Blockchain, Supply Chain Management, and Business Sustainability

Dear Colleagues,

Organizations are facing increasing pressures from regulators, activists and consumers to develop sustainable supply chains (EU, 2020). For instance, a recent survey saw 66 % of respondents report that they were willing to pay more for sustainably and ethically sourced products. The proportion was even higher for millennials, standing at 73 % (Forbes Africa, 2018). 

Previous researchers have noted that blockchain technology can play a key role in creating trust and facilitating the disintermediation and decentralization of markets and existing modes of business and governance (Gurtu & Johny, 2019; Kshetri, 2021a), attributes which can be leveraged to promote sustainability (Kshetri, 2021b). For instance, blockchain can be used to monitor production and distribution processes, an attribute can help manufacturers to comply with regulatory standards related to sustainability. This technology can also be used to provide access to detailed and verifiable information about products, giving consumers confidence in terms of their sustainability concerns. Companies can utilize this technology to improve the quality of their environmental and social reports. Likewise, blockchain-based traceability can be helpful in monitoring and assessing the quality of products, which can reduce costs associated with recall and wastage.

Blockchains deployment in supply chains is still in a nascent stage, but its usage is maturing at a fast pace. With increasing adoption in supply chains, blockchain technology has the potential to promote sustainability. Unsurprisingly, some governance bodies, such as the European Union (EU), have recommended that companies should explore the use technologies such as blockchain to enhance supply chain visibility (EU, 2020). In light of these observations, this Special Issue (SI) will focus on  the role of blockchain technology in facilitating supply chain management, and business sustainability. Submissions should cover topics including, but not limited to, the following are:

• Blockchain’s roles in increasing transparency in sustainability-related activities;
• Blockchain’s roles in strengthening sustainability-related regulatory enforcement;
• Blockchain’s impact on the roles of trade associations, industry bodies and third-party certification (TPC) agencies from the standpoint of sustainability;
• Blockchain’s impact of consumer confidence about manufacturers’ claim regarding sustainability-related standards;
• Blockchain roles in facilitating the measurement of sustainability-related indicators;
• Blockchain roles in facilitating effective communication of sustainability-related indicators to relevant participants;
• The roles of blockchain’s key features such as detailed and verifiable information, micrometering, low marginal costs of investment and the ability to pinpoint the source of violations in promoting sustainability;
• The role of blockchain in promote transparency and accountability in sustainability-related activities and increasing the empowerment of less powerful participants;
• Blockchain’s roles in reducing fake, counterfeit and low-quality ingredient products in supply chains.

References

European Union (EU) Study on due diligence requirements through the supply chain Final Report https://www.business-huma nrights.org/sites/default/files/documents/DS0120017ENN.en_.pdf 2020.

Forbes Africa Blood diamonds to blockchain diamonds? Forbes Africa https://www.forbesafrica.com/technology/2018/09/03/blood-diam onds-toblockchain-diam onds/ 2018.

Gurtu, A., & Johny, J. (2019). Potential of blockchain technology in supply chain management: A literature review. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 49(9), 881–900.

Kshetri, N. (2021a). Blockchain and supply chain management. New York: Elsevier.

Kshetri, Nir (2021b), “Blockchain and sustainable supply chain management in developing countries”, Volume 60, October, 102376, International Journal of Information Management, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0268401221000694.

Prof. Dr. Nir Kshetri
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• blockchain
• environmental sustainability
• socially inclusive actions
• supply chain management