Content Analysis of Blockchain-enabled Food Supply Chain Research and Practice: A Machine Learning Approach

There is a myriad of research on blockchain-enabled food supply chains (FSCs). Academic literature has developed critical topics in this research domain. Real-world experiments and implementations of blockchain-enabled FSCs have been reported by newspapers, which informs meaningful use cases and experts’ perspectives. Given the lack of data when researching this topic, secondary data can enhance the knowledge of the field. This study analyzed relevant newspapers that are available online together with the latest journal articles in blockchain-enabled FSCs from 2022 to now. By using thematic analysis associated with machine learning and text analytics from KH coder, we identified current topics from blockchain-enabled FSCs. These topics are classified under different dimensions (i.e. potential benefits and challenges of blockchain implementations in FSCs). We identify the gaps and focuses that need further research and exploration. The findings also provide practitioners with critical issues they should consider during the implementation of blockchain in FSCs.