Understanding Blockchain Technology against Food Fraud: A Criminological Perspective

Abstract Food frauds, including the intentional adulteration or misrepresentation of a food product for financial gain, undermine the safety, reliability, and integrity of food supply chains and networks. Such practices compromise the quality and authenticity of food products, ultimately eroding consumer trust. In response, industry stakeholders increasingly turn to digital technologies such as the Internet of Things and blockchain. Developed for cryptocurrency, blockchain is a digital ledger that records transaction details at every stage of the supply chain, creating a permanent and immutable record with the aim of enhancing transparency and traceability. Despite its growing application in the food industry, the features, benefits, and challenges of blockchain technology have been largely overlooked in criminological research on food crimes, particularly food fraud. This article addresses this gap by assessing blockchain from a criminological perspective, which provides a foundation for examining crimes and harms related to food fraud that occur in organisational settings, as well as the supply networks that they are connected to. Using the UK as a conceptual starting point, we examine how and why agri-food companies implement blockchain. We highlight the technology’s supposed benefits, while also discussing its drawbacks, including environmental impacts, high implementation costs, and vulnerabilities that may allow criminals to circumvent the system. We argue that blockchain, while potentially valuable, is often used as a ’gimmick’ to reduce the challenges posed by food fraud, and so is limited when addressing the deeper-rooted, systemic issues within food supply networks that facilitate the perpetration of food frauds.