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MATERIALS 53
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stack measurement (n=17), with multiple responses allowed. and academic institutions, and certification or association
Fingerprint and DNA analysis were reported rarely or bodies—combine comparatively high baseline digitalisation
not at all. For preferred proof of origin for digital traceability, with the strongest regulatory exposure under the EUDR, and
respondents most frequently selected the forest stand (n=28), therefore represent the most probable first movers.
followed by log stack (n=19), single log (n=8), and truck load By contrast, the large and fragmented population of small
(n=5). private forest owners, whose operations still rely heavily on

analogue pen-and-paper workflows and who report the lowest
Operational Feasibility, Digital Maturity & Socio- digital maturity, constitute the principal adoption laggards.
Technical Barriers (RQ1) A rollout strategy should accordingly be tiered: pilots and
Regarding the practical field conditions of the forestry sector, interoperability standards can be seeded with digitally mature
the reluctance or willingness of stakeholders to adopt new downstream and institutional actors, while smallholders are
digital tracking tools can be comprehensively explained by onboarded through cooperative data aggregators and user-
the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). centric, low-barrier mobile interfaces rather than through any
The empirical insights reveal a significant divergence requirement to operate ledger infrastructure directly.
between perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use.

While the perceived usefulness of blockchain is exceptionally Regulatory Compliance & Certification Interfaces
high due to mounting regulatory pressure, its perceived ease In the context of European legal frameworks, stakeholders
of use is severely constrained by the sector's traditional, primarily evaluate blockchain as a mechanism for ensuring
analogue field operations and heterogeneous infrastructure. data integrity under the strict mandates of the EUDR. Because
Stakeholders predominantly view blockchain as an additional the EUDR enforces maximum traceability down to geolocated
cognitive and administrative burden rather than an operational harvest plots, it compels the industry to establish tamper-
optimisation tool. proof data chains.

This socio-technical friction is exacerbated by low digital However, this study identifies the physical-digital "oracle
maturity at the initial stages of the supply chain. Field problem" as the most critical technical hurdle to ensuring
operations in forestry regularly occur in remote areas lacking regulatory compliance.
stable network connectivity, meaning rigid requirements for While blockchain mathematically guarantees data immutability
synchronous, real-time on-chain validation would inevitably after a transaction is recorded, it does not inherently protect
result in severe logistical bottlenecks. against erroneous or fraudulent primary data captured at the
Furthermore, the strategic value of blockchain in realistic forest plot level. This vulnerability reflects the classic "garbage
forestry environments lies less in unconditional transparency in, garbage out" dilemma.
and more in providing compliance-relevant documentation To mitigate the oracle problem, future blockchain implementations

through selective, verifiable evidence without compromising must be systematically linked with physical and biological
commercial confidentiality.
Disaggregating these attitudes by stakeholder role and iStockphoto
baseline digital maturity helps locate the likely early adopters.
The observed polarisation was not uniform across the
sample: actors at the industrial and institutional end of the
value chain—sawmill and timber-processing companies, research