| Summary: | Consumer demand for food quality and traceability has increased due to frequent food safety issues. Additionally, international competition has pressured Chinese agriculture to enhance its efficiency and competitiveness through technological innovation. Blockchain technology has emerged as a crucial tool for addressing challenges in the agricultural supply chain and achieving sustainable performance. This study integrates existing literature and finds that no definitive conclusion has been drawn regarding the impact of agricultural supply chain management (ASCM) practices on sustainable performance (SP). Moreover, previous research has not explored the relationship between blockchain technology (BCT), supply chain management practices, and sustainable performance in the agricultural sector. Therefore, this study hypothesizes that ASCM practices can promote the adoption of blockchain technology, which, in turn, enhances the sustainable performance of agribusiness companies. The study assesses the mediating effect of BCT adoption in the relationship between ASCM practices and SP. The objectives are to investigate the relationship between ASCM practices and SP, determine the relationship between ASCM practices and BCT adoption, examine the relationship between BCT adoption and SP, and assess the mediating effect of BCT adoption on the relationship between ASCM practices and SP. By leveraging blockchain's immutability, transparent traceability, and smart contract features, this study explores how blockchain technology can optimize supply chain management processes, reduce operational costs, facilitate resource allocation, drive agricultural transformation toward sustainability, and ultimately improve the sustainable performance of agricultural enterprises. Four hypotheses, including direct and mediating effects, were tested. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey targeting five types of Chinese agricultural enterprises. These enterprises were certified by the Chinese Administration for Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China. A stratified random sampling method generated 352 usable responses. The analysis of direct and indirect relationships reveals that ASCM practices positively affect SP, ASCM practices positively influence BCT adoption, BCT adoption positively impacts SP, and BCT adoption mediates the relationship between ASCM practices and SP. The findings suggest that ASCM practices may be ineffective if a company does not adopt blockchain technology, regardless of whether it is an internal resource or an externally available technology. These findings also have provided supports for the central tenets of the resource-based view (RBV), which posits that companies can achieve superior performance by effectively managing or utilizing their unique resources. Furthermore, the introduction of sound supply chain management and the use of blockchain technology are crucial for the agricultural industry to remain competitive. The primary contribution of this study is its theoretical multi-level perspective, which addresses a gap in agricultural technology research and provides a framework for examining the mediating role of blockchain technology in agriculture.
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