Blockchain is not a silver bullet for agro-food supply chain sustainability: Insights from a coffee case study

Information sharing lies at the core of most governance interventions within agro-food commodity supply-chains, such as certification standards or direct trade relationships. However, actors have little information available to guide sustainable consumption decisions beyond simple labels. Blockchain technology can potentially alleviate the numerous sustainability problems related to agro-food commodity supply-chains by fostering traceability and transparency. Despite significant research on blockchain, there is limited understanding of the concrete barriers and benefits and potential applications of blockchain in real-world settings. Here, we present a case study of blockchain implementation in a coffee supply-chain. Our aim is to assess the potential of blockchain technology to promote sustainability in coffee supply chains through increased traceability and transparency and to identify barriers and opportunities for this. While our pilot implementation clearly illustrates certain benefits of blockchain, it also suggests that blockchain is no silver bullet for delivering agro-food supply chain sustainability. Knowledge on provenance and transparency of information on quality and sustainability can help trigger transformation of consumer behaviour, but the actual value lies in digitising the supply chain to increase efficiency and reduce costs, disputes, and fraud, while providing more insight end-to-end through product provenance and chain-of-custody information. We identify a need to understand and minimize supply chain barriers before we can reap the full benefits of digitalization and decentralization provided by blockchain technology

Eighty-six EU policy options for reducing imported deforestation

Despite the importance of tropical forest conservation in achieving global sustainability goals and the key role of forest-risk commodity trade in driving deforestation, consumer country policy options for reducing imported deforestation have received limited scholarly attention. Drawing on gray literature and a European Commission public consultation, we identify 86 policy options for the European Union to address deforestation. We assess the political feasibility and map the “theory of change” (TOC)—the causal chain through which the policies address deforestation—for each of these policy options, identifying a trade-off between feasibility and potential impacts: information-based and cooperative policies, which dominate our sample, typically exhibit high feasibility, but mostly lack convincing TOCs, while more stringent regulatory and market-based policy options generally have lower feasibility. We propose three principles for overcoming the feasibility-impact dilemma: (1) build policies on proven TOCs, (2) use policy mixes, and (3) work with key stakeholders, supply chains, and regions. Images of distressed orangutans in Indonesia and forest fires in Brazil have increased public awareness of deforestation across the globe. Still, deforestation continues more or less unabated, driven by demand for forest-risk commodities, such as palm, soy, cocoa, and beef. What can the European Union (EU) and other consumer regions do to address this problem? Here we present 86 policy options for the EU to address tropical deforestation, identified through a review of gray literature and EU stakeholder consultation responses. Analyzing these, we show that policy options that are politically feasible policies tend to have a weaker theory of change—the causal chain through which the policies address deforestation—setting up a trade-off between feasibility and impact. However, there are exceptions, such as mandatory due diligence, which show potential impact and appear politically feasible. Through policy mixing and working with key stakeholders, supply chains, and producer regions, these barriers can be overcome. Images of distressed orangutans in Indonesia and forest fires in Brazil have increased public awareness of deforestation. Still, deforestation continues unabated, driven by demand for forest-risk commodities, such as palm and soy. Here, we present 86 policy options for the EU to reduce imported deforestation. We identify a trade-off between policy feasibility and potential impact. Mixing different policies and working with key stakeholders, supply chains, and producer regions can help overcome this trade-off

Coffee producers\u27 perspectives of blockchain technology in the context of sustainable global value chains

Transparency and equitability are key for improved sustainability outcomes in global value chains. Blockchain technology has been touted as a tool for achieving these ends. However, due to the limited empirical evidence, claims on transparency and sustainability benefits are largely theoretical. We lack an understanding of the benefits and drawbacks for upstream actors within global value chains and how this affects technology adoption. Addressing this gap, we conduct an empirical study to identify the drivers and obstacles for coffee producers in Colombia in adopting blockchain. We base our research on an event-driven and permissioned blockchain model, specifically designed for this research. Applying the Participation Capacity Framework and conducting semi-structured interviews with coffee producers and key informants, we analyze adoption attitudes towards the blockchain application. We further identify opportunities and drawbacks from the producers\u27 perspective. We set these findings in the context of the Global Value Chain research, considering the existing power relations in the coffee value chain. The top-down nature of blockchain projects raises distributive concerns, as resource investments, implementation burden, and risks are significantly higher upstream, whereas downstream lead firms will benefit most. We identify data squeeze as an additional channel of sustainable supplier squeeze relevant in the case of blockchain initiatives. Data squeeze implies lead firms turning the data obtained through, likely unpaid, labour of blockchain participants into a monetizable assets and marketable value through branding and advertisement. Based on the findings, we identify potential design dimensions and implementation features that can contribute to materializing producer benefits, thus mitigating the risk of a sustainability-driven supplier squeeze

Event-Based Supply Chain Network Modeling:Blockchain for Good Coffee

Blockchain and distributed ledger technology (BC/DLT) provides distributed databases with decentralized governance, tamper-proof recording, high availability and non-copyable digital assets, which have made it a natural technological basis for supply chain management. In this paper, we introduce REALISTIC, a novel event-based modeling framework for supply chain networks (SCNs) that includes production processes. It extends McCarty’s Resources-Events-Agents (REA) accounting model with secure transformations, which, across the entire SCN, guarantee that certified output resources cannot be digitally produced ex nihilo, but require certified input resources of at least the same amount as what is produced. This generalizes the no-double-spend guarantee of current BC/DLT to (digital twins of) physical resources and their production. Authenticated human or robotic Internet of Things (IoT) actors digitally sign and cryptographically commit to the veracity of real-world events on an immutable database, without having to take responsibility for their aggregate consequences. User-specifiable interpretations, corresponding to queries and analytical functions in database systems, provide auditable aggregate information computed from recorded events across the entire SCN. This includes fine-grained and trustworthy tracing of final products through multiple stages of production processes, semi-finished products, quality certifications and transportation all the way back to their raw materials. We present a case study for an end-to-end coffee supply chain that tracks fine-grained and detailed information from a farmer’s coffee cherries to retail coffee bags, involving all its actors. Our model handles product provenance; auditable sustainability, quality and trade information; production processes from parchment via green to roasted coffee; product quality tests; farmer certifications; and transportation across the entire coffee supply chain. It is based on field work involving farmers, cooperatives, processors, traders, importers, and a major roasting company stretching from Colombia to Scandinavia. Its REALISTIC-based modeling is the foundation for the design of our prototype implementation, which includes Ethereum blockchain code, RDBMS-based server code and a web app client. Their source code is publicly available on GitHub.Please cite as Bager, S.L., B. Düdder, F. Henglein, J.M. Hebert & H. Wu (2022). Event-based sustainable commodity supply chains on blockchain. Frontiers in Blockchain. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2022.84678

Patient-reported outcomes and health-related quality of life in people living with ileostomies: A population-based, cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The impact of a stoma on long-term health-related quality of life in people living with ileostomies is not clear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe important patient-reported outcomes and health-related quality of life in people with ileostomies. DESIGN: This is a population-based, cross-sectional study. Patients were invited to answer questionnaires estimating stoma-specific and generic health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L and the Major Depression Inventory). Danish norms were retrieved from reference literature. SETTINGS: This study was conducted at the major stoma clinic at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. PATIENTS: We invited all patients with ileostomies who were in contact with the clinic between 2012 and 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes measured were patient-reported outcomes specific to people with ileostomies. RESULTS: Of 621 identified patients (50% women), 412 (67%) responded to the survey. Among the responders, 178 (43%) reported that they still had an ileostomy at the time of the survey and were included in the analysis. Fatigue was frequent; 68% (95% CI 60%–75%) reported being tired and 26% (95% CI 20%–33%) answered that they were “always tired,” whereas 43% (95% CI 36%–51%) lacked energy, 62% (95% CI 54%–69%) reported poor sleep, and 59% (95% CI 52%–66%) needed to rest during the day. Fifty-six percent (95% CI 48%–63%) needed to know the immediate location of the nearest toilet, and 58% (95% CI 51%–66%) felt sexually unattractive because of their ileostomy. Health-related quality of life measured with generic questions indicated 0.124 points lower health-related quality of life than the Danish norm (p < 0.001), and 18% (95% CI 13%–25%) scored above the threshold for depression, which is 2.6 times higher than the background population (7%, 95% CI 6%–9%; p < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by potential selection bias, and all participants did not answer all items. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue and low health-related quality of life is common in people living with ileostomies. Addressing fatigue and stoma-specific challenges in patients with an ileostomy is warranted. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B803. DESENLACES INFORMADOS POR PACIENTES Y CALIDAD DE VIDA RELACIONADA CON LA SALUD EN PERSONAS QUE VIVEN CON ILEOSTOMÍAS: UN ESTUDIO TRANSVERSAL POBLACIONAL: ANTECEDENTES: El impacto de un estoma en la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud a largo plazo en personas que viven con ileostomías no está claro. OBJETIVO: Describir desenlaces importantes informados por pacientes y la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en personas con ileostomías. DISEÑO: Estudio transversal poblacional. Se invitó a los pacientes a responder cuestionarios que estiman la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud general y específica del estoma (EQ-5D-5L y el Inventario de depresión mayor). Las normas danesas se recopilaron de la literatura de referencia. AJUSTES: El estudio se llevó a cabo en la clínica principal de estomas del Hospital Universitario de Aarhus, Dinamarca. PACIENTES: Invitamos a todos los pacientes con ileostomías que estuvieron en contacto con la clínica entre 2012 y 2017. PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO: Resultados informados por el paciente específicos para personas con ileostomías. RESULTADOS: De 621 pacientes identificados (50% mujeres), 412 (66%) respondieron la encuesta. Entre los que respondieron, 178 (43%) informaron que todavía tenían una ileostomía en el momento de la encuesta y fueron incluidos en el análisis. La fatiga era frecuente; el 68% (intervalo de confianza del 95%: 60–75%) informó estar cansado y el 26% (20–33%) respondió “siempre cansado”, mientras que el 43% (36–51%) carecía de energía, el 62% (54–69%)) refirieron dormir mal y el 59% (52–6%) necesitaba descansar durante el día. El cincuenta y seis por ciento (48–63%) necesitaba saber la ubicación inmediata del baño más cercano y el 58% (51–66%) se sentía sexualmente poco atractivo debido a su ileostomía. La calidad de vida relacionada con la salud medida con preguntas genéricas indicó una calidad de vida relacionada con la salud 0,124 puntos más baja que la norma danesa (p < 0,001), y el 18% (13–25%) puntuó con depresión, que es 2.6 veces más alta que la población de base (7%, 6–9%, p < 0,001). LIMITACIONES: Posible sesgo de selección, y no todos los participantes respondieron a todos los ítems. CONCLUSIONES: La fatiga y la baja calidad de vida relacionada con la salud es común en las personas que viven con ileostomías. Se justifica abordar la fatiga y los desafíos específicos del estoma en pacientes con una ileostomía. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B803. (Traducción—Juan Carlos Reyes

Agriculture Initiatives and COP22: A step towards fighting climate change

Against the backdrop of population increase, changing dietary patterns, increased affluence and rising demands on land for the generation of biofuels, agricultural productivity is required to increase significantly in the coming years. This increase will take place in a context of constrained resources and a changing global climate requiring increased adaptive capacity and increased resilience of agricultural systems. At the same time, agricultural activities are contributing significantly to climate change, with agricultural production and the food supply chain being responsible for up to a third of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Sustainability strategies by companies in the global coffee sector

The coffee sector is facing several sustainability challenges. We ask whether addressing these is transforming the entire coffee sector or rather leading to market differentiation. Drawing on stakeholder theory and global value chain analysis, we analyse how the coffee sector approaches sustainability by examining the sustainability efforts of a random sample of 513 companies. We also identify the factors shaping the adoption of sustainability strategies. A third of companies report no commitment to sustainability, whereas another third report vague commitment. The final third of companies report tangible commitments to sustainability. Company characteristics and stakeholders affect the scope and type of sustainability strategy chosen. Large, risk-aware companies tend to conduct ‘hands-on’ governance, adopting internal sustainability practices along their value chain. Small, consumerfacing companies and producers rely on ‘hands-off’ governance, adopting external voluntary sustainability standards. Several sustainability issues remain underaddressed by most companies, including climate change and deforestation. We found indications of potential greenwashing by some companies. Addressing sustainability is not yet fully mainstreamed in the sector, though ambitious commitments by sustainability leaders and large actors signal increasing importance of sustainability as part of corporate social responsibility efforts. We observe market differentiation through sustainability with progressive companies adopting sustainability strategies that align with their stakeholders, depending on value chain characteristics. Our results indicate a notable reliance on internal sustainability practices. There is a need for common coffee sustainability indicators relevant for all actors along the value chain, which are consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals, and a transparent, mandatory reporting framework

Inclusion, Transparency, and Enforcement: How the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement Fails the Sustainability Test

Trade agreements could help to protect human rights, critical ecosystems, and the climate-but only if sustainability becomes a cornerstone of international trade. The EU-Mercosur trade agreement fails to meet our three tenets of sustainable trade agreements: (1) inclusion of local communities, (2) transparency mechanisms to trace commodities and provide open-access information, and (3) enforcement to legally uphold sustainability commitments