Exploring Possibilities of Implmenting A “Long-Short” Supply Chain Within The Fair Trade Sector With Blockchain Technology

Abstract

The fair trade approach offers a model for changing production and consumption patterns, but has always been a niche market and is currently suffering from overproduction, insofar as not all production produced under fair trade schemes finds takers in this specific market. With the implementation of blockchain technology (BCT) in fair trade supply chains, the question is if it is possible to (re)create the link (or to emphasize the existing one) between fair trade producers and consumers, even if there are many intermediaries and long geographical distances between them. With a literature review to explore the expectations of consumers on fair trade products and a case study in Bolivia to explore possibilities to provide information on production and producers from the point of origin, this research focuses on the possibilities of using BCT to link both ends of the supply chain within the fair trade sector.