Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain for Achieving Supply Chain Resilience and Sustainability: An Empirical Investigation in the Peruvian Coffee Supply Chain

Abstract

This research examines the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and Blockchain (BC), two transformative technologies of Industry 4.0, with the potential to reshape the agri-food sector. It highlights their role in enhancing supply network resilience and promoting sustainability in the agri-food industry, particularly in emerging countries such as Peru. This study is grounded in the Technology–Organization–Environment framework and organizational information processing theory as its theoretical foundation. The best–worst method and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory were employed to rank the identified technological, organizational, and environmental drivers and to analyze their causal relationships, followed by a sensitivity analysis to ensure the robustness of results. Data from coffee practitioners in the Peruvian region is used to analyze the combination of AI and BC (Digital Technologies) to improve supply chain resilience, supply chain sustainability at the supply network, and agri-food. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that AI and BC technologies can significantly enhance transparency and traceability in the agri-food supply chain, thereby improving decision-making and operational efficiency. These insights reflect expert perspectives from the Peruvian coffee supply chain and are context-specific.