Export strategies and blockchain applications in agri-food supply chain: implications for local development in rural areas

Although digital technologies are increasingly needed by agri-food companies seeking greater production efficiency to increase their profit margins and meet the growing global demand for safety and security food, their adoption is challenging and may not be immediate in a traditionally low-tech environment. Indeed, digital technologies adoption and exploitation entail massive organizational changes and raise privacy, scalability, and costs issues, as well as the need to develop new skills and capabilities. While previous research has investigated relevant factors driving the decision to adopt digital technologies, it is unclear whether and how they may become part of organizations' usual practice and generate economic returns. Accordingly, drawing on Diffusion of Innovation theory (Rogers, 2003), this dissertation intends to adopt a process approach that does not view the adoption of a new technology as a one-off decision to use it or not, but rather as a series of sequential steps through which the technology is examined, adopted and, finally, integrated within an organization and successfully exploited. In chapter 2, a literature review published between 2008 and 2022 on blockchain technology in the agri-food sector allowed outlining the technology adoption process as a three-stage sequential process, i.e. pre-adoption, adoption, and post-adoption. This study showed that prior research focused on adoption antecedents, i.e. enabling factors and barriers. Its explorative intent revealed several research gaps for future investigation, including how organizations implement technology and their effects on economic performance. In chapter 3, a qualitative study on an experimental initiative to create an integrated multi-chain digital traceability platform in Sicilian rural areas revealed how rural organizations implement digital technologies. It showed that, in an innovation-hostile environment, their adoption may occur when an external independent entity with a strong relational position, assisted by public and private partners rooted in the territory, engages in a range of activities tailored to rural communities. Specifically, the focal actor conceives the technology implementation plan, brings together and leverages the resources and capabilities of third parties to attract potential users and manage digital transformation process. In chapter 4, a quantitative study on a representative sample of Italian enterprises operating in the food, beverages and tobacco industry found the effect of digital technology implementation on their export performance. It showed that using advanced digital tools in international trade may exert a positive influence on export performance. However, while they may improve the flexibility and resilience of supply chains, digital technologies also expose organizations to high cyber risks that, although organizations try to combat by adopting cybersecurity measures, may cause them to limit digital trade.