Overview
Background
Shoufeng Cao is an ARC research fellow on the "Deadly Solution: Towards an Indigenous-led Bush Food Industry" project. His research expertise lies in blockchain for business digitalisation, blockchain for supply chain solutions and blockchain for industries. Currently, Shoufeng focuses on exploring and demonstrating the transformative potential of blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the booming bushfood industry.
Shoufeng obtained his doctoral degree from The University of Queensland (UQ), with his thesis on system-wide data-driven risk analysis and management in global fresh produce value chains for the strategic competition of "value chain to value chain". After completing his PhD, Shoufeng started his postdoc research journeys at UQ and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), where he completed three digital transformation projects in agri-food supply chains and the industry funded by three industry-led CRCs including the CRC for developing Northern Australia (CRCNA), the Food Agility CRC, and the Future Food Systems CRC.
His research areas span from the identification of digital transformation strategies in complex multi-industry and multi-region contexts to the design, implementation, and evaluation of blockchain solutions with end users for industrial transformation and real-world disruptive impacts. His completed projects won two Good Design Australia Awards 2020 and one of them was a runner-up of the 2021 ACS Digital Disruptors Awards in the ICT Research Project of the Year Category.
Availability
- Dr Shoufeng Cao is:
- Not available for supervision
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy of Farm Management and Agribusiness, The University of Queensland
Research impacts
The data-driven risk analysis and management project funded by the International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) was described by the Australian Table Grape Association (ATGA) and industry sponsors as “the right project at the right time” to address industry-faced risk and resilience challenges along the export supply chain via risk-related data and information communication and collaborative risk management.
The Digital Transformation for Horticultural Exports from Northern Australia project funded by CRCNA (2018-2020) worked together with Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF), Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (NTDPIR) and Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (WADPIRD) and Hort Innovation Australia with evidence-based industry investment and regional development.
The BeefLedger project funded by Food Agility CRC in which I am a key research contributor received two 2020 Good Design Australia Awards in the commercial services category, and the design strategy category for demonstrating tangible benefits of blockchain for the Australian beef industry.
The Smart Trade Hubs project funded by Future Food Systems CRC in which I am an associate investigator, and a key research contributor was a runner-up for the 2022 ACS Digital Disruptors Awards for the ICT Research Project of the Year Category.
Works
Search Professor Shoufeng Cao’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Other Outputs
The Rise of AI-powered Digital Economy
Cao, Shoufeng (2025, 03 31). The Rise of AI-powered Digital Economy TI Observer 1-5.
2025
Book Chapter
Blockchain applications for carbon trading – an overview of current developments in China
Hao, Yijia, Cao, Shoufeng and Xia, Yong (2025). Blockchain applications for carbon trading – an overview of current developments in China. Blockchain for good: the transformative impacts on industry, community and the planet. (pp. 206-222) edited by Shoufeng Cao and Marcus Foth. Boca Raton, FL, United States: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9781003456346-12
2025
Book
Blockchain for good: the transformative impacts on industry, community and the planet
Shoufeng Cao and Marcus Foth eds. (2025). Blockchain for good: the transformative impacts on industry, community and the planet. Boca Raton, FL, United States: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9781003456346
2025
Journal Article
A collaborative data network for the Asia Oceania region enabled by emerging technologies to foster innovation in a secure and open environment
Specht, Alison, Bryceson, Kim, Cao, Shoufeng, O’Brien, Margaret, Guru, S. M., Correa, Pedro Pizzigatti and Waycott, Michelle (2025). A collaborative data network for the Asia Oceania region enabled by emerging technologies to foster innovation in a secure and open environment. Data Science Journal, 24 1, 1-15. doi: 10.5334/dsj-2025-001
2024
Journal Article
Short videos on Douyin: An intermediary approach to connect Australian food producers with Chinese consumers
McQueenie, Jock, Foth, Marcus, Cao, Shoufeng, Hearn, Greg, Anastasiu, Irina and Powell, Warwick (2024). Short videos on Douyin: An intermediary approach to connect Australian food producers with Chinese consumers. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 10 101148, 101148. doi: 10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.101148
2023
Journal Article
Blockchain Traceability for Sustainability Communication in Food Supply Chains: An Architectural Framework, Design Pathway and Considerations
Cao, Shoufeng, Xu, Henry and Bryceson, Kim P. (2023). Blockchain Traceability for Sustainability Communication in Food Supply Chains: An Architectural Framework, Design Pathway and Considerations. Sustainability, 15 (18) 13486, 1-21. doi: 10.3390/su151813486
2023
Journal Article
Trade in the digital age: agreements to mitigate fragmentation
Deane, Felicity, Woolmer, Emily, Cao, Shoufeng and Tranter, Kieran (2023). Trade in the digital age: agreements to mitigate fragmentation. Asian Journal of International Law, 14 (1), 1-26. doi: 10.1017/s204425132300036x
2023
Journal Article
An asset-backed decentralised finance instrument for food supply chains – A case study from the livestock export industry
Miller, Thomas, Cao, Shoufeng, Foth, Marcus, Boyen, Xavier and Powell, Warwick (2023). An asset-backed decentralised finance instrument for food supply chains – A case study from the livestock export industry. Computers in Industry, 147 103863, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.compind.2023.103863
2023
Book Chapter
Revisiting trust in supply chains: How does blockchain redefine trust?
Powell, Warwick, Cao, Shoufeng, Foth, Marcus, He, Shan, Turner-Morris, Charles and Li, Ming (2023). Revisiting trust in supply chains: How does blockchain redefine trust?. Blockchain driven supply chains and enterprise information systems. (pp. 21-42) edited by Abdelaziz Bouras, Ibrahim Khalil and Belaid Aouni. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-96154-1_2
2023
Journal Article
Exploring blockchain-based traceability for food supply chain sustainability: towards a better way of sustainability communication with consumers
Cao, Shoufeng, Johnson, Hope and Tulloch, Ayesha (2023). Exploring blockchain-based traceability for food supply chain sustainability: towards a better way of sustainability communication with consumers. Procedia Computer Science, 217, 1437-1445. doi: 10.1016/j.procs.2022.12.342
2023
Conference Publication
How can the Indigenous bushfood industry benefit from distributed ledger technology? – emerging application potentials and considerations
Cao, Shoufeng (2023). How can the Indigenous bushfood industry benefit from distributed ledger technology? – emerging application potentials and considerations. 6th Symposium on Distributed Ledger Technology 2022, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 22 November 2022. Rochester, NY, United States: SSRN. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.4494908
2022
Book Chapter
Enabling cross-border trade in the face of regulatory barriers to data flow – the case of the blockchain-based service network
Cao, Shoufeng, Boyen, Xavier, Deane, Felicity, Miller, Thomas and Foth, Marcus (2022). Enabling cross-border trade in the face of regulatory barriers to data flow – the case of the blockchain-based service network. Blockchain for Industry 4.0: Emergence, Challenges, and Opportunities. (pp. 285-303) edited by Anoop V.S., Asharaf S., Justin Goldston and Samson Williams. Boca Raton, FL United States: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9781003282914-15
2022
Journal Article
A blockchain-based multisignature approach for supply chain governance: a use case from the Australian beef industry
Cao, Shoufeng, Foth, Marcus, Powell, Warwick, Miller, Thomas and Li, Ming (2022). A blockchain-based multisignature approach for supply chain governance: a use case from the Australian beef industry. Blockchain: Research and Applications, 3 (4) 100091, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.bcra.2022.100091
2022
Conference Publication
When time is money: a case study of supply chain circulation, disintermediation and value distribution in beef supply to China with blockchain technologies
Powell, Warwick, Cao, Shoufeng and Turner-Morris, Charles (2022). When time is money: a case study of supply chain circulation, disintermediation and value distribution in beef supply to China with blockchain technologies. 6th Symposium on Distributed Ledger Technology, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 22 November 2022. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.4539848
2022
Journal Article
Blockchain smart contracts for supply chain finance: Mapping the innovation potential in Australia-China beef supply chains
Natanelov, Valeri, Cao, Shoufeng, Foth, Marcus and Dulleck, Uwe (2022). Blockchain smart contracts for supply chain finance: Mapping the innovation potential in Australia-China beef supply chains. Journal of Industrial Information Integration, 30 100389, 100389. doi: 10.1016/j.jii.2022.100389
2022
Conference Publication
Fully traceable bio-farming for sustainability transition – applying blockchain technology to verifiable and complete communication of bio-farming throughout the product life cycle
Cao, Shoufeng (2022). Fully traceable bio-farming for sustainability transition – applying blockchain technology to verifiable and complete communication of bio-farming throughout the product life cycle. The Bioeconomy Forum: seizing opportunities and leading the way, Mackay, QLD, Australia, 12 September 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Garbage in garbage out: The precarious link between IoT and blockchain in food supply chains
Powell, Warwick, Foth, Marcus, Cao, Shoufeng and Natanelov, Valéri (2022). Garbage in garbage out: The precarious link between IoT and blockchain in food supply chains. Journal of Industrial Information Integration, 25 100261. doi: 10.1016/j.jii.2021.100261
2021
Conference Publication
Integrating on-chain and off-chain governance for supply chain transparency and integrity
Cao, Shoufeng, Miller, Thomas, Foth, Marcus, Powell, Warwick, Boyen, Xavier and Turner-Morris, Charles (2021). Integrating on-chain and off-chain governance for supply chain transparency and integrity. 5th Symposium on Distributed Ledger Technology, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 23 November 2021. doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2111.08455
2021
Journal Article
From premise to practice of social consensus: How to agree on common knowledge in blockchain-enabled supply chains
Powell, Warwick, Cao, Shoufeng, Miller, Thomas, Foth, Marcus, Boyen, Xavier, Earsman, Barry, del Valle, Santiago and Turner-Morris, Charles (2021). From premise to practice of social consensus: How to agree on common knowledge in blockchain-enabled supply chains. Computer Networks, 200 108536, 108536. doi: 10.1016/j.comnet.2021.108536
2021
Journal Article
What are the effects of short video storytelling in delivering blockchain-credentialed Australian beef products to China?
Cao, Shoufeng, Foth, Marcus, Powell, Warwick and McQueenie, Jock (2021). What are the effects of short video storytelling in delivering blockchain-credentialed Australian beef products to China?. Foods, 10 (10) 2403, 2403. doi: 10.3390/foods10102403
Media
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