Course
Enhancing food supply chain integrity- the role of blockchain in traceability
Have you ever heard of blockchain and the possibilities in the agri-food chain, but would you like to know more about the topic? Then this course is an opportunity for you to learn about the role of blockchain in traceability in food supply chains. In this course, participants will develop an understanding of food supply chain integrity, including the foundational principles of traceability systems and their implementation within food supply chains. They will explore the core operating principles of blockchain technology and its potential to enhance traceability mechanisms. Through practical examples from the food sector and assignments, participants will gain insights into the design, development, and application of blockchain-based traceability systems, equipping them with the knowledge to effectively integrate this technology into real-world scenarios.
Background
The agri-food industry faces challenges like meeting growing food demands, promoting sustainability, reducing environmental impact, cutting supply chain costs, ensuring high-quality standards, and increasing smallholder incomes. Distributed ledger technologies, including blockchain technologies (BCT), hold significant potential to transform the global food system by improving efficiencies across value chains. Blockchain, a decentralized and secure data storage and exchange platform, enhances transparency, traceability, and trust in various sectors, including agri-food. In the agri-food sector, BCT can revolutionise food traceability, providing a transparent and reliable mechanism to validate the quality, safety, authenticity, and sustainability of food products.
Course aim
The objective of this course is to provide interested participants with the theoretical and practical knowledge required to understand the integration of blockchain technology within traceability systems to enhance food supply chain integrity.
Target group
This course is for PhD candidates, recent graduates and food professionals working in small and medium enterprises seeking to advance their knowledge in this evolving field, particularly in food supply chain traceability and the application of blockchain technology.
Course design
The two-day course will combine lectures with practical assignments and group presentations. Participants are required to review some knowledge clips before the lectures to familiarize themselves with key definitions and terminology, ensuring a solid foundation for the content to be covered. Topics addressed on the first day are food integrity, traceability system design and technologies used in traceability. The second day explains the principles of blockchain and its functionalities and designs a blockchain-based traceability system.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the concept of integrity within the food supply chain;
- comprehend the traceability systems principles and their application in food supply chains;
- understand the basic operating principles of blockchain technology and how they can support traceability systems; and
- comprehend the design and practical use of blockchain-based traceability systems in the food sector.
Course coordinator
- Dr Pieternel Luning, Food Quality & Design Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
Other lecturers
- Dr Selcen Semercioz-Oduncuoglu and Dr Pien Schouten, Food Quality & Design Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
Date & duration
The course will be held Tuesday 4 November and Wednesday 5 November (2 full days, including a course dinner on Tuesday 4 November).
Study load
The study load of this course is 0.6 ECTS credits.
Language
The course language will be English.
Contact information
Information concerning the course contents can be obtained from Dr Pieternel Luning
For organisational matters please contact:
Dr Jochem Jonkman
VLAG Graduate School
Phone: +31 317 489549
Location
The course takes place on Wageningen Campus. The town of Wageningen is 5 km from Ede-Wageningen railway station, from which there is a regular bus service to the city centre of Wageningen. The Ede-Wageningen railway station can be reached by train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in about one hour. For train schedules visit: www.ns.nl.
Accommodation is not included but Wageningen offers several options;
Hotels:
Other accommodation:
Registration & course fee
The final registration date is 26 September 2025.
Applicants will be informed of acceptance of their registration before 1 October 2025. They will receive instructions for payment and further course details.
This course was developed in the context of the TRUSTFOOD project. Thanks to the financial support through this project, only a small fee is requested to cover refreshments and meals during the event. Note that this fee does not cover accommodation.
| Reduced fee | |
| VLAG/WU PhD candidates* | € 80 |
| Other PhD candidates | € 80 |
| Postdocs and staff affiliated to VLAG | € 80 |
| Postdocs and academic staff not affiliated to VLAG, non-profit | € 80 |
| Industry / For-Profit | € 80 |
* VLAG/EPS/PE&RC/WASS/WIAS/WIMEK PhD candidates with an approved TSP
Cancellations policy
After acceptance of your registration, the VLAG Cancellation Conditions for course participants will apply.