A Privacy Protection Method for Trustworthy Traceability of Rice Supply Chain Based on Blockchain and Multilayer Encryption

ABSTRACT To address the core challenges of information asymmetry, privacy leakage, and low storage efficiency in rice supply chains, this study proposes an enhanced traceability system that integrates blockchain, adaptive encryption, and lightweight zero‐knowledge proofs. The system features a dynamic role‐based encryption model, where encryption levels are determined by both data sensitivity and role‐based weights. This model was designed and validated through surveys involving 50 stakeholders. By adopting an on‐chain and off‐chain collaborative storage architecture that leverages Merkle trees and IPFS, the system achieves a 67% reduction in storage overhead. Furthermore, an optimized Groth16‐based ZKP protocol ensures rapid verification in under 180 ms on ARM‐based devices. Experimental results demonstrate that, at a scale of 100,000 records, the system attains a transaction processing capacity of 328 TPS and an information entropy of 3.87, representing a 51% improvement over single‐layer encryption schemes. The monthly deployment cost remains affordable for smallholder farmers, ranging from $2 to $5. The system also supports interoperability with external traceability frameworks through cross‐chain channels and adaptation to the GS1 EPCIS standard, facilitating trusted collaboration in transnational rice supply chains. By effectively balancing data integrity and privacy protection, this solution significantly enhances system scalability and offers a novel pathway for the digital transformation of agricultural supply chains.