102 documents, including peer-reviewed papers and grey literature. Our review classifies studies in three categories: Public Connectors, Blockchain of Blockchains, and Hybrid Connectors. Each category is further divided into sub-categories based on defined criteria. We classify 67 existing solutions in one sub-category using the Blockchain Interoperability Framework, providing a holistic overview of blockchain interoperability. Our findings show that blockchain interoperability has a much broader spectrum than cryptocurrencies and cross-chain asset transfers. Finally, this article discusses supporting technologies, standards, use cases, open challenges, and future research directions, paving the way for research in the area.


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