Blockchain law in food, water and energy sectors: challenges and promises

Blockchain can potentially address sustainability challenges in the energy, water and food sectors. However, securing its benefits requires consideration of legal aspects. In this chapter, we examine, within the three sectors, six key legislative issues identified through a state-of-the-art review, which require clarification for the broader adoption of blockchain technologies in the sustainability sector. These are: data privacy and security, intellectual property rights, liability, interoperability, smart contracts and decentralised autonomous organisations. We found that blockchain-related legislation in the three sectors is still in an early stage; however, the energy sector has shown more progress. Therefore, we highlight the need for legal developments as blockchain becomes more prevalent. Moreover, we found that the six legislative issues are interconnected, and in their current state, they present challenges and opportunities to be considered when developing blockchain legislation further. Finally, we acknowledge the sectoral approach of this study and encourage future research on the role of blockchain in considering the interconnection across sectors.