Consumer valuation of blockchain traceability for beef in the United States

Blockchain (BC) technology, defined as a shared information system to validate, secure, and permanently store transactions among multiple parties on a distributed ledger, presents many applications in agricultural and food industries. This study examines the application of BC in food traceability for beef in the United States using a choice experiment. Findings indicate that consumers value USDA certifications over BC traceability to guide their meat preferences. Our study suggests a number of industry implications, the most important of which suggests focusing business and consumer education on the value of product data, rather than on the value of the technologies that manage data.

Automated summary

The study examines the application of BC in food traceability for beef in the United States using a choice experiment, indicating that consumers value USDA certifications over BC traceability. The industry should focus on the value of product data in business and consumer education rather than the technologies managing data.