3.2.7. Blockchain Application for Agroindustry

Blockchain can be used in the food industry in different ways since production goes through processing and final packaging to the consumer. Several pieces of research have been carried out focusing on this sector using, for example, two-dimensional bar code (QR Code) technology, which can already be used in many product packages, since it makes it possible to save a variety of data in a minimal amount of space. The final consumer can view the whole history of the product, from production, processing, to final packaging, on a smartphone [64,65].

The first applications are already being tested in retail companies. Walmart, in partnership with IBM, is using the technology in the traceability of mangoes and pig meat, since it is possible to track the entire supply chain in a few seconds. Furthermore, with blockchain, there is the possibility of identifying contaminated products and eliminating them quickly and efficiently [75]. Blockchain has been also tested for traceability in the milk industry. Behnke and Janssen [76] researched four different dairy industries with distinct features. They investigated every process in the supply chain, from mass production to small product batches, and identified the conditions of information ensuring improvements in batch traceability.

Kouhizadeh et al. [56] propose the application of blockchain in a research context in the circular economy. The authors identified the various ways in which those areas interact between managemen<sup>t</sup> research and its implications, improving the country's economy and the environment. They conducted the study with initiatives of circular economy at three levels: macro, meso, and micro. Thus, they identified how technology can contribute to the product, its suppression, and its synergies.

Zhu and Kouhizadeh [11] conducted a case study with industries to track the sales performance of their products using blockchain. The uses of blockchain aimed at supplying the following sustainability efforts in the chain: management, product reuse (recycling), regeneration, manufacture, and waste management, which can be tracked for decision making and product disposal. The blockchain can track information from stakeholders such as retailers and customers.

Tallyn et al. [77] developed a Bitbarista prototype with the objective of providing opportunities for the creation of autonomous systems aiming at contributing to the most independent and transparent organizations. The research presented a study conducted in three environments in an office, for one month, exploring the impact of an autonomous coffee machine in the daily activity of coffee consumption. The Bitbarista measures the coffee consumption using autonomous processes in blockchain, presenting the data of origin at the time of the purchase, while aiming to reduce intermediaries in the trade of this product. The report of interactions with the Bitbarista and around it explores the implications for daily life, its structures, and social values.

It has been identified that the technology can be successfully implemented in various sectors and departments of an industry, which allows understanding for how to apply blockchain in the development of daily activities within an industry.
