Design and implementation of a blockchain-enabled financial cost accounting framework for food supply and sourcing systems

Purpose This study aims to investigate the transformative potential of blockchain technology in enhancing financial cost accounting and profit coordination in food sourcing and supply chain systems by addressing key challenges such as data credibility, integrity and information asymmetry. Design/methodology/approach The research develops a blockchain-based cost accounting framework specifically tailored for the food supply chain. It introduces a dual-contract coordination mechanism that combines joint revenue-sharing and cost apportionment. A detailed case study involving Z Food Company is conducted to empirically test and validate the proposed model. Findings The analysis reveals a blockchain application cost threshold of 8.17 million yuan, below which overall system profitability reaches 14.16 million yuan. This represents a 33.6% profit increase compared to traditional decentralized decision-making approaches. The proposed mechanism employs an income-sharing coefficient (e) and a cost-apportionment coefficient (s), facilitating synchronized profit optimization for producers and retailers and achieving Pareto efficiency. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by providing a novel, blockchain-based methodological approach to financial cost accounting and supply chain profit coordination. It offers significant managerial insights into how blockchain can effectively mitigate persistent issues in traditional food supply chains, thus enhancing overall operational efficiency and transparency.