Unpacking Supply and Value Chains in Agriculture

Abstract

There is pressure from globalization, growing human population, changing marketing techniques, consumption trends, climate warming, and modern technology on agri-food and related supply chains. These pressures have resulted in a situation where not only the economic aspect of agricultural supply chains is under scrutiny but also the societal and environmental aspects. It is in the light of this that we argue in this chapter that the promotion of supply and value chains in agriculture must be done within the context of all three dimensions of sustainability—the economic, social, and ecological/environment dimensions. This will increase the confidence of consumers in foods supplied through the chains that aim to meet their changing lifestyles and increasing incomes as well as the awareness of society about their health. This can only be achieved by building resilient and sustainable agri-food supply and value chains that inherently have in them systems for food traceability and mechanisms to deal with all the risks associated with agri-food supply and value chains.