Konpapha Jantapoon
Postharvest losses in tropical fruit exports remain high, with transient temperature excursions during refrigerated transport being the principal driver of quality loss. Although Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring and blockchain traceability have advanced rapidly, empirical evaluations that deploy both technologies within a single operational system and benchmark performance against established supply-chain frameworks are scarce. Over 12 consecutive months (January to December 2024), 50 refrigerated containers of durian ( Durio zibethinus ) and mangosteen ( Garcinia mangostana ) were compared along the Chanthaburi–Rayong–Trat to Guangzhou corridor: 25 used an integrated IoT–blockchain Smart Cold Chain with 15-min temperature–humidity logging and PBFT consensus, and 25 used conventional monitoring. Performance was evaluated against SCOR-aligned metrics and benchmarked with input-oriented variable-returns-to-scale data envelopment analysis (DEA). Smart Cold Chain management reduced temperature volatility by 87.2%, weight loss by 74.9%, lead time by 36.2% and claim value by 95.1% (all p < .001). A regression model (R² = .807; Q² = 0.78) identified temperature volatility as the dominant predictor of weight loss (standardised β = 0.669), exerting 2.6 times the influence of lead time (β = 0.254). DEA confirmed that Smart Cold Chain shipments defined the efficiency frontier (+42.1%), while a single-shipment ROI of 160.8% indicated rapid payback, supporting tiered subsidy programmes for small operators. Theoretically, the findings reframe cold-chain quality management around temperature stability rather than absolute temperature or transit duration, offering a quantified intervention hierarchy for perishable logistics research. Practically, the demonstrated payback within a single shipment establishes a clear business case for adoption, while the tiered policy framework (targeted subsidies, cooperative technology-sharing, interoperability standards and capacity-building) provides actionable guidance for governments and industry associations seeking to extend integrated IoT and blockchain benefits to small and medium-sized exporters in tropical agri-food trade.