"background": "Global demand for organic produce is rising, yet smallholder exporters in developing nations often struggle to capture commensurate price premiums. A key barrier is the inability to verifiably demonstrate product provenance and organic integrity to distant buyers, leading to information asymmetry and market inefficiency. ", "purpose and objectives": "This study investigates whether implementing blockchain-enabled traceability (BET) systems influences the price premiums obtained by organic pineapple exporters. It specifically analyses the hedonic price determinants for exports from a key producing region. ", "methodology": "We employed a hedonic pricing model, specified as Pi = \0 + \1 BETi + =2^{n \ Zki + \, where Pi is the export unit price, BETi is a binary variable for blockchain use, and Z₊₈ is a vector of other pineapple attributes and exporter characteristics. Primary data were collected via a structured survey of exporters. Estimation used robust standard errors to account for heteroscedasticity. ", "findings": "Exporters utilising BET systems secured a statistically significant price premium of 18. 7% (95% CI: 12. 3%, 25. 1%) compared to non-users, ceteris paribus. Other significant determinants included certification body reputation and fruit brix level. Farm size was not a significant price factor. ", "conclusion": "Blockchain-enabled traceability is a significant and positive determinant of export prices for organic pineapples, effectively allowing producers to capitalise on the value of verifiable provenance. ", "recommendations": "Policymakers and development agencies should prioritise support for piloting and scaling affordable BET solutions tailored to smallholder exporter cohorts. Export associations should develop capacity-building programmes focused on data integrity for blockchain systems. ", "key words": "hedonic pricing, blockchain, traceability, organic agriculture, export markets, smallholders", "contribution statement": "
Kwame Ofori-Atta (2026) studied this question.