Leveraging blockchain for ecosystem service transparency: enhancing consumer value and sustainability in the beef industry

Rebeca Cordero-Gutiérrez (), Eva Lahuerta-Otero () and Ana Zapatero-González ()
Additional contact information
Rebeca Cordero-Gutiérrez: University of Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, FES
Eva Lahuerta-Otero: GECOS, IME, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, FES
Ana Zapatero-González: Universidad Pontificia Comillas

Agricultural and Food Economics, 2025, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: Abstract Blockchain technology has the potential to enhance transparency and traceability in the agrifood sector, particularly in the beef industry. However, its adoption remains limited in many regions, including Europe. This study investigates the role of ecosystem services in sustainable beef production, highlighting the value these services bring not only to the environment but also to the industry and consumers. By using QR codes linked to blockchain-based traceability systems, consumers can access detailed information about the environmental benefits of extensive livestock farming, such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity preservation, and soil health improvement. Based on a representative sample of 1158 Spanish consumers, our study shows that providing ecosystem service information through QR codes significantly increases consumers’ willingness to pay a premium for beef products. This finding highlights the growing consumer demand for transparency and sustainability in food systems. The integration of information on ecosystem services into product labeling, facilitated by blockchain and QR codes, presents an opportunity for the beef industry to differentiate itself in a competitive market while promoting more sustainable consumption patterns. This study contributes to the food industry by showing how blockchain-enabled transparency regarding ecosystem services can reshape consumer behavior, thus driving both environmental and economic benefits.

Keywords: QR codes; Beef sustainability; Ecosystem services; Blockchain technology; Food supply chain; Consumer preferences; Traceability systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s40100-025-00392-4 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:agfoec:v:13:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1186_s40100-025-00392-4

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... nomics/journal/40100

DOI: 10.1186/s40100-025-00392-4

Access Statistics for this article

Agricultural and Food Economics is currently edited by Alessandro Banterle, Liesbeth Dries, Andrea Marchini and Carlo Russo

More articles in Agricultural and Food Economics from Springer, Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA) Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().