Strategy analysis for adopting blockchain technology in a three‐echelon dual fresh produce supply chain

Abstract This paper investigates the blockchain technology (BT) adoption strategy in a three‐echelon dual fresh produce supply chain (FPSC). By developing a Stackelberg game, we explore the operational decisions under four BT adoption strategies, that is, the NN strategy (no BT), the BP strategy (the platform adopts BT), the BR strategy (the retailer adopts BT) and the BS strategy (the supplier adopts BT). The key findings reveal that BT adoption is crucial for FPSCs, effectively mitigating the quality deterioration and output losses inherent in perishable goods. The coupling effect between the benefits and costs directly affects the optimal decisions and profits. When the ratio of BT's benefits to costs is greater than a threshold, adopting BT is advantageous. Finally, we identify the best BT strategy for FPSC systems. For the supplier and the wholesaler, the BS strategy is best, but for the retailer, the BP strategy is better. We provide some management significance at the end of the paper.