**4. Conclusions**

Based on the bibliometric analyses, as in the results presented, it was found that the blockchain subject has grown in academia in recent years. However, regarding the analysis of the studies, it was possible to ascertain that, although blockchain emerged more than ten years ago, the discussion of its application in the context of agribusiness is still very recent. Moreover, as the technology development moves first in science, it is possible to say that practical applications in agribusiness supply chains are less advanced.

It was verified that most publications are concentrated in the areas of Computer Science and Engineering, which is justified by the fact that blockchain is a technology that requires software developers to create models adapted to certain demands. Blockchain development is concentrated in countries such as the United States and China. Although American agribusiness is well developed, other countries where the sector plays an important role, such as Brazil, have made a modest contribution to the scientific development of blockchain technology.

It is relevant to note that research on the application of blockchains in agribusiness segments is still at an early stage, including its experimentation. In the case of this study, laboratory prototypes were found in the analysis of the articles, which are in the application testing phase. There are several applications of the technology in the "proof of concept" phase, and few are implemented on a large scale. There are other application possibilities, since its potential at the moment may not be correctly estimated, as it is still an emerging technology.

Financial, energy, logistical, environmental, agricultural, livestock, and industrial are the main purposes for which blockchain has been applied in agribusiness supply chains, as reported in the scientific literature. The purposes are not independent or mutually exclusive of each other. On the contrary, blockchain application in agribusiness supply chains can provide cross-factor benefits. Blockchain applications with a logistical purpose, for instance, may also result in energy, financial, and environmental advantages.

Blockchain is a technology in development within different sectors, with several application possibilities and vast advantages, such as an increase in confidence, reduction of risks in transactions, less bureaucracy, reduction of costs due to the elimination of intermediaries, reduction of risks and frauds, and greater privacy due to the rigorous controls made much more secure due to the immutability of the data. Evidence has been identified that blockchain brings countless benefits when used in agribusiness supply chains by reducing intermediaries and transactional cost, and improving the processes as a whole. It enables the transformation of different transactional processes, making them simpler and faster. Accordingly, the use of blockchain in agribusiness supply chains can facilitate collaboration safely and reliably among the participants involved in business networks. Traceability and smart contracts are frequently reported as advantageous applications in agribusiness.

For future studies, it is suggested that issues, such as transaction costs, information governance, new business models, information asymmetry, and the use of blockchain as a managemen<sup>t</sup> tool in the agribusiness sectors, be explored. Another area for investigation is the implementation cost of that technology.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, G.d.S.R.R. and L.d.O.; methodology, G.d.S.R.R. and L.d.O.; software, G.d.S.R.R. and L.d.O.; validation, G.d.S.R.R., L.d.O., and E.T.; formal analysis, G.d.S.R.R., L.d.O., and E.T.; investigation, G.d.S.R.R. and L.d.O.; resources, G.d.S.R.R., L.d.O., and E.T.; data curation, G.d.S.R.R. and L.d.O.; writing—original draft preparation, G.d.S.R.R. and L.d.O.; writing—review and editing, G.d.S.R.R., L.d.O., and E.T.; visualization, G.d.S.R.R. and L.d.O.; supervision, L.d.O.; project administration, G.d.S.R.R. and L.d.O.; funding acquisition, G.d.S.R.R. and E.T. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This study was partially funded by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES) through a scholarship granted for the first author (Process Number 88882.439355/2019-01), and by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development— CNPq through a research gran<sup>t</sup> (Process Number 303956/2019-4).

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.

**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.

**Data Availability Statement:** Not applicable.

**Acknowledgments:** The author are grateful to the Graduate Program in Agribusiness at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul—UFRGS, the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES), and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
