Development of novel strategies for designing sustainable Indian agri-fresh food supply chain

Abstract

Traditional Indian agri-fresh food supply chain (AFSC) is unorganized and controlled by a large number of intermediaries, causing it to be unsustainable from the farmer (low profitability) to the customer (not getting quality product even after paying a high price). The purpose of this paper is to propose novel strategies for designing a sustainable Indian AFSC. Authors identify shortcomings as well as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the Indian agriculture system through the literature survey. To improve overall performance of this chain, authors have developed eighty strategies by incorporating SWOT into TOWS (threat, opportunity, weakness and strength) matrix. They define four key objectives to mitigate the afore-mentioned problems. In this paper, twelve strategies are shortlisted from existing ones on the basis of fulfilling a maximum number of objectives. The shortlisting of strategies is further verified by evaluating strategies using performance measures (PMs) in sustainability dimensions, which revealed that the twelve chosen strategies dominate over other strategies. The shortlisted strategies are mainly focused on improving the economic dimension of AFSC by satisfying maximum number of objectives and PMs. The chosen strategies pledge for the optimum and most feasible ones to be recommended for managers/researchers towards redesigning the AFSC. The proposed viable strategies are expected to reform the conventional Indian AFSC by designing sustainable supply chain (SSC). The outcomes of this work will provide clear guidelines for researchers and policy makers to make sustainable agriculture.