Blockchain for Transparency in Sustainable Apparel Supply Chains

The increasing demand for transparency in global apparel and textile supply chains has accelerated interest in blockchain as a digital solution to improve traceability, stakeholder trust, and sustainability. However, existing research has primarily emphasized blockchain’s technological capabilities while offering limited insight into how governance mechanisms shape the relationship among transparency, trust, and sustainability. Addressing this gap, this study investigates blockchain-enabled transparency through a qualitative cross-case analysis of sixteen documented transparency initiatives within the apparel and textile industry. Secondary empirical evidence was synthesized from peer-reviewed journal articles, industry reports, international organizations, and a non-governmental organization (NGO) transparency assessment using a structured analytical coding framework informed by blockchain affordance theory, interorganizational trust theory, accountability theory, and sustainability governance literature. The findings demonstrate that blockchain consistently enhances supply chain transparency by improving traceability, information visibility, and provenance verification; however, transparency alone does not generate stakeholder trust or measurable sustainability outcomes. Instead, trust emerges when blockchain-enabled transparency is supported by governance mechanisms, such as third-party verification, certification systems, auditing practices, and clearly defined accountability arrangements. Sustainability benefits are similarly indirect, arising through improved governance, organizational decision-making, and stakeholder collaboration rather than through blockchain technology itself. This study contributes to the literature by reconceptualizing blockchain-enabled transparency as a governance capability rather than solely a technological capability and proposes an integrated governance pathway linking blockchain affordances, transparency mechanisms, governance arrangements, stakeholder trust, and sustainability outcomes. The findings provide practical guidance for apparel brands, manufacturers, policymakers, and certification bodies seeking to strengthen transparent and sustainable supply chain governance.