Search Results (29)

Background: Growing environmental concerns and the vulnerability of global supply chains to disruptions, such as pandemics, natural disasters, and logistical failures, necessitate the design of sustainable and resilient supply chains. Methods: A novel multi-period mixed-integer linear programming model is developed with the objective of maximizing supply chain profit to design a complete citrus supply chain, which incorporates the production of citrus fruit and juice, and accommodates resilience and sustainability perspectives. Results: A comprehensive citrus supply chain scenario is presented to support the applicability of the proposed model, leveraging real data from citrus supply chain stakeholders in Egypt. Moreover, an actual case study involving a citrus processing company in Egypt is demonstrated. Gurobi software is used to solve the developed model. To build a resilient supply chain which can cope with different disruptions, different scenarios are modeled and strategies for having multiple suppliers, backup capacity, and alternative logistics routes are evaluated. Conclusions: The findings underscore the critical role of resilience in supply chain management, particularly in the agri-food sector. Moreover, the proposed model not only maximizes supply chain profitability but also equips stakeholders with the tools necessary to navigate challenges effectively. Full article

The concept of sustainability in agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) is gaining traction among researchers and practitioners. There has been a considerable effort to define and identify frameworks for assessing, monitoring, and improving sustainability practices within systems and organizations. The multi-capital approach presents an alternative tool for sustainability that integrates various types of capital to provide a deeper understanding and assessment of the impacts across different facets of the system. This review systematically examines existing research on AFSC sustainability indicators and assessment from a multi-capital perspective. Based on 106 articles, 116 indicators from various databases (Web of Science, Scopus, and others) are identified. These indicators are assigned to specific AFSC actors and forms of capital. Their role in evaluating the AFSCs through a sustainability lens is examined. The analysis also identifies the most significant capital associated with each actor. This analysis leads to the development of a structured framework that helps actors assess their resources and pinpoint sustainability challenges. Following this review, a theoretical framework is derived, connecting sustainability capital, key themes, and relevant Sustainable Development Goals. This provides a comprehensive tool for evaluating assets and guiding strategic actions for AFSC. Full article

Greater engagement with alternative food supply chains is considered a key factor in reducing a range of environmental and social harms associated with the global agri-food system. However, consumer engagement with these supply chains is low, and little research has investigated this issue in the Australian context. This study aimed to identify Australian consumers’ drivers and barriers in procuring food grown locally from alternative grocery retailers. Self-reported primary or co-equal grocery shoppers (n = 325) completed measures of drivers and barriers to shopping for locally produced food (within 200 km) from alternative retailers, as well as current behavioural engagement with such. An exploratory factor analysis revealed four key drivers (Food Shopping as an Expression of Values, Food Shopping as a Socio-Emotional Experience, Avoiding “Unnatural” Food, Protesting the Duopoly) and two key barriers (It’s All Too Hard, Local Food Scepticism). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that together, these drivers and barriers explained a significant 9% of the variance in the frequency of alternate shopping practices, of which only the barrier It’s All Too Hard accounted for a significant amount of unique variance. Findings point to ways to encourage engagement with sustainable food systems, as well as critical barriers to overcoming disengagement. Full article

Creating propositions for the near and distant future requires a design to catch the tide of the times and move with or against trends. In addition, appropriate, adaptable, flexible, and transformational projects are needed in light of changes in science, technology, social, economic, political, and demographic fields over time. Humanity is facing a period in which science and developing technologies will be even more important in solving food safety, health, and environmental problems. Adapting to and mitigating climate change; reducing pollution, waste, and biodiversity loss; and feeding a growing global population with safe food are key challenges facing the agri-food industry and the food supply chain, requiring systemic transformation in agricultural systems and sustainable future agri-food. The aim of this review is to compile scientific evidence and data, define, and create strategies for the future in terms of food security, safety, and sufficiency; future sustainable foods and alternative protein sources; factors affecting food and nutrition security and agriculture; and promising food systems such as functional foods, novel foods, synthetic biology, and 3D food printing. In this review, the safety, conservation, nutritional, sensory, welfare, and potential challenges and limitations of food systems and the opportunities to overcome them on the basis of new approaches, innovative interpretations, future possibilities, and technologies are discussed. Additionally, this review also offers suggestions for future research and food trends in light of future perspectives. This article focuses on future sustainable foods, alternative protein sources, and novel efficient food systems, highlights scientific and technological advances and new research directions, and provides a significant perspective on sustainability. Full article

Effectively implementing innovations in agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) is contingent upon stakeholders’ preferences. Using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), the objective of this research was to ascertain the degree of willingness among farmers, consumers, and various stakeholders (including processing companies, restaurants, and retailers) in the tomato supply chain of Catalonia (Spain) to shorten the chain and promote local procurement. Based on a set of social, economic, and environmental criteria encompassing sustainability in AFSCs, the results showed that economic factors, particularly profitability and affordability, were the key driving factors in the decisions of stakeholders. However, the considerable importance placed on strategic attributes, including local production, environmental sustainability, and product quality, particularly among consumers, seemed to present a chance to advocate for sustainable alternatives, such as short food supply chains (SFSCs). The AHP methodology facilitates differentiation with respect to the criteria of the decision-making process and serves as a valuable instrument for evaluating the reception of innovations within the AFSC and categorizing the stakeholders who exhibit the greatest interest in them. In order to improve the sustainability of agri-food systems, our findings may be incorporated into strategic plans developed by policymakers. Full article

The EU’s regulatory framework for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) was developed for “classical” transgenic GMOs, yet advancements in so-called “new genomic techniques (NGTs)” have led to implementation challenges regarding detection and identification. As traceability can complement detection and identification strategies, improvements to the existing traceability strategy for GMOs are investigated in this study. Our results are based on a comprehensive analysis of existing traceability systems for globally traded agricultural products, with a focus on soy. Alternative traceability strategies in other sectors were also analysed. One focus was on traceability strategies for products with characteristics for which there are no analytical verification methods. Examples include imports of “conflict minerals” into the EU. The so-called EU Conflict Minerals Regulation requires importers of certain raw materials to carry out due diligence in the supply chain. Due diligence regulations, such as the EU’s Conflict Minerals Regulation, can legally oblige companies to take responsibility for certain risks in their supply chains. They can also require the importer to prove the regional origin of imported goods. The insights from those alternative traceability systems are transferred to products that might contain GMOs. When applied to the issue of GMOs, we propose reversing the burden of proof: All companies importing agricultural commodities must endeavour to identify risks of unauthorised GMOs (including NGTs) in their supply chain and, where appropriate, take measures to minimise the risk to raw material imports. The publication concludes that traceability is a means to an end and serves as a prerequisite for due diligence in order to minimise the risk of GMO contamination in supply chains. The exemplary transfer of due diligence to a company in the food industry illustrates the potential benefits of mandatory due diligence, particularly for stakeholders actively managing non-GMO supply chains. Full article

In recent years, the world has witnessed one of the most severe raw material crises ever recorded, with serious repercussions for maintaining its agri-food supply chain. This crisis risks dramatically impacting the poorest areas of the planet and poses profound reflections on global food security. In this complex geopolitical context, the recovery and recycling of renewable resources have become an obligatory path and, today, more than ever, essential in the fertiliser industry. To achieve these objectives, TIMAC AGRO Italia S.p.A. has undertaken a research activity to review the formulation of fertilisers by diversifying the raw materials used and introducing recycled raw materials. This article carried out a life cycle assessment (LCA) on four fertilisers to identify and quantify whether the changes influenced the environmental impacts, highlighting how applying the circular economy within industrial processes can reduce the pressure on natural resources. The results demonstrate that the global warming potential (GWP) impacts of the different reformulated fertilisers show a considerable variation of 4.4–9.2% due to the various raw materials used, the nitrogen content, and related emissions deriving from environmental dispersion. This study shows the importance of the LCA methodology to analyse and quantify the impact categories generated on the life cycle of fertiliser production and to identify the optimal by-products and end-of-waste for the fertiliser industry to find a synergy between environmental and agronomic performance. It also highlights the relevance of the transition to circular production and consumption systems to reduce environmental pressures and their effects on communities and ecosystems without compromising yields. Finally, the positive results encourage accelerating the circular transition and finding alternatives to virgin-mined raw materials. Full article

An agroecological transition can enhance resilience by several means, e.g., managing ecological relationships through agroecosystems, enhancing farmers’ knowledge of natural resources, recycling those resources, maintaining biodiversity, and thus, flexibly adapting to environmental stresses. However, the hegemonic agri-food system has been continuing its capitalist transition, thereby undermining agroecological methods and deterritorialising social bonds. Facing this pervasive threat, an agroecological transition needs a greater convergence between agroecological production and a solidarity economy (economia solidaria or EcoSol in Latin America). Their convergence can be called EcoSol-agroecology, based on short food supply chains (called circuitos cortos there). These efforts develop territorial markets, generate more stable livelihoods, and thus keep producers on the land. In our study, each research team collaborated with an EcoSol-agroecology network to develop Participatory Action Research methods. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their circuitos cortos, stimulating creative adaptations or alternatives, alongside demands for policy support measures. These networks have regionally territorialised local initiatives, while also confronting obstacles from the hegemonic system. Although socioecological resilience often means a system’s capacity to bounce back, here it has meant bouncing forwards through new opportunities for solidaristic livelihoods and bonds. EcoSol-agroecology networks, agri-extensionists, and researchers have jointly developed such counter-hegemonic strategies, as illustrated by the case studies here. Full article

Nowadays, the agri-food sector is facing fundamental challenges. According to the FAO study, the amount of arable land per capita in the world will decrease from 0.6 hectares per person in 2000 to 0.2 hectares by 2050, while the demand for food will increase by 70%. With today’s yield growth of 1.5% per year, such changes could result in global food shortages. Therefore, the governments of developed and developing countries should support initiatives for the digitization of agri-food businesses and the introduction of new technologies to increase the volume of food production. Russia’s war against Ukraine is the main cause of the global food crisis, which could bring serious political and economic consequences. The agricultural and food sector of Ukraine is about 10% of GDP. For many years, the Ukrainian agro-industrial complex, before the full-scale invasion of Russia, occupied a leading position among the global exporters. Ukraine supplied 10% of world wheat exports, more than 14% of corn and more than 47% of sunflower oil. A full-scale war has become a real test for the Ukrainian agri-food industry. The invasion entailed the destruction of food production processes and logistics chains. Many sowing areas were mined, equipment and warehouses were destroyed. At the end of 2022, Ukraine exported agricultural products worth USD 23.6 billion. Although the figure for 2022 is 15% less than the record of 2021 (USD 27.9 billion), last year’s value of exports became the second since the independence of Ukraine. Disruptions to Ukrainian exports exacerbated the rise in food prices, which, according to the FAO index, increased by 54% in February 2022. In March 2023, prices fell, but they were still 6.4% higher than in 2022. The purpose of the study is to assess the level of digital transformation of the Ukrainian agri-food industry in order to ensure food security at the national and international levels. Digitalization of the agri-food industry in Ukraine should be considered a source of deep systemic transformations, which involves the use of digital technologies at the business level to optimize business operations, increase company productivity, and improve interaction with suppliers and customers. For agri-food companies, the issue of digitalization concerns not only technological modernization, but also a complete change of business processes: farm management systems, data processing and harvest forecasting, agricultural processing, food quality management, systems for creating added value for products, warehouse management systems, and human resources management. Nowadays, digitalization can accelerate the transformation of the agri-food industry across the entire supply chain, from manufacturing and purchasing processes to distribution, logistics and finance. Innovative technologies that can become breakthrough in the agri-food industry are as follows: bioinformatics; synthetic biology; food design; smart farming; vertical farms; aquaculture; bioinformatics; genetics; alternative sources of protein; technology of conservation and extension of the shelf life of food products. In Ukraine, a number of agri-food enterprises are moving to Industry 4.0. The most innovative companies in Ukraine are the largest exporters “Kernel”, “MHP”, “ASTARTA-KYIV”. “Kernel”, a large producer and exporter of sunflower oil, has been successfully implementing innovations for the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine for many years. The company uses digital technologies at all stages—from growing products to sales. The company’s IT team digitized logistics, trading, and document management. All information about the processes taking place in agri-food production is collected in the “Kernel DigitalAgriBusiness” innovative ecosystem. “MHP”, the largest producer and exporter of chicken in Ukraine, continues to use biogas to produce electricity, industrial steam, and heating. “MHP” biogas projects are a significant contribution to the company’s energy independence and environmental responsibility. “ASTARTA-KYIV”, a vertically integrated agricultural holding, developed a complex system of IT solutions for agribusiness management “AgriChain”, which includes management of the land bank of the agricultural company (AgriChain Land), agricultural production (AgriChain Farm), monitoring of crops (AgriChain Scout), logistics of goods (AgriChain Logistics), warehouse management (AgriChain Barn), business processes (AgriChain Kit). Digital transformations are also being followed in the dairy industry. “Bel Shostka Ukraine” company is engaged in the digital transformation of the milk harvesting process. According to our research, breakthrough innovations are predominantly implemented by large Ukrainian agri-food companies, since they have significant financial resources for R&D, while SMEs are concentrating their efforts on the digitalization of business operations and implementation of energy efficient technologies. Full article

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are advocated as strategies to improve the sustainability of the agro-food system. The recent literature claims that SFSCs are examples of social experimentation and innovation. By scaling up the positive elements of niche alternative food networks, SFSCs can serve as a basis for changing the overall agri-food system. However, their economic impact remains a matter of debate. Local multiplier methods have been used to measure the economic impact of economic sectors at a regional scale. In the case of SFSCs, multiplier methods need to be developed at a local scale and are highly data demanding. This analysis measures the local financial flow created by the MercaTiAmo project by applying the Local Multiplier 3 (LM3) method. MercaTiAmo is organized by a group of citizens and farmers and arranges farmers’ markets three days per week in the city of Parma (northern Italy). To measure the financial flow created by the initiative, data were collected from 10 farmers representing 70% of the farmers participating in the project. The method takes into account the total annual turnover (Round 1), the local expenses of the farmers (Round 2), and the local expenses of the farmers’ suppliers (Round 3). The results suggest that farmers with a higher turnover (Round 1) and percentage of direct expenses in the local area (Round 2) also show higher values of LM3, thus suggesting a higher economic impact, while Round 3 does not affect LM3. The novelty of the study relies on the fact that here the local multiplier method is applied for the first time at the farm level, providing precise information and data on farmers’ upstream supply chain, which can be used to inform policymakers and initiators of SFSCs. Moreover, the study provides a detailed description of the main categories of costs for farmers and which categories of costs are more suited to be locally based. For this reason, the study contributes to the debate on the economic impact of SFSCs in the local area. The method can also be used to provide information to consumers on the economic impact of alternative food networks and local food production. Full article

The advent of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies has revolutionized production environments with their application in supply chains, particularly within the agrifood sector. One notable I4.0 technology is blockchain, which holds significant potential for traceability in agrifood supply chains. However, there are concerns regarding digital trust among the actors involved in adopting this technology. The concept of digital trust, essential for successful implementation, remains underexplored. This research aims to propose a framework for evaluating digital trust in the context of blockchain technology to foster a secure and reliable information sharing environment among all stakeholders within the agrifood supply chain to build confidence in security based on data permissions for user identity. To accomplish this, an extensive literature review was conducted to identify the factors affecting stakeholders’ expectations and trust in using blockchain technology in agrifood supply chains. The literature review will enhance the knowledge about these different factors affecting digital trust under four key dimensions, that are, security/privacy, data control, accountability, and benefit/value. These factors are then ranked using a multi criteria decision-making technique, enabling the development of a framework for industries and government organizations. This framework addresses the use of blockchain technology for traceability in agrifood supply chains while ensuring the trust of actors utilizing this technology. In regions facing war-like situations, such as Ukraine, it becomes crucial to evaluate the factors that can enhance food safety in agrifood supply chains, mitigate food waste and fraud risks, and maintain the supply chain sustainability by exploring alternative food supplies from reliable partners. The situation is the same all over the globe, in which supply chain risks include frauds and lack of transparency. This study outlines the managerial implications and suggests future research directions to develop a model for assessing digital trust. This model aims to foster information sharing among actors, considering aspects, such as willingness, vulnerability acceptance, shared values, security, identifiability, and digital trust. Smart contracts can be added to the model that removes the need for a third party, warranting more trust. The deployment of this model on a private or public blockchain can enhance transparency, traceability, and address food safety concerns within transactions by addressing issues of security and reliability, accountability, and oversight with an inclusive, ethical, and responsible use. Full article

Food waste reduction and security are the main concerns of agri-food supply chains, as more than thirty-three percent of global food production is wasted or lost due to mismanagement. The ongoing challenges, including resource scarcity, climate change, waste generation, etc., need immediate actions from stakeholders to develop resilient food supply chains. Previous studies explored food supply chains and their challenges, barriers, enablers, etc. Still, there needs to be more literature on the innovations in supply chains that can build resilient food chains to last long and compete in the post-pandemic scenario. Thus, studies are also required to explore supply chain innovations for the food sector. The current research employed a stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) to assess the supply chain innovations that can develop resilient food supply chains. This study is a pioneer in using the SWARA application to evaluate supply chain innovation and identify the most preferred alternatives. The results from the SWARA show that ‘Business strategy innovations’ are the most significant innovations that can bring resiliency to the food supply chains, followed by ‘Technological innovations.’ The study provides insights for decision makers to understand the significant supply chain innovations to attain resilience in food chains and help the industry to survive and sustain in the long run. Full article

Multicriteria decision making (MCDM) is a field that helps decision makers evaluate alternatives based on multiple criteria and encompasses scoring, distance-based, pairwise comparison, and outranking methods. Recent developments have aimed to solve specific problems and overcoming the limitations of previous methods. This paper proposes a new axial-distance-based aggregated measurement (ADAM) method, which is used in combination with the best-worst method (BWM) to evaluate agri-food circular economy (CE)-based business models (BMs) to create a more sustainable and efficient system for producing and consuming food. This paper proposes nine BMs, which were evaluated against eight criteria. The BWM method was used to obtain the criteria weights, while the ADAM method was used to obtain a final ranking of the BMs. The results indicate that a sustainable circular agri-food supply chain is a BM that can bring companies the most significant progress in business and strengthen their position in the market. We concluded that the ADAM method is effective for solving MCDM problems and that, overall, the model is an effective tool for solving the problem defined in this study. The main contributions are the development of a new MCDM method and a hybrid model, the establishment of the framework for evaluation and selection of CE-based BMs, and the identification of the most important ones. Full article

The main purpose of the article is an attempt to estimate the demand for products traded within short food supply chains in Poland. The survey was conducted in autumn 2021 in the Kamienna Góra county, where the first business incubator in Poland, addressed to farmers and food producers, initiated and supported by the local government, is located. The Computer-Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) method constituted the basis for the process of collecting research material. The channel for reaching respondents was the LIBRUS application and local social media. Responses were mainly given by women, people with incomes in the range of PLN 1000–3000 per person, those aged 30–50, and those with a university education. The research results showed a high level of potential demand for local agri-food products, which should encourage farmers to switch from long to short supply chain models. The persisting low awareness regarding the existence of alternative distribution networks for local products, which primarily requires increased activities in the field of territorial marketing that promote local agri-food products among the residents of municipalities constitutes, from the perspective of consumers, a barrier to the development of short food supply chains. Full article