Agricultural Horizons: Research, Technology and Sustainable Development Vol. 3

Organic agriculture increasingly depends on credible systems that can demonstrate compliance with production, handling, processing and marketing requirements across complex value chains. Conventional certification and traceability arrangements rely on inspections, documentation and digital information systems, but fragmented records, centralised data management and information asymmetry may limit continuity and independent verification. This review examines blockchain as a complementary digital infrastructure for strengthening traceability, transparency and trust in organic cultivation systems. It considers farm-to-fork provenance, certification integrity, input verification, supply-chain transparency, consumer authentication, smart-contract-enabled processes, integration with the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and remote sensing, food-quality and safety management, farmer economic participation and sustainability-oriented data governance. Blockchain can provide shared, tamper-evident records and support coordinated access to verified production and transaction information; however, it does not independently establish the truth of physical events or replace certification, inspection or laboratory verification. Its practical value therefore depends on reliable data acquisition, interoperability with existing certification platforms, scalable and energy-efficient architectures, appropriate privacy and governance arrangements, affordable infrastructure and meaningful farmer participation. Particular challenges remain for smallholders operating under limited connectivity and digital capacity. Future research should prioritise field-scale validation, interoperable standards, farmer-centred implementation, cost-benefit assessment and evidence-based evaluation of environmental and socioeconomic outcomes.