The Digitalization Paradigm: Impacts on Agri-Food Supply Chain Profitability and Sustainability

Abstract

Digitization has completely changed the landscape of supply chain management, which enables businesses to streamline their processes and attain higher levels of profitability and sustainability. This study investigates the relationships between digitalization and supply chain elements, particularly integration, communication, operation, and distribution, and their effects on corporate profitability and sustainability. The research is based on an empirical investigation conducted through a questionnaire survey of agri-food industries in Pakistan. PLS-SEM was used for the analysis of data. The results show a positive relationship between digitalization and supply chain integration, processes, operation, and distribution. Moreover, a positive and significant relationship exists between digitalized supply chain integration, processes, operation, and distribution with business profitability and sustainability. The research concludes that the synergistic effect of digital advancements leads to increased business profitability and sustainability. Business organizations may put themselves at the forefront of supply chain excellence by adopting digitalization, benefiting from effective integration, communication, operations, and distribution with increased profitability and sustainability. The findings have a lot of practical and theoretical implications for the excellence of supply chain management and help attain several sustainable development goals, e.g., SDG-8, SDG-9, SDG-11, and SDG-12.