*3.2. A Qualitative Systematic Review*

Blockchain applications are pointed out in several sectors, including finance, in which a significant percentage of networks were formed and used Blockchain 1.0 for cryptocurrency [37,38]. Other authors are categorized according to versions "2.0 and 3.0", which are smart contracts encompassing all the financial and economic areas with efficient applications in economics, markets, general sciences, and governmental areas [34–36]. A scheme of the purposes for which blockchain has been applied in agribusiness was constructed in the analysis of the selected articles, and is outlined in Figure 5. The purposes are related to financial, energy, logistical, environmental, agricultural, cattle breeding and livestock, and industrial management, with some specific uses within each segment. It is important to stress that blockchain implementation has been identified in some supply chains, but they are prototypes still in the laboratory tests and applications phase, which are related and exemplified in the next subsection.

**Figure 5.** The purposes for which blockchain has been applied in the agribusiness sector.

### 3.2.1. Blockchain Application for Finance in Agribusiness

Blockchain is considered to be one of the most promising technologies for secure financial transactions for various economic activities, including agribusiness. In agribusiness in particular, it has the potential to revolutionize support for financial transactions for agriculture and improve the credit system. Blockchain allows the reduction of information asymmetry, establishing a fluent channel for transmitting information, increasing the reliability of transactions, improving efficiency, and reducing the costs of agricultural financing [37,38]. The mechanisms for recording, storing, validating, and protecting data are aimed at solving financing problems between all actors in agricultural supply chains. This includes farmers, development agencies, banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions [37,38]. The AgriDigital and OlivaCoin platforms, both enabled for blockchain, are cited as examples of faster and safer paymen<sup>t</sup> opportunities in rural credit managemen<sup>t</sup> [7,39]. Tripoli and Schmidhuber [40] state that an integrated paymen<sup>t</sup> solution has been launched to increase liquidity in private bonds and global payments using distributed ledger technology (DLT) applied in financing and agricultural insurance through smart contracts.

Hu et al. [41] mention the study applied to delay-tolerant paymen<sup>t</sup> that focused on remote rural villages in India, which have a community-run station, such as Nokia Kuha, connected to the public internet through unreliable satellite links. Mao et al. [42] implemented a credit assessment system, adopting blockchain to strengthen the supervision and managemen<sup>t</sup> of traders in the food supply chain where the entire processing flow and logistics are provided by smart contracts. The smart contracts are programs that combine computer protocols from the user interface to execute the terms of a contract. Since, with blockchain, the whole process becomes more simplified, no longer needing intermediaries involved in asset contracts, it controls the damage of the properties, tangible or intangible, by sharing the access data [43].

### 3.2.2. Blockchain Application for Energy in Agribusiness

The current stage of agricultural development seeks to face the constant increase in production with the use of new equipment and facilities. This makes the agriculture sector a major consumer of energy. In this context, more efficient managemen<sup>t</sup> of energy resources in agriculture is a fundamental requirement.

Zheng et al. [44] proposed a study to minimize the consumption of photovoltaic energy in greenhouses by using blockchain. In this system, the index that measures the ratio of photovoltaic consumption is defined to assess the condition of consumption in each greenhouse. As a result, the optimal load operation scheme is always recorded on the blockchain. The authors conclude that the blockchain control strategy can effectively improve local energy consumption. This reduces costs with the purchase and losses of energy, improving the quality of electric grid voltage in the farms.

Another application that is also being tested is the development of an irrigation system that minimizes energy consumption, especially in times of drought. In this field of blockchain application, Enescu et al. [45] proposed a study on the use of photovoltaic energy to power a soil improvement system. According to the authors, this technology can help small farmers to better manage water resources during periods of drought.

Blockchain applications for energy purposes have encouraged users to join the renewable energy system. Smart systems are being tested by several industries related to energy production in agriculture. Many of these blockchain applications are still in the pilot project phase, but they already show considerable results in training energy producers and distributors. The technology also acts as a facilitator in the negotiation, bringing greater flexibility, playing an important role in the storage of data, and guaranteeing security in the transactions and commercialization of energy.

Zhang [46] presents a digital coupon or cryptocurrency that could be introduced into the trade of waste, energy and by-products, such as fertilizers or raw materials, among farmers and entrepreneurs. This system could maximize the use of agricultural

waste by encouraging farmers and companies to work together in the production and commercialization of energy.

### 3.2.3. Blockchain Application for Logistics in Agribusiness

The proper managemen<sup>t</sup> of logistic processes is essential for every agribusiness supply chain. Blockchain has the potential to facilitate and streamline logistic processes in agribusiness supply chains, and these processes can be reproduced in real time due to complete digitalization and its automation. With the help of smart contracts, financial transfers can be optimized, making them easier [47–49]. For those authors, this generates a guarantee of a direct network between the incoming and outgoing of goods, and paymen<sup>t</sup> operations can be carried out with more autonomy and efficiency. The invoices that are currently created on paper and sent by post can become unnecessary with the use of technology.

Blockchain can help lower costs, in addition to adding value to products. The consumer benefits from more transparency and control in the quality of the products. One of the critical points in long supply chains is ensuring food safety. Although the development of traceability mechanisms has brought more security to the consumer, blockchain has elements that can make it a grea<sup>t</sup> differentiator in this process. This is one of the most relevant topics in blockchain applications in agribusiness supply chains. Traceability via blockchains allows the consumer to track the food from its origin to retail marketing, where all of the information can be shared securely through a blockchain [50]. According to their preliminary analysis, Lucena et al. [51] concluded that traceability and blockchain-based certification can increase grain exports by 15% in the Brazilian context. Given that the blockchain allows for the identification of what type of fertilizer was used to grow a given crop, for example, this information can be accessed by retailers, auditors, and governments, among others interested in the supply chain [52].

Another element that facilitates logistical processes in agribusiness supply chains is smart contracts. Choi et al. [53] applied a mean-variance model to evaluate the risk sensitivity of decision-makers, examining the transactions and previous data using blockchain records. They concluded that this technology could facilitate the use of information and increase knowledge about the demand for the products, besides being accompanied by smart contracts, and it can be automated to the contracting mechanism, improving the efficiency of the processes. Chang et al. [54] developed an alternative project of a private chain to increase transparency and collaboration in product process distribution. The project notifies status alterations to concerned parties specified in the smart contract registry; these are captured in real time and information changes are achieved through the push of a button. This technology system proposed in the blockchain achieves a better level of efficiency for logistics and operations. The participants of the supply chain can reduce costs associated with the manual operations for the confirmation of tracking, with installations of expensive information systems such as the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

It is worth noting that blockchains can be used in logistics, product identification, and contract design. They allow better visualization of transactions between buyers and sellers, without the intervention of intermediaries. The use of blockchain-based applications in supply chains can guarantee security and induce more consistent contract managemen<sup>t</sup> among interested parties. Blockchains improve the managemen<sup>t</sup> performance of complex supply chains and enhance the customer's services and transportation systems with new decentralized architectures.

### 3.2.4. Blockchain Application for Environmental Management in Agribusiness

Agribusiness fights against the image that it negatively impacts the environment [55]. Blockchain can play a key role in the environment due to its data monitoring capability. Research suggests that its adoption can make ecological and sustainable practices in the supply chains easier [56,57]. Lin et al. [24] presented an evaluation tool with social and technical requirements applying blockchains in Information and Communications

Technology (ICT) systems in agriculture, using an interface to visualize the application in its operation, which can promote better development and incorporation of data into local climate, energy use, pesticides, soil quality, production costs, and biodiversity conservation.

Spreng and Spreng [58] proposed studying advances in Information Technology (IT) using social media, identifying the feasible options for an alternative global transnational climate policy. In the research, they included consumers, fossil fuel industries, non-governmental environmental organizations (NGOs), insurance industries, IT companies, representatives of public administrations, and UN agencies. The label accurately shows the reliability of climate impact and the total energy incorporated into final goods and services. Since the monitoring system is transparent, consumers have more trust in the label.

Paiva Sobrinho et al. [59] present a managemen<sup>t</sup> proposal for the Jundiaí River Basin, based on the adoption of a complementary currency created with the support of blockchains. Technological innovation, such as paymen<sup>t</sup> schemes for environmental systems (PES), does not depend on the traditional financial system. Thus, it is immune to economic crises because its creation and managemen<sup>t</sup> are independent of banks, with the rewards being paid to the makers in the form of cryptocurrency.

Figorilli et al. [60] implemented a blockchain prototype for open-source electronic wood traceability, using Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology, in which the process is tracked from the standing tree to the end user. In the first step, the tree is identified in the forest and this first stripe is associated with the information in the database: marking date, Global Positioning System (GPS) point of the tree, species, diameter, and height. Other information such as cutting, labels, stacking and production flows are detected by an antenna where the information is again associated with the database. Therefore, labels are produced during production and sale and applied on the final products destined for the end consumer.

It was identified that the utilization of blockchain in the environment is essentially focused on payments for environmental services, forest mapping, traceability, and climate and soil control. However, it has the potential to be explored in several other ways, including problems of climate change and carbon sequestration.

### 3.2.5. Blockchain Application for Agriculture (Farm) in Agribusiness

Agriculture is one of the most relevant fields in a country, since its production provides food security, nutrition, and health of the population, besides maximizing the economy. In recent years, the agricultural sector has adopted different technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain, to reach higher yields in production processes [61]. Authors such as Tian [17], Li'na et al. [62], Lin et al. [24], and Mondal et al. [63] have been dedicated to researching the use of blockchain in agriculture, essentially directed to the production traceability.

Li'na et al. [62] proposed an agricultural product based on blockchain and logical architecture in the supply chain, aiming at the involvement and adherence of farmers to technologies to minimize the problem of mutual trust. Those authors presented a food safety traceability system based on blockchain and Electronic Product Code (EPC) Information Services. They developed a prototype to track the product from the farm to the end consumer.

Tao et al. [64] suggested a collaborative tracking system based on blockchain and Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS). The system adopts a smart contract at an innovative business level to solve the issues of disclosing information sensitive to data adulteration and reliability. Kamble et al. [65] analyzed smart contracts and the use of blockchain in fruits and vegetables in India, addressing sustainability issues in human relations between facilitators and Agriculture Supply Chain (ASC) practitioners. The intention was to convince the organizations to adopt blockchain in their supply chains to track production from farms to the final consumer.

Tian [47] and Mondal et al. [63] created blockchain inspired by IoT, that is, an architecture to create a transparent food supply chain. For this purpose, they used blockchain, IoT,

and RFID indexing terms. According to the authors, the sensing modality was integrated with the identification for tracking and monitoring the quality of the packages, with the food being digitized at different times along the way and the sensor data being updated, in real time, using blockchain, providing a counterfeit-proof digital history. Therefore, any consumer can check, in public accounting, the information on the food packages.

Dos Santos et al. [66] proposed a prototype for the certification and traceability of food products, aiming at tracing the origins of the raw materials without revealing confidential business information. They used the code within Rinkeby Testnet blockchain, applying it to practical examples, including peanuts, cocoa, and apple juice, which are basic ingredients of recipes, thus, demonstrating the feasibility of using the Ingredient Token (IGR) as a methodological figure of certification of ingredients from the farmer to the final consumer, without exposing the formula of the product mixture.

Patil et al. [67] presented a proposal for agriculture with a smart greenhouse, based on activities managed by blockchains, which works through IoT devices. In the project, the authors exhibited this model to achieve security, a light and decentralized privacy project, optimization of resources, and energy consumption. Munir et al. [68] outlined a project, based on an IoT system, used to monitor gardens, controllable from anywhere using a smartphone. The system uses input data collected in real time by sensors that guide farmers and gardeners with a mobile device displaying a list of suggested plants, according to the climate of a particular region.

Scuderi et al. [69] demonstrated the application of blockchain to citrus fruit production in Italy, specifically that referring to Near Field Communication (NFC), in which the process phases involving orange juice are: production, processing, distribution, and sales, with records in a digital profile. According to the authors, key information about citrus farms is stored in digital profiles including the environment and cultivation, soil, water, area, season, plant quality, growing conditions, planting season, and information on the fertilizers and pesticides used for growing oranges. Then, the product is marketed after a digital contract is signed and stored in blockchain.

Borrero [70] tested a traceability system for the food supply chain using blockchain, helping the agricultural cooperatives improve transparency on the origin and processes incorporated into the products. They developed a proof-of-concept blockchain model (PoC) in the agri-food field for the traceability of the supply chain, proving the origin of berry production, and personalizing the roles of each actor in the supply chain. Blockchain, developed with this PoC concept, is being implemented and tested in a Spanish Agricultural Cooperative that uses a book with permissions (hyperledger), based on a smart contract. The demonstration was based on a previous analysis of the berry chain and the interactions between farmers, cooperatives, their certifiers, suppliers, and supermarkets to allow the digital representation of a large number of berries to be associated with a single digital certification.

Salah et al. [71] suggested a system of sequence diagrams based on blockchain for soybean traceability. They also created an algorithm model for selling soy among the several participants, using smart contracts to track and control all interactions and transactions of the participants involved in the ecosystem of the supply chain.

It is inferred that blockchain is being used in the agricultural sector to improve food security, the production process, processing, and transport, besides being applied in a managemen<sup>t</sup> system of the supply chain to provide transparency, safety, neutrality, and reliability in all the operations of the supply chains. Blockchain, together with IoT, contributes to the resolution of challenges related to operation safety, quality certification, and product origin.

### 3.2.6. Blockchain Application for Livestock in Agribusiness

The livestock sector is in constant evolution, requiring effective alternatives for its process and management. Advances in transportation and communication technologies promote the development of world markets and facilitate the establishment of animal production units. In that context, several authors have been discussing the use and possibility of blockchain in that sector.

Liu et al. [72] highlight the application of blockchain in the pig meat supply chain by addressing its influence on information sharing and state that it solves problems of matching supply and demand in the supply chain. They added that the transaction costs between the actors involved can be reduced, bringing several benefits: time, money, and improvement for the whole chain through efficient managemen<sup>t</sup> of the farms.

Sittón-Candanedo et al. [73] implemented a blockchain platform on a dairy farm to minimize costs, through which it was possible to identify and use the available resources more efficiently, besides making it possible to track the animals' locations and monitor their health conditions in real time.

Sander et al. [74] designed a study on the acceptance of blockchain in the traceability and transparency of the meat supply chain. They highlighted the different perspectives and opinions of stakeholders, investigating the transparency and traceability system (TTS) of certification and customers' perceptions as to the potential of technology in traceability. The results of adopting the technology as a solution for the current problems affecting the meat production chain in several countries, including Brazil, are promising.
