Factors for scaling a circular supply chain for clothing locally and nationally in the UK

Building a local supply chain requires separating the regions and creating alliances with local partners and customers, resulting in a new business model. In local supply chains, the factory procures material, parts, and preassembled elements from local suppliers and sells the final products to local customers. Three-dimensional printing (3DP) has the potential to enable a more local, globally connected, and efficient supply chain through reduced inventory and transportation costs transforming the make-to-stock to the make-on-demand production cycle. In this study, we use an integrated Interpretive Structural Model and Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory technique to explore and assess the challenges faced by the 3DP companies to become enabling partners in the localized supply chains. The scope of the study, which was limited to 3DP of medical parts and components, identified that regulatory compliance, stringent quality standards, and lack of design expertise are significant barriers to developing localized three-dimensional printing ecosystems. Furthermore, the study identified immediate support from the local government, the high collaboration between the stakeholders, and the need for change in business approach as the key drivers for developing 3DP-enabled localized supply chain ecosystems.

The goal of this paper is twofold: to comparatively analyze the social performance of global and local berry supply chains and to explore the ways in which the social dimension is embedded in the overall performance of food supply chains. To achieve this goal, the social performance of five global and local food supply chains in two countries are analyzed: wild blueberry supply chains in Latvia and cultivated raspberry supply chains in Serbia. The study addresses two research questions: (1) What is the social performance of the local and global supply chains? (2) How can references to context help improve understanding of the social dimension and social performance of food supply chains? To answer these questions, two interlinked thematic sets of indicators (attributes) are used—one describing labor relations and the other describing power relations. These lists are then contextualized by examining the micro-stories of the actors involved in these supply chains. An analysis of the chosen attributes reveals that global chains perform better than local chains. However, a context-sensitive analysis from the perspective of embedded markets and communities suggests that the social performance of food chains is highly context-dependent, relational, and affected by actors’ abilities to negotiate values, norms, and the rules embedded within these chains, both global and local. The results illustrate that the empowerment of the chains’ weakest actors can lead to a redefining of the meanings that performance assessments rely on.

Fuel for collective action: A SWOT analysis to identify social barriers and drivers for a local woody biomass supply chain in an Italian alpine valley

Supply chain partners for local organic food face uncertainties such as poor collaboration and communication that cannot be reduced through the application of traditional supply chain design and management techniques. Such techniques are known to improve supply chain coordination, but they do not adequately consider major aspects of local organic food supply chains such as ethics, sustainability and human values. Supply chain design and management approaches suitable to small-scale, local organic food enterprises are lacking and need to be developed. The aim of this paper is to suggest Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) as a new and suitable approach to design and manage local organic food supply chains. We illustrate how SSM can be used to reduce uncertainties within local organic food supply chains based on a German case. This illustration serves to identify the benefits of using SSM, compared with ad hoc, pragmatic and less structured approaches. The major benefits are of thought, intervention and change, as well as action-oriented, meaningful and participatory decision making.

Environmental sustainability is a main research topic in supply chain management, including sustainable, green, closed-loop, and circular supply chain management concepts. A distinctive feature in concept evolution is the increase in tiers of a supply chain included in the reuse or recycling loop. However, most research focuses on dyadic or triadic supply chain structures. Where to close the loop, i.e., where to position the recycler, repurposer, remanufacturer, refurbisher, repairer, and/or reuser, in multi-tier supply chains remains largely unanswered. In response, this study assesses cost and revenue sharing by analytically modeling monetary flows in linear and circular multi-tier supply chains using linear and circular supply chain models and cost-profit theory to derive equations describing monetary flows between the supply chain tiers and external entities. Results show that firms upstream of the loop-closer are negatively affected by the reuse of material, which leads to an increasingly negative impact on the total profit of the supply chain the further downstream the loop-closer is positioned. This has important theoretical and practical implications since upstream suppliers may leave circular supply chains for linear ones if no offset mechanism is provided. There is no difference between linear and circular supply chains for tiers downstream of the loop-closer level. This effect is normally not considered in the literature, focusing on shorter supply chain structures where all firms are connected to the loop. The most important findings and implications are: If the loop-closer is positioned near the OEM tier or external customer, the total personnel, assets costs and total profits decrease in the circular supply chain compared to the linear supply chain. If the loop-closer is positioned at the most upstream tier level, the total personnel and assets costs, and total profits increase.

The primary purpose of the supply chains is to ensure and secure the availability and smooth flow of the necessary resources for efficient production processes and consumption. Supply chain activities have been experiencing significant changes due to the importance and creation of the integrated process. Blockchain is viewed as an innovative tool for transforming supply chain management’s (SCM’s) actual business model; on the other hand, the SCM provides an applicative value of blockchain technology. The research is focused on examining the influence of blockchain technology on the increasing efficiency, transparency, auditability, traceability, and security issues of the food supply chain (FSC), with particular attention to the local food supply chain (LFSC). The main objective of the research is to suggest the implementation of blockchain technology in the local food supply chain as a niche of the food industry. The result of the research is the identification of a three-layers model of a smart local food supply chain. The model provides efficient and more transparent tracking across the local food supply chain, improving food accessibility, traceability, and safety.

In an increasingly commercialized world, the demand for better quality, healthier food has given rise to one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. food system: locally grown food. Many believe that relocalization of the food system will provide a range of public benefits, including lower carbon emissions, increased local economic activity, and closer connections between consumers, farmers, and communities. The structure of local food supply chains, however, may not always be capable of generating these perceived benefits. Growing Local reports the findings from a coordinated series of case studies designed to develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding of how local food products reach consumers and how local food supply chains compare with mainstream supermarket supply chains. To better understand how local food reaches the point of sale, Growing Local uses case study methods to rigorously compare local and mainstream supply chains for five products in five metropolitan areas along multiple social, economic, and environmental dimensions, highlighting areas of growth and potential barriers. Growing Local provides a foundation for a better understanding of the characteristics of local food production and emphasizes the realities of operating local food supply chains.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the factors associated with farm financial success for those farms known to produce for local supply chains. The analysis considers alternative measures of farm financial performance and considers the role of the local foods supply chain in the choice to market locally.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a two-stage Heckman approach which addresses the possibility of sample selection bias. In the first stage, the choice model to engage in direct marketing is estimated. In the second stage, the authors estimate a model of the financial performance of those in the sample that direct marketed which includes an IMR term calculated from the parameters of the first stage equation. The analysis uses national farm-level data from the Agricultural and Resource Management Survey of the US Department of Agriculture and combines data from 2009 to 2012 to overcome the constraint of small samples.FindingsIndicators of the development of a local foods supply were positively related to the choice to engage in direct marketing. Factors affecting farm financial performance varied significantly between a short-term and a long-term measure. The results emphasize the importance of considering multiple outcome measures, developing local supply chains and provide implications about beginning farms.Originality/valueIf a local foods system is going to thrive, the farms that market the agricultural products in the local food system must attain a certain level of profitability. The value of the analysis is an improved understanding of the financial performance of farms producing for a small, but growing segment of the food supply chain.

The role of public mass catering in local foodshed governance toward self-reliance of Metropolitan regions

Local production is becoming an increasingly important food attribute for consumers due to inter alia recent food scandals and the growing complexity of food production. Especially in the organic food market, local production is seen as an important additional value. Even though there is a high preference for local food, it is still unknown, what organic consumers know about the production process when buying what is believed to be local food. We analysed which parts of the supply chains have to be local so that consumers perceive a product as local. Feed production is a very important part of the supply chain of animal products, so we analysed consumers’ perception of local supply chains with a focus on feed origin. A focus group study in Germany using three groups of organic consumers reveals a low consumer awareness of feed origin and little consumer knowledge about animal feed and feeding. The results of the study indicate that organic consumers do not include the feed origin in their purchase decision. None of the participants was aware of the high import rate of organic feed stuffs to Germany. Nevertheless, the study findings show that organic consumers prefer organic animal products with complete local supply chains. The results suggest that the current situation with regard to feed production is not in line with consumers’ ideas of sustainable organic agriculture.

This paper investigates the opportunities for farmers to produce for local consumers, based on a case study in the Dutch horticulture sector. Main requirements for the set-up of a local chain of supply chain actors are investigated. Producer requirements are added value, availability of time, infrastructure and training. Retailer requirements are quality of food, purchasing volumes, food safety, communication to consumers and traceability of products. For consumers taste/freshness, sustainability, health benefits and authenticity are important attributes of local foods. Based on literature review and interviews with stakeholders four possible strategies for local food chains are defined. The ‘keep it local’ strategy means that the local food supply chains will not make use of the current infrastructure of the marketing coop that acts as chain coordinator. Deliveries are directly between farmer and retail outlet. The local products - conventional supply chain strategy implies that current (non-local) supply chains are used to distribute local products. The supply chain planning will be more complex since products need to be separated per grower and distributed to several local supermarkets. In the ‘enabling producers’ strategy the marketing coop/chain coordinator is going to enable its member producers to sell their products locally. The marketing coop can support producers in for instance, billing and payments, marketing, logistics. The fourth strategy aims at strengthening current consumer communication strategies. It is argued that connecting producers and consumers, regardless of where they live is advantageous. Conclusion is that strategy 3; ‘Enabling producers’, in combination with strategy 4; ‘Strengthening current consumer communication strategies’ are the most promising options in setting up local food supply chains. Strategies 1 and 2, where the marketing coop/chain coordinator itself takes on the challenge of setting up local food supply chains meets too much resistance from the retail companies (head-office level) and offers too little opportunities for providing added value to both producers and retailers.

Purpose– The purpose of the research is to identify the observable operational and supply chain barriers and constraints that occur in local food supply chains, especially with smaller producers, as they seek to increase market penetration across a wider geographic area.Design/methodology/approach– The research adopts a multiple case study approach using mixed methods of data collection where case study companies are interviewed and complete a questionnaire. This process allows us to create a supply chain map and create a narrative which records the burdens and impacts occurring in local food supply chains and smaller producers looking beyond local markets. This evidence is then set against the theory of constraints (TOC) to provide a theoretical underpinning and to examine consistency of the findings.Findings– Seven broad categories of constraint type are observed: constraints due to the nature of the market; due to scale and the nature of products; constraints related to employment and skills; institutional constraints; constraints in supply chain relationships; certification, policy and regulatory constraints; and constraints around personal beliefs and anthropomorphism. Each is described as to its origin, its limitation to business and where possible, how it might be remedied. The constraints point to some counter-intuitive results as far as common perceptions of local food are concerned but suggestions for improvement are made through collaborative producer efforts, alternative institutional intervention, supply chain re-engineering and logistics innovation.Practical implications– Practical suggestions are made to improve the inclusiveness of distribution networks, to better utilise regional food groups (RFGs), to develop opportunities to set up autonomous supply chain centres, or to broaden the function of farmer co-operatives. The paper also provides an alternative model of the TOC specifically adapted for local food producers, the focus of which plays to their strengths and focuses on building competencies across, up and down the supply chain.Originality/value– The adaptation of the TOC provides an advancement of knowledge in the area of food supply chain analysis and is done in a way that is more practical in use. The paper also provides the opportunity to take a similar approach to examining other niche supply opportunities in the sector, which may be dependent on other geographically defined barriers, such as seasonal or ethnic products.

The study focuses on how local supply chains can be strengthened through platform-based supply chains. The integration of women's cooperatives, which are local supply chain actors in a disaster-affected city, into a platform-based supply chain and the contributions of this integration to the sustainability of women's cooperatives are discussed. The study is important because it focuses on local supply chains, defines women's cooperatives as local supply chain actors, and uses the integration of local supply chains in a disaster-affected city into platform-based supply chains as a case study. When the findings of the study are analyzed, it is concluded that local supply chains have achieved significant gains in many areas through platform-based supply chains. When the integration process is managed by the state, it has been found that the integration is carried out in a problem-solving manner and genuinely contributes to the development of the local supply chain.

Although in recent decades, meat from hunted wild ungulates has shown interesting results in terms of market opportunities, the scientific literature is still lacking in economic studies concerning the estimation of the meat’s value for involved stakeholders. We present an analysis of the evolution of price in the local red deer meat supply chain. This analysis has been conducted through a survey based on in-depth interviews with the stakeholders involved in an Italian local supply chain. Findings derived from this study describe a case study, however, they also represent the potential dynamics of the value of Italian game meat, highlighting that the development of a sustainable local supply chain of this product may represent an economic resource for involved stakeholders.

Purpose – to review literature about circular supply chain (CSC) theories, methods, frameworks, and appli-cations in industries. For organizations to incorporate circular economy (CE) principles in their supply chain frame-work are required to address the main circular processes. Previous attempts of frameworks aim at the comprehensive approaches or too theoretical for organizations to use them. The objective is to propose a theoretical framework that allows organizations to prioritize main circular processes in order to start improving or introducing new circular pro-cesses in the supply chain. Research methodology – the methodology of the article consists of a literature review and information synthesis for the formulation of the theoretical framework. Web of Science database was used for literature review with the key words of “circular economy supply chain”. Findings – formulated theoretical CSC framework contributes to the CSC research field with a more organization-ori-entated approach. Research limitations – the proposed framework is limited through only theoretical propositions and is more limited in its scope compared to other researchers. Practical implications – organizations in the supply chain such as manufacturers can understand through a framework main processes required for CSC. Originality/Value – compared to other researchers this work emphasizes and proposes CSC development from an organizational perspective rather than from a holistic approach.