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Blockchain Fostering Sustainability: Challenges and Perspectives

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A topical collection in Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

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Editors

Prof. Dr. Caterina Tricase

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Collection Editor

Department of Economics, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Interests: blockchain technology; innovation; agriculture; economics; business; supply chain; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Angela Tarabella

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Collection Editor

Department of Economics and Management, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Interests: blockchain and bitcoin; agrifood sector; precision agriculture; sustainability management systems

Prof. Dr. Roberto Leonardo Rana

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Collection Editor

Department of Economics, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
Interests: effects of the innovations on the quality of the processes; environmental assessment by life cycle assessment methodology and carbon footprint; EU energy policy in terms of reduction in CO₂ emissions; blockchain

Prof. Dr. Pasquale Giungato

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Collection Editor

Department of Chemistry, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Taranto Branch, 74100 Taranto, Italy
Interests: life cycle assessment; industrial ecology; blockchain; environmental chemistry

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Starting from Bitcoin, a digital currency based on a peer-to-peer payment system managed by an open source software and characterized by low transaction costs and no need of a central bank, the underlying blockchain technology is attracting the interest of the scientific community as it represents the basis for a distributed and democratically sustained public ledger of transactions in numerous fields.

Never before has such a massive effort been made to boost the use of blockchain in institutional policy and business, despite criticisms about illegal uses and social consequences of cryptocurrencies. Among its numerous applications, in our opinion blockchain could foster new and challenging opportunities in sustainability issues. Sharing medical data, energy generation and distribution in microgrids at citizen level, new state-minted cheaper cryptocurrencies, and smart contracts may benefit from the widespread blockchain, and sustainability issues may benefit from the adoption of this technology at a worldwide level. From this point of view, blockchain may become a driver of social change.

Our intention is to make this Special Issue of Sustainability a discussion forum where various experiences and points of view can be presented. We invite authors to exchange results of research on relations between blockchain and sustainability and the role in the circular economy of the newly, public distributed ledger of transactions. Together, we can reach solutions to the numerous problems encountered in the application of blockchain in sustainability issues.

Smart contracts
Blockchain-based supply chain process for the agricultural sector
Fundamentals and proof of work alternatives
Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain
Energy demand for cryptocurrencies mining
Bill management using blockchain technology

Prof. Dr. Caterina Tricase
Prof. Dr. Angela Tarabella
Prof. Dr. Roberto Leonardo Rana
Prof. Dr. Pasquale Giungato
Collection Editors

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Keywords

blockchain
sustainability
innovation
challenges
supply chain
management
food
security
safety
precision agriculture
distributed-ledger
public organizations
GDO
retail
smart contracts
banking
finance
networking
energy
privacy
legal security
blockchain in health system

Published Papers (9 papers)

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2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021

28 pages, 1765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Readiness Model and Factors Influencing Blockchain Adoption in Malaysia’s Software Sector: A Survey Study

by Ammar AL-Ashmori, Gunasekar Thangarasu, P. D. D. Dominic and Al-Baraa Abdulrahman Al-Mekhlafi

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12139; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612139 - 8 Aug 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3389

Abstract

The technology of Blockchain may open up new potential for innovation and distinction. It can enable the software sector to develop more safe and transparent systems that can function in an environment without trust. The adoption rate still needs to be higher despite the potential advantages; the relatively low adoption rate may be attributable to issues such as a lack of awareness, the difficulty of adoption, and ambiguity surrounding legal and regulatory frameworks. Considering technical, organizational, and environmental aspects, this study aims to determine the primary factors impacting the readiness of software firms to adopt Blockchain technology. The research on adopting Blockchain technology in the Malaysian software sector is limited. Using a quantitative method, the researchers used structural equation modeling to analyze 251 survey responses from the Malaysian software sector. In light of the findings, eight hypotheses were considered significant, and one hypothesis was rejected. At the same time, the R² indicated that all these variables explained 71% of the dependent variable’s variance, which is considered substantial. Overall, it makes it easier for firms in the software sector to use Blockchain technology, which would increase the overall competitiveness of Malaysia’s software sector in the international market. Full article

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2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021

35 pages, 8325 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Blockchain Enhanced Construction Waste Information Management: A Conceptual Framework

by Zhen Liu, Tzuhui Wu, Fenghong Wang, Mohamed Osmani and Peter Demian

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12145; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912145 - 26 Sep 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3681

Abstract

Despite the large quantities of secondary materials flowing within the built environment, their actual volume and respective waste management processes are not accurately known and recorded. Consequently, various sustainability and material efficiency policies are not supported by accurate data and information-reporting associated with secondary materials’ availability and sourcing. Many recent studies have shown that the integration of digital technologies such as city information management (CIM), building information modeling (BIM), and blockchain have the potential to enhance construction waste management (CWM) by classifying recycled materials and creating value from waste. However, there is insufficient guidance to address the challenges during the process of CWM. Therefore, the research reported in this paper aims to develop a blockchain-enhanced construction waste information management conceptual framework (BeCW). This paper is the first attempt to apply the strengths of integrated information-management modeling with blockchain to optimize the process of CWM, which includes a WasteChain for providing a unified and trustworthy credit system for evaluating construction-waste-recyclability to stakeholders. This is enabled through the use of blockchain and self-executing smart contracts to clarify the responsibility and ownership of the relevant stakeholders. As a result, this study provides a unified and explicit framework for referencing which quantifies the value-contribution of stakeholders to waste-recovery and the optimization of secondary construction materials for reuse and recycling. It also addresses the issue of sustainable CWM through information exchange at four levels: user, application, service, and infrastructure data levels. Full article

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17 pages, 889 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Blockchain Technology Adoption on Tourism Industry: A Systematic Literature Review

by Roberto Leonardo Rana, Nino Adamashvili and Caterina Tricase

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7383; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127383 - 16 Jun 2022

Cited by 43 | Viewed by 7097

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to the acceleration of the digitization process and to a shifting to Industry 4.0. Blockchain (BC) is one of the technologies that has been introduced worldwide in recent years. It has been beneficial for the tourism industry, in addition to many other sectors. This article investigates the advantages and disadvantages of BC adoption in the tourism industry, as well as the possible solutions to overcome the challenges. This paper conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) that consists of the operations for detecting, selecting, categorizing, and analyzing relevant articles on a specified subject. It is evident from the results that the majority of the academic works illustrate the benefits of BC implementation and explain its potential by providing diverse models of BC-based systems. However, since BC is a young technology, numerous challenges have appeared on the path to its full adoption in the tourism industry. Possible solutions are the achievement of a collaborative approach among the stakeholders, the deepening of academic research in the field, testing more models of BC-based systems, and the establishment of relevant policies. Consequently, the implications for the theory, practice, policy, and research of this work are significant. Full article

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14 pages, 1880 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Traceability Platform Based on Green Blockchain: An Application Case Study in Dairy Supply Chain

by Giuseppe Varavallo, Giuseppe Caragnano, Fabrizio Bertone, Luca Vernetti-Prot and Olivier Terzo

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3321; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063321 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 68 | Viewed by 9493

Abstract

Recent progress in IoT and software development has simplified data acquisition and immutability of information in the agri-food supply chain. In the last few years, several frameworks and applications were proposed to ensure traceability in the agri-food-sector using distributed ledger technologies (DLT) such as Blockchain technologies. Still, no other study has presented a Blockchain-based traceability platform with a lower impact on the environment and lower cost for each transaction sent by the supply chain. This article presents a traceability platform based on Green Blockchain with low energy consumption and costs savings applied to the Fontina PDO cheese supply chain, part of the project “Typicalp”, funded by the European Union (EU). The proposed traceability system is based on Algorand Blockchain, which uses the Pure Proof-of-Stake mechanism of consensus that requires minimal computational power, is highly scalable and environmentally sustainable. In addition to the environmental and financial benefits, the developed traceability platform has made it possible to digitize the entire production chain, making the data immutable and available in real-time for Fontina consortium operators and final consumers. Full article

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18 pages, 1541 KiB

Open AccessReview

Halal Food Sustainability between Certification and Blockchain: A Review

by Christian Bux, Erica Varese, Vera Amicarelli and Mariarosaria Lombardi

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2152; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042152 - 14 Feb 2022

Cited by 48 | Viewed by 11333

Abstract

Islam is the second-largest religion on a global scale. All around the world Muslims are estimated to comprise more than 1.9 billion people. Therefore, the demand for Halal commodities is expected to reach a high growth rate: thus, it is crucial to increase its global market’s reliability and traceability. Based on these grounds, the scope of this paper is to assess Halal food sustainability, examining the barriers and opportunities offered by the certification and blockchain tools. To this purpose, the authors carried out an integrative literature review, selecting 54 contributions in the Web of Science platform. Despite several limitations, such as the lack of a standardized framework or universally accepted and reliable certifying authorities, the implementation of blockchain technology has emerged as an interesting instrument to increase the trustworthiness and traceability of Halal foods. This tool could also help the development of protocols and standard procedures, ensuring hygienic and permitted products that may boost food safety and security. Besides, the enhancement of the Halal certification and the blockchain tool, even if several efforts are required in terms of innovation and cooperation by local authorities, industrial associations and leading consumers, could enhance fair trade, ethical business, green animal breeding and environmental economics, and hence sustainable development. Full article

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2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022

19 pages, 2712 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Blockchain-Based Wine Supply Chain for the Industry Advancement

by Nino Adamashvili, Radu State, Caterina Tricase and Mariantonietta Fiore

Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13070; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313070 - 25 Nov 2021

Cited by 49 | Viewed by 6470

Abstract

The wine sector is one of the most ‘amazing’ and significant agri-food sectors worldwide since ancient times, considering revenue or employment as well as health aspects. This article aims to describe the impact of the implementation of blockchain technology (BCT) in the wine supply chain. After the literature review, the study is based on Agent Based Models (ABMs) and carried out by the GAMA program. Then, the model and simulation of BCT wine supply chain is designed. Finally, the paper compares traditional and BCT-based supply chains, and the advantages of the last one are evident. Blockchain is a useful tool to ensure a traceability system and to protect the production from any type of fraud and contamination. Full article

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15 pages, 12715 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Blockchain during COVID-19: The Technology to Help Society

by Guendalina Capece and Domitilla Passiatore

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10478; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810478 - 21 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3121

Abstract

At the end of 2019, a new coronavirus was reported in the form of unknown pneumonia: It was the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It is crucial to develop the strategies to manage this new pandemic in order to improve their effectiveness, as opposed to the ones adopted in 2003 during the SARS pandemic. In 17 years, new digital technologies and tools have been created; therefore, we can take advantage of them in the social management of the pandemic. The aim of our paper is to evaluate how blockchain technology can be used and what advantages it brings in managing an emergency situation such as of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the effects of the adoption of this technology will be assessed when applied both to the management of the information flow between health infrastructures, and to track monetary, technical, and medical supply donations to hospital structures. We therefore propose a high-level, decentralized architecture that assists in administrating large-scale information and stores the gathered data in a blockchain supervised by the authorities. The distrust suffered by institutions today, the fear experienced in the last year due to the pandemic, and the birth of a technology that allows for the creation of reliable networks, pose thoughtful challenges to be faced to recover trust and hope for the future again. Full article

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26 pages, 6247 KiB

Open AccessReview

Distributed Ledger Technology Applications in Food Supply Chains: A Review of Challenges and Future Research Directions

by Jamilya Nurgazina, Udsanee Pakdeetrakulwong, Thomas Moser and Gerald Reiner

Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4206; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084206 - 9 Apr 2021

Cited by 70 | Viewed by 8620

Abstract

The lack of transparency and traceability in food supply chains (FSCs) is raising concerns among consumers and stakeholders about food information credibility, food quality, and safety. Insufficient records, a lack of digitalization and standardization of processes, and information exchange are some of the most critical challenges, which can be tackled with disruptive technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and distributed ledger technologies (DLTs). Studies provide evidence that novel technological and sustainable practices in FSCs are necessary. This paper aims to describe current practical applications of DLTs and IoT in FSCs, investigating the challenges of implementation, and potentials for future research directions, thus contributing to achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within a systematic literature review, the content of 69 academic publications was analyzed, describing aspects of implementation and measures to address the challenges of scalability, security, and privacy of DLT, and IoT solutions. The challenges of high costs, standardization, regulation, interoperability, and energy consumption of DLT solutions were also classified as highly relevant, but were not widely addressed in literature. The application of DLTs in FSCs can potentially contribute to 6 strategic SDGs, providing synergies and possibilities for more sustainable, traceable, and transparent FSCs. Full article

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9 pages, 595 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vpassport: A Digital Architecture to Support Social Restart during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

by Guendalina Capece and Paolo Bazzica

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3945; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073945 - 2 Apr 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2515

Abstract

As a consequence of the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic, the causative agent of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the world is currently witnessing profound changes in everyday life. The infection and the resulting death number forecasts generate an increasing threat to the lives of people and the economics of countries. As the acute phase of the pandemic ends, the greatest challenge that most governments are currently undergoing is the lack of tools to certify the immunity status of citizens and the related infection risk of the spread of the COVID-19 virus. To mitigate this challenge, this study proposes an innovative approach to implement a set of IT tools, here named VPassport, that assist large-scale test execution/result management in a distributed way and store the results of all tests made through all channels in a blockchain under country authority control. The proposed approach aims to produce an effective system able to support governments, health authorities, and citizens to take informed decisions on which services and social activities can be accessed respecting policies and rules set by the authorities. This aims to allow a controlled restart of the activities of the country, giving to all citizens the possibility to manage their immunity tests while allowing the authorities to manage the reopening of services and social activities. The proposed model helps in managing this phase and, therefore, the resulting outcome can be used to authorize possible behaviors (e.g., going to the office, production plants, public transportation, theaters, cinemas, etc.). The knowledge of being infected or not in a secure and not modifiable way that can be shown in a simple way, accessible to all, will be the real change in managing the coexistence with the virus until a vaccine will be available for all people. Full article

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Blockchain Fostering Sustainability: Challenges and Perspectives

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Published Papers (9 papers)

2023

Jump to: 2022, 2021

2022

Jump to: 2023, 2021

2021

Jump to: 2023, 2022

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