*5.2.2 Cost*

The adoption of blockchain incurs diverse costs, such as recruiting blockchain expert, investment in additional equipment (e.g. sensors and radio-frequency identification tags). In addition, adopters need to spend a lot of time and resources to master the complexity of blockchain. The cost may be justifiable for the leading firms that initiate blockchain implementation projects, because they are usually large firms with bountiful resources. It is financially viable for them to invest in costly project that promises long-term returns. However, this is not the case for small- and mediumsized food supply chain actors with low margins. Therefore, high implementation cost may hinder the adoption intention of these actors.
