Sustainable Food Supply Chains and Service Operations

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable production and distribution are pertinent and timely issues in production economics. They are particularly critical for the food industry, which is still the largest manufacturing sector in many developed and developing countries. The food supply chain is a complex network that spans from the farm to the table, responsible for delivering food products from producers to consumers and involving numerous intermediate steps. Throughout this process, the safety, quality, resilience, sustainability, and traceability of food are of paramount importance.

With evolving consumer demands, advancements in emerging technologies, and the influence of climate change, oil dependency, fair trade, and public health crises, many food supply chain enterprises are undergoing innovative reforms to address evolving needs and challenges. These include digital transformation, sustainability and environmental initiatives, supply chain traceability, multi-channel sales models, personalization, and customization, among others. Consequently, the management of food supply chain service operations faces new challenges and opportunities.

This Special Issue aims to gather significant research on sustainable food supply chains and service operations management in the context of these new dynamics. Its goal is to ensure the high quality and safety of food while enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the food industry. We look forward to unveiling strong practical and theoretical implications that service operations management in the food supply chain within the context of new technologies, organizations, societies, and environments.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Food supply chain sustainability;
• Food supply chain quality management;
• Food supply chain risk management;
• Food supply chain finance;
• Food supply chain resilience;
• Food supply chain information flow management;
• Food supply traceability and transparency;
• Food waste reduction strategies;
• Food quality and safety;
• Food storage and transportation safety management；
• Digital transformation and the IoT in food supply chain;
• Emerging markets and international trade on food supply chain;
• Social and environmental responsibility in food supply chain;
• Consumer behavior and food service trends;
• Demand control and food safety measures;
• Collaborative food supply chain models;
• Food safety regulations and compliance;
• Technological innovations in food delivery services;
• Logistics and operations for sustainable food supply chain management;
• Packaging and containment of sustainability.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Jian Li
Dr. Hao Hu
Dr. Libin Guo
Dr. Feifei Yang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• food supply chain
• sustainability
• service operations
• food safety
• social and environmental responsibility