essedielle is pleased to present the research study named “Blockchain Impacts on Wine Supply Chain”, conducted by Dr. Martina De Luca and in collaboration with essedielle.
The research assumes that digitization is increasingly taking on a fundamental role for businesses that want to survive, especially after the pandemic. This trend is especially true for the wine sector, which is far behind other sectors in this respect.
The analysis of the sector’s data in fact showed that Italy, despite being the first country for wine production, is second in terms of export value. The Italian regions having the best results in terms of international trade are only five, whereas the other fifteen regions account for little more than 13% of national wine exports. Among the many reasons at the basis of this gap there is the lack of attention towards important subjects such as communication.
Right in this context, digitization becomes fundamental, because it is often connected to better marketing strategies, allowing to reach foreign consumers more easily and to make their company known.
Among the new technologies stands out the Blockchain. In fact, the blockchain makes it possible to collect all company documentation (such as transport documents, laboratory tests and certifications) and upload it to a specific platform, making this information transparent, public and no longer modifiable. Furthermore, through blockchain it is possible to create a storytelling with which the history of the brand and of the single bottle of wine are shared with the final consumer.
In order to better understand how this process can be concretely accomplished, we can think about a simple QR code (or barcode or maybe a microchip present in the cap of the bottle).
By reading it, it will be possible to have access to a whole series of information, ranging from the place of production to the characteristics of the soil, from the information about the production site to the number of bottles produced.
However, a limitation in the application of these technologies is linked to the belief that small and medium companies – of which the Italian wine sector is full of – cannot afford to invest in these technologies because they are considered not very accessible and whose return is difficult to estimate.
The objective of this study is therefore to demonstrate how the implementation of blockchain technology can be an excellent tool for small and medium-sized wineries to make themselves known abroad and thus increase sales.