Why blockchain technology is no panacea for documenting meat quality and traceability in broiler and pork value chains

Blockchain technology (BCT) has been touted as a panacea for improving traceability and quality documentation in globalized food value chains and potentially changing how these value chains are governed. This paper studies the potential adoption of BCT in pork and broiler value chains and why adoption levels are below expectations. Based on semi-structured interviews, the paper analyses the experiences and viewpoints of value chain actors in Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain, thus grounding the discussion of adopting BCT for quality documentation and traceability purpose in real-world operational contexts rather than theoretical optimism. Contrary to what has been proposed in the literature, we find that BCT does not eliminate the need for trust — it shifts trust from individual relationships to the governance of the shared data system. The role of retailers illustrates what we term the ‘enforced adoption paradox’: on the one hand, their power over suppliers enables them to impose requirements; on the other hand, this hinders the collaboration and transparency that successful BCT adoption depends upon. Although current quality documentation systems are cumbersome, and there is a risk of human error, our informants see several barriers to adopting BCT and limited potential in the short to medium term. Our findings suggest that sector-wide BCT adoption is unlikely without external pressure such as regulatory requirements or a dominant actor willing to lead implementation.