scholarly journals Framing the transition towards sustainable agri-food supply chains

2021 ◽  
Vol 899 (1) ◽  
pp. 012003
Author(s):  
G T Tsoulfas ◽  
Y Mouzakitis

Abstract The connection of the agri-food sector with the agenda of sustainable development comes naturally, as the chain from production to processing, trading, distribution and consumption is directly connected with significant issues in environmental, economic, and social realms. Today’s challenge for businesses is not whether to embrace sustainability, but rather how to effectively establish sustainable supply chains. Therefore, a solid grasp of the move from “conventional” to “sustainable” supply chains is necessary. In this paper, we focus on the supply chain management of the agri-food sector, seeking to shed light on practices which may contribute to the transition of the sector towards sustainability. In this vein, we extend the conceptual framework which was proposed by Beske and Seuring (2014) so that it accommodates the contemporary particularities of agri-food supply chains.

Author(s):  
Yair ROMERO-ROMERO ◽  
Ariel VÁZQUEZ-ELORZA ◽  
Julia SÁNCHEZ-GÓMEZ

The little development and disruption of in agri-food supply chains are important factors that prevent the growth of small Mexican producers, being the link with the lowest income of the entire chain and in which there are the greatest injustices. The objective of this research work is to map and identify the links the supply chain of the mango barranqueño; and benchmarked with the Tommy Atkins chain. The methodology used consisted of three steps: 1) Data analysis of the Barranco mango, 2) Mapping the supply chain of the mango barranqueño and Tommy Atkins and, as well as their relationships, and 3) Compare of supply chains to analyze the links that could be developed and improve in the supply chain of the mango barranqueño. The contribution of this work is the first approach for the analysis and improvement of the supply chain management of small producers of the barranqueño mango, in order to strengthen short sustainable supply chains.


Food Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 221-228
Author(s):  
A. Azhar ◽  
Y.T. Tu

Halal food plays an important role in the economic development in various countries. However, halal food supply chains could threaten the environment in several ways. This study was aimed to analyse the best practice of the implementation of a sustainable halal food supply chain from many data sources. The data then transform into managerial knowledge for the halal food industry. The data was collected using SAS Text Miner and analyzed using the decision tree. The analysis shows four key features of sustainable halal food supply chains: pre-slaughtering, warehousing, halal integrity, and packaging. From these features, the two most important factors of successful sustainability implementation in the halal food supply chain are found to be warehousing and packaging. The present study applies a relational view theory and an analysis theory of natural resource-based view, creating and extending new sustainable strategies of halal food chain management to sustainable halal food chain management.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Stone ◽  
Shahin Rahimifard

PurposeResilience in agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) is an area of significant importance due to growing supply chain volatility. While the majority of research exploring supply chain resilience has originated from a supply chain management perspective, many other disciplines (such as environmental systems science and the social sciences) have also explored the topic. As complex social, economic and environmental constructs, the priority of resilience in AFSCs goes far beyond the company specific focus of supply chain management works and would conceivably benefit from including more diverse academic disciplines. However, this is hindered by inconsistencies in terminology and the conceptual components of resilience across different disciplines. The purpose of this study is to use a systematic literature review to identify which multidisciplinary aspects of resilience are applicable to AFSCs and to generate a novel AFSC resilience framework.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a structured and multidisciplinary review of 137 articles in the resilience literature followed by critical analysis and synthesis of findings to generate new knowledge in the form of a novel AFSC resilience framework.FindingsFindings indicate that the complexity of AFSCs and subsequent exposure to almost constant external interference means that disruptions cannot be seen as a one-off event; thus, resilience must concern the ability to not only maintain core function but also adapt to changing conditions.Practical implicationsA number of resilience elements can be used to enhance resilience, but their selection and implementation must be carefully matched to relevant phases of disruption and assessed on their broader supply chain impacts. In particular, the focus must be on overall impact on the ability of the supply chain as a whole to provide food security rather than to boost individual company performance.Originality/valueThe research novelty lies in the utilisation of wider understandings of resilience from various research fields to propose a rigorous and food-specific resilience framework with end consumer food security as its main focus.


2021 ◽  
Vol 899 (1) ◽  
pp. 012002
Author(s):  
M Kontopanou ◽  
G T Tsoulfas ◽  
N P Rachaniotis

Abstract The triple-a supply chain model focuses on ensuring the agility, adaptability, and alignment of the supply chains in order to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. These characteristics have extended the supply chain desired traits from just being cost-effective and responsive. The agri-food supply chains include a diverse range of products, which differentiate in various aspects such as processing, life-cycle, seasonality, vulnerability, etc. These characteristics lead to different supply chain typologies and various requirements for synergies among stakeholders in order to meet these objectives. The situation gets even more complicated when sustainability objectives enter into the supply chain design and operation process. The scope of this paper is to analyze and assess the compatibility of the triple-a agri-food supply chain with the UN sustainable development goals and outline the interventions that could facilitate decision-making concerning the design and operation of sustainable agri-food supply chains.


Author(s):  
K. Pubudu Nuwnthika Jayasena ◽  
Poddivila Marage Nimasha Ruwandi Madhunamali

The central problem to be addressed in this research is to investigate how blockchain technology can be used in today's food supply chains to deliver greater traceability of assets. The aim is to create a blockchain model in the dairy supply chain that can be implemented across any food supply chains and present the advantages and limitations in its implementation. Blockchain allows monitoring all types of transactions in a supply chain more safely and transparently. Acceptance of blockchain in the supply chain and logistics is slow right now because of related risks and the lack of demonstrable models. The proposed solution removes the need for a trusted centralized authority, intermediaries and provides records of transactions, improving high integrity, reliability, and security efficiency and protection. All transactions are registered and maintained in the unchangeable database of the blockchain with access to a shared file network.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Showkat Ahmad Bhat ◽  
Nen-Fu Huang ◽  
Ishfaq Bashir Sofi ◽  
Muhammad Sultan

Modern-day agriculture supply chains have evolved from sovereign and autonomous local stakeholders to a worldwide interconnected system of multiple participants linked by complicated interactions, impacting the production, processing, transportation, and delivery of food to end consumers. Regular instances of fraudulent acts reveal a lack of openness in agriculture supply chains, raising worries about financial losses, eroding customer trust, and lowering corporate brand value. To develop an efficient and reliable trading environment, several fundamental modifications in the present supply chain architecture are required. There is broad consensus that blockchain can improve transparency in agriculture-food supply chains (agri-food SCs). Consumers now demand safe, sustainable, and equitable food production processes, and businesses are using blockchains and the internet of things to meet these needs. For enhanced responsiveness in agri-food SCs, new concepts have evolved that combine blockchains with various Industry 5.0 technologies (e.g., blockchain technology, big data, internet of things (IoT), radio frequency identification (RFID), near field communication (NFC), etc.). It is critical to cut through the hype and examine the technology’s limits, which might stymie its acceptance, implementation, and scalability in agri-food supply chains. This study presents Agri-SCM-BIoT (Agriculture Supply Chain Management using Blockchain and Internet of things) architecture to address the storage and scalability optimization, interoperability, security and privacy issues security, and privacy of personal data along with storage concerns with present single-chain agriculture supply chain systems. We also discussed the classification of security threats with IoT infrastructure and possible available blockchain-based defense mechanisms. Finally, we discussed the features of the proposed supply chain architecture, followed by a conclusion and future work.


Author(s):  
Aisha Zahid Junejo ◽  
Manzoor Ahmed Hashmani ◽  
Abdullah A. Alabdulatif

Halal food is gaining attention among Muslims and non-Muslims alike due to its nature of ensuring food is free from any impurities or contamination and hygienically prepared. The growing demand for Halal food has resulted in several food-producing companies to certify their products as Halal. However, with existing supply chains, there is no authenticity of these products being Halal. To ensure Halal food authenticity, the technology of blockchain is proposed as a viable solution. In this chapter, the applicability and usability of blockchain technology in food supply chain management systems is studied and highlighted. The study depicts that how trackability and traceability of the blockchain networks can effectively aid in maintaining the Halal integrity of food products by presenting various use cases. Technological shift for food supply chains over blockchains will result in more transparent, secure, and resilient supply chains. This will bring variety of health and economic benefits to food producing business and consumers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Ramos ◽  
Andrea S. Patrucco ◽  
Melissa Chavez

Purpose Considering the unprecedented supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the agri-food sector, the possession of dynamic capabilities (DCs) – particularly, the need for higher agility – seems to be the key to survival in highly uncertain environments. This study aims to use the dynamic capability view (DCV) theory to analyze how three key supply chain capabilities – organizational flexibility, integration and agility – should be combined to obtain the desired supply chain performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors designed a conceptual model in which the relationships between these three key capabilities and supply chain performance were hypothesized. The model was first tested through partial least square regression using survey data collected from 98 members of the Peruvian coffee supply chain. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted to uncover how DCs could be combined in successful supply chain configurations. Findings The authors show that organizational flexibility is a driver of higher agility in agri-food supply chains, together with external and internal supply chain integration, that have a direct impact on agility, which positively affects supply chain performance. Higher levels of supply chain agility are necessary but insufficient to guarantee high performance, as sufficiency is reached when both integration (internal and/or external) and agility are present. Originality/value This study represents a pioneering attempt to apply the DCV theory to agri-food supply chains – characterized by many sources of uncertainty. All the DCs are included within the same model and the joint use of PLS regression and fsQCA provides evidence about the relationships between DCs and how they can empower agri-food supply to obtain the desired performance.


10.1068/a3717 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 823-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Ilbery ◽  
Damian Maye

In this paper findings are presented from survey work conducted with producers of specialist livestock products in the Scottish–English borders. Using supply-chain diagrams, the paper highlights how specialist livestock businesses operate individual or customised supply chains. The heterogeneity of surveyed producer initiatives throws into question both the simple conceptual distinction drawn between the labels ‘conventional’ and ‘alternative’ and also what is meant by a ‘short’ food supply chain. The starting point of the specialist food chain is clearly not the point of production but rather a series of upstream supply links—as is found in conventional food chains. Likewise, ‘alternative’ producers are regularly obliged, or choose, to ‘dip in and out’ of different conventional nodes downstream of the business, such as abattoirs, processors, and wholesalers. In practice, delimitations between ‘alternative’ and ‘conventional’ food supply chains are often blurred and are better characterised as ‘hybrid spaces’.


2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 27-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Bremmers ◽  
Bernd Van der Meulen ◽  
Zorica Sredojevi ◽  
Jo Wijnands

Recent price movements have put food supply chains under pressure. On the one side, upward price tendencies on commodity markets result in higher costs to processing firms. On the other side, these firms are confronted with a strong retail sector that is able to prevent compensation to protect consumers’ and own economic interests. Regulatory impediments of European law, especially with respect to foodstuffs, can adversely be utilized as barriers to protect the interest downstream the supply chain. The problem is that legal-economic instruments which can serve to smooth price volatility in supply markets can also opportunistically be used at the expense of the middlesection in food supply chains (i.e., mainly small and medium sized producers). The aim of this article is to identify the legal-economic mechanisms that effect price transfers in food supply chains in the European Union and define policy adjustments to improve pricing mechanisms, while safeguarding the interests of the processing industry. Policy alternatives to improve the smooth functioning of notably intermediate markets in food supply chains are the restructuring of competition law, improved processor information management and creating transparency of value added in the supply chain by means of labelling devices.


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