In Vino Veritas? Blockchain Preliminary Effects on Italian Wine SMEs

Transparency and traceability in the food industry have become two central themes for both consumers and companies. On the one hand, consumer awareness increases with more available in depth information, whilst food manufacturers try to mitigate food safety risks, reduce coordination costs and fraud by improving their presence on the market. In this scenario, innovative technologies and blockchain may have a major impact. The authors investigate the adoption of blockchain in the Italian wine industry and, in particular, the effects of blockchain on the complex inter-organizational supply chain systems SMEs are engaged in. A qualitative approach was chosen to preliminary analyse the motivations driving small Italian wineries to adopt blockchain technologies, and the advantages or drawbacks managers identified during pilot experiments.