scholarly journals Circular and Lean Food Supply Chains

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella Despoudi
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food System ◽  
Supply Chain Design ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Industrial Economy ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Lean Practices ◽  
Lean Operations

Circular economy (CE) refers to the industrial economy that aims to achieve enriched sustainability through restorative objects and supply chain design. Many governments have put in place different initiatives in line with the CE. On the other hand, the term Lean operations refers to the reduction of the non-value adding activities and waste in a supply chain. The food sector has been criticized for its sustainability and circularity due to the high levels of food and packaging waste and at the same time the increasing costs. Although food supply chain entities have started to implement circular economy and lean practices, the current efforts do not seem to be sufficient to achieve a circular and lean food system. The aim of this chapter is to explore the possibility of a circular and at the same lean food supply chain.

Sustainable food supply chains: overcoming key challenges through digital technologies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamran Mahroof ◽  
Amizan Omar ◽  
Berk Kucukaltan
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Critical Success

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a consolidative approach in exploring the potential contribution of digital technologies in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) for the sustainable performance of food supply chain business, through the circular economy concepts.Design/methodology/approachAs a single case study, this qualitative, interpretivist research was based on one of the largest food producers in the United Kingdom. The research utilises semi-structured interviews and applies thematic analysis to offer rich insights into SSCM challenges and their relationship with the business performance, through ten in-depth interviews.FindingsFindings derived from thematic analysis of the interview transcripts suggest four main critical success factors underpinning SSCM practices and businesses performance – i.e. business continuity, waste reduction, performance measurement approach, and organisational learning, which could use the help of digital technologies to improve. This led to seven propositions to be addressed in the future research.Originality/valueThis research offers real, practical insights into SSCM challenges, within the context of food supply chain and explores the potential of digital technologies in overcoming them. Accordingly, the primary contribution of this work is grounded in the identification of critical success factors in SSCM for food supply chains (FSC). Hence, this work contributes further to the literature on SSCM, as well as circular economy, by providing a study of a business in the context of the highly pertinent and valuable food industry.

scholarly journals Barriers to circular food supply chains in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 677-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Farooque ◽  
Abraham Zhang ◽  
Yanping Liu
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Organizational Theories ◽  
Chinese Food

Purpose This paper aims to identify and systematically analyze the causal-effect relationships among barriers to circular food supply chains in China. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in multiple organizational theories, this paper develops a theoretical framework for identifying relevant barriers to integrating circular economy philosophy in food supply chain management. The study uses 105 responses from Chinese food supply chain stakeholders including food processors, sales and distribution channels, consumers and government officials. It applies a fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method to examine the causal-effect relationships among the identified barriers. Findings Overall, the results suggest two key cause barriers: first, weak environmental regulations and enforcement, and second, lack of market preference/pressure. Meanwhile, lack of collaboration/support from supply chain actors is the most prominent barrier. The key cause and prominent barriers are also identified for each of the supply chain stakeholder involved. Research implications The study offers practical insights for overcoming barriers to integrating circular economy philosophy in the management of supply chains in the Chinese food sector, as well as in other contexts where similar challenges are faced. It also sheds light on which organizational theories are most suitable for guiding similar studies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first barrier study on circular food supply chains. The use of multiple organizational theories for the development of the theoretical framework is unique in barrier studies. The study offers insights from multiple stakeholders in the Chinese food supply chains.

scholarly journals Towards Circular Economy in the Agri-Food Sector. A Systematic Literature Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedetta Esposito ◽  
Maria Rosaria Sessa ◽  
Daniela Sica ◽  
Ornella Malandrino
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food System ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Food Supply Chain

Over the last decade, the unsustainability of the current economic model, based on the so-called take-make-dispose paradigm, has emerged. In particular, the agro-food sector (AFS) has been severely affected by such problems as resource scarcity and food loss and waste generation along the supply chain. In addition, climate change and biodiversity loss have helped to define an imperative paradigm shift towards a circular economy. Recently, with the publication of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the scientific research examining the adoption of circular economy (CE) models and tools has increased. In this context, the importance of shifting towards a circular economy has become urgent. In this paper, a systematic literature review (SLR) was performed to investigate the state-of-the-art research related to the adoption of circular economy models and tools along the agro-food supply chain. Furthermore, this review highlights that, due to the complexity of the agri-food supply chain, it is almost utopian to define a unique circular economy model for the whole sector. In addition, it emerges that future researches should be concentrated on the integration of different stages of the supply chain with circular economy models and tools in order to create a closed-loop agri-food system.

Identifying Business-to-Business Unfair Trading Practices in the Food Supply Chain: The case of Cyprus

New Medit ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinos Markou ◽  
Andreas Stylianou ◽  
Marianthi Giannakopoulou ◽  
Georgios Adamides
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
State Level ◽  
Strategic Partnerships ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
National Legislation ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Enforcement Policy ◽  
Monitoring And Enforcement

Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) between businesses in the food supply chain have a significant impact on the various stakeholders involved, and on the environment. So far, no attempt has been made at the Member State level for the identification of UTPs in the food supply chain and their impact on the relevant stakeholders. This study drew on this gap and attempted to identify the UTPs that exist in the Cypriot food supply chain, assess their impact on the involved stakeholders and provide guidelines that will assist the transposition of EU relevant Directive to the national law. To achieve this goal, the study was based on a quantitative survey of a representative sample of businesses using a specific questionnaire. The results showed that particular UTPs do appear in the food supply chain with a different frequency, while the majority of businesses have been victims of UTPs in the last five years. Notably, the estimated cost of UTPs as a percentage of the business annual turnover is considered important ranging from 5.7% for retailers to 31.9% for farmers. Thus, most participants agree that UTPs in the agricultural food sector should be regulated by national legislation. We argue that the national legislation for UTPs should be a mix of policies that integrate private, administrative and judicial methods of monitoring and enforcement. Policy and decision makers should seek to reinforce the role and the bargaining power of small businesses in the food supply chain. This might be accomplished through the development of efficient producers’ organizations, short food supply chains, interbranch organizations and strategic partnerships.

Sustainable Food Logistics Systems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaohui Wu ◽  
Madeleine Elinor Pullman
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Cold Chain ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Chain Management

Food supply chain management is becoming a critical management and public policy agenda. Climate change, growing demand, and shifting patterns of food production, delivery, and consumption have elicited a series of new challenges, such as food security, safety, and system resiliency. This chapter first introduces the typical players in a food supply chain and examines the global food system characterized by consolidation and industrialization. It then discusses some critical topics of the sustainable food supply chain that aim to address these challenges. These topics include traceability, transparency, certification and standards, and alternatives to industrialized food systems, including cooperatives, community-supported agriculture, and roles of small and medium-sized growers in regenerative agriculture. The chapter ends with a discussion of several important emerging logistics management topics, including last-mile delivery, new technology, and cold chain management.

Alternative (Shorter) Food Supply Chains and Specialist Livestock Products in the Scottish–English Borders

10.1068/a3717 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 823-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Ilbery ◽  
Damian Maye
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food Chains ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Hybrid Spaces ◽  
Conceptual Distinction ◽  
Livestock Products

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’.

Blockchain-Based Food Supply Chain Management

2021 ◽  
pp. 134-171
Author(s):  
Dhana Srinithi Srinivasan ◽  
Karpagam Manavalan ◽  
Soundarya R. ◽  
Thamizhi S. I.
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Agriculture Sector ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Efficient Management ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Payment Mechanisms

Blockchain is an emerging technology that is based on the concept of distributed ledgers. It allows for pervasive transactions among different parties and eliminates the need for third-party intermediaries. Several of blockchain's characteristics make it suitable for use in the agriculture sector. Some of the potential applications of blockchain include efficient management of the food supply chain and value-based payment mechanisms. The products of agriculture are usually the inputs for a multi-actor distributed supply chain, in which case the consumer is usually the final client. The food chain involves several actors including farmers, shipping companies, distributors, and groceries. This makes the entire system to be distributed with multiple actors playing different roles throughout the chain. This currently used system is inefficient and unreliable in various aspects. This project aims to leverage blockchain technology to solve and address discrepancies involved in food supply chains.

Supply chain issues in SME food sector: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun Jose ◽  
PrasannaVenkatesan Shanmugam
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Product Quality ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food System ◽  
Ghg Emission ◽  
Major Research ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Themes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the significant supply chain issues in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) food industry. The objectives are to identify the major themes and the dynamic evolution of SME food supply chain (FSC) issues, the current research trends, the different modelling approaches used in SME FSC, and the most addressed SME food sector. Design/methodology/approach In all, 3,733 published articles from 2002 to 2018 in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database were collected, from which 1,091 articles were shortlisted for the review. The authors used bibliographic coupling combined with co-word analysis to identify the historical relations of the research themes that emerged during the periods 2002–2014 and 2002–2018. Findings This research identified five major research themes such as production and distribution in alternative food networks, relationship, safety and standards in the FSC, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission impact of the farm food system, traceability and product quality in FSC and asymmetric price transmission in the FSC. Among the identified themes, GHG emission impact of the farm food system and traceability and product quality in the FSC have received increasing attention in recent years. The dairy sector is the most addressed sector (36 per cent), followed by fruits and vegetables (27 per cent), meat and poultry (18 per cent), seafood (10 per cent) and grains and oilseed (8 per cent). It is also identified that the dairy sector has received significant attention in the “GHG Emission impact of farm food system” theme. Similarly, meat and poultry sectors have received much attention in the “Traceability and product quality in the food supply chain” theme. Also, the authors identified that the empirical modelling approaches are the most commonly used solution methodology, followed by the conceptual/qualitative methods in the SME FSC. Originality/value This study maps and summarizes the existing knowledge base of supply chain issues in the SME food sector. The results of this review provide the major research areas, most commonly used approaches and food sectors addressed. This study also highlights the research gaps and potential future research direction.

scholarly journals Quantities and Quantification Methodologies of Food Waste in Swedish Hospitals

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattias Eriksson ◽  
Christopher Malefors ◽  
Pauline Bergström ◽  
Emelie Eriksson ◽  
Christine Persson Osowski
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Plate Waste ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Regional Authorities ◽  
Sustainable Food System

To move towards a sustainable food system, we cannot continue to waste substantial amounts of the food produced. This is especially true for later stages in the food supply chain, where most sub-processes consume resources in vain when food is wasted. Hospitals are located at the end of the food supply chain and the sector has high levels of food waste. This study investigated food waste quantification practices in Swedish hospitals, examined whether a questionnaire is an appropriate methodology for such mapping, and compiled data for the sector in order to determine the amount of food waste and its composition. A questionnaire was sent to all 21 regional authorities, formerly known as county councils, responsible for hospitals in Sweden. The questionnaire responses were supplemented with food waste records from three regions that organize the catering in a total of 20 hospitals. The results showed that it is common practice in most hospitals to quantify food waste, with quantification focusing on lunch and dinner in relation to the number of guests served. It was also clear that waste quantification practices have been established for years, and in the majority of the hospitals studied. The data revealed that, in comparison with other sectors, food waste was still high, 111 g guest−1 meal−1, consisting of 42% plate waste, 36% serving waste, and 22% kitchen waste. However, there was great variation between hospitals, which, in combination with well-established, standardized waste quantification routines, meaning that this sector has strong potential to spread best practices and improve overall performance in reducing food waste generation.

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