Emerging Perspectives of Blockchains in Food Supply Chain Traceability Based on Patent Analysis

Area of Science:

• Food Supply Chain Management
• Blockchain Technology
• Intellectual Property Analysis

Background:

• Blockchain technology offers potential solutions for transparency and efficiency in food supply chains.
• The application of blockchain in food supply chains is an emerging field with evolving technological trends.
• Understanding patent landscapes is crucial for identifying innovation trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the patent landscape of blockchain technology applications in the food supply chain.
• To identify key areas of innovation and technological trends using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) modeling.
• To provide insights into the adoption and future growth of blockchain in food supply chains.

Main Methods:

• A patent portfolio of 82 documents was collected and analyzed.
• Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) modeling was employed to identify thematic clusters.
• Patent data was extracted using PatSnap software for trend analysis.

Main Results:

• Four key patent areas emerged: tracing/tracking, supporting devices/methods, ICT integration, and trading.
• Patenting activity began in the 21st century's second decade, with a significant increase post-2019.
• Low patent forward citation and family size suggest limited current acceptance, but future growth is anticipated.
• China, India, and the US are leading in patent filings for blockchain in food supply chains.

Conclusions:

• Blockchain applications in food supply chains are consolidating into distinct innovation areas.
• The recent surge in patent filings indicates growing interest and expected adoption.
• Geographical distribution of patents highlights key global players in this technological domain.