Agricultural Supply Chain Research Articles

Optimizing Operational and Sustainable Decisions for GASC

This study delves into the operational decision-making and sustainability dynamics within a two-tier green agricultural supply chain (GASC), comprising a manufacturer and a retailer. By developing decision models for the manufacturer, both with and without outward altruism, we explore the intricate interplay of government subsidies, consumer green preferences, and manufacturers' altruistic behavior influencing operational efficiency and sustainability within the GASC based on the Stackelberg Game. Our findings underscore the intricate relationship between these factors and the retail pricing of green agricultural products. Specifically, we demonstrate that while the manufacturer's outward altruism is significant, the combined effects of government subsidies and consumer preferences exert substantial influence on pricing strategies. Moreover, we reveal that government subsidies, consumer preferences for sustainability, and manufacturers' altruistic actions collectively bolster the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability within the GASC.

Transforming Agricultural Supply Chain Challenges into Operational Strategies: Insights from an Agri-Machinery Company

Transforming Agricultural Supply Chain Challenges into Operational Strategies: Insights from an Agri-Machinery Company

The nonlinear impact of climate change on inland waterway transportation in the Upper Mississippi—Illinois River Region

The U.S. inland waterway system has played a critical role in promoting economic growth by efficiently transporting agricultural and manufacturing commodities along major riverine systems, such as the Mississippi River. However, the system faces escalating challenges due to the growing disruptions caused by climate change. For instance, the drought of the Mississippi River during the fall of 2022 resulted in an unprecedented increase in barge shipping rates. While the industry generally recognizes that climate change can significantly impact agricultural supply chains, it remains unclear how various environmental factors, including changes in water levels and temperature, affect inland waterway operations. This study aims to fill this research gap by conducting an empirical assessment of the impact of climate change-related factors on the operations of the inland waterway system in the Upper Mississippi—Illinois River Region. Unlike previous studies using conventional regression analysis, this study investigates the nonlinear relationship between changes in barge shipping rates and various environmental factors using the Gradient Boosting Decision Trees machine-learning method. Our analysis identifies the 29 ft gage height as a pivotal threshold influencing barge rates; rates tend to rise as the gage height decreases, and surpassing this threshold can also lead to increased shipping rates. This new approach enhances the model’s predictive capacity, allowing for a better understanding of the nonlinear effects of climate change on barge rates and productivity. It also enables planners and operational agencies to better understand the uncertainty of environmental conditions on the variations in barge rates and productivity performance. These findings provide valuable insights for decision-makers to understand the threshold effect of environmental conditions on inland waterway operations and facilitate the creation of effective adaptive strategies to mitigate future risks and consequences of climate change-induced disruptions.

Innovators and Transformers Is wasted food just waste? Reconceptualising food loss and waste in operations and supply chain management research and practice

PurposeFood waste is generated along the entire agricultural supply chain. From farm overproduction to lack of cold chain infrastructure, waste occurs for multiple reasons and negatively impacts the environment and society while generating economic losses. Although various supply chain actors and institutions have made attempts to reduce it, the activity is often confined to a single farm or to a retailer and charity dyad, without a systematic resolution of the problem. The environment is not only negatively impacted by the reduction of soil, water and biodiversity but also human beings suffer from malnutrition and food insecurity and finally, the entire supply chain faces considerable economic losses. Various supply chain actors have attempted to reduce this waste, but the results are often limited. The purpose of this paper is to consider systematic resolution by proposing a reconceptualisation from an alternative Operations and Supply Chain Management (O&SCM) perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed paper is problem-based research, which merges the research and industry perspectives derived from the authors’ field experience interviewing different supply chain stakeholders in Italy, the UK, the USA and France with an analysis of O&SCM literature related to food loss and waste.FindingsIn order to address the food waste problem, we propose a new perspective in dealing with food loss and waste through the lens of O&SCM. By reconceptualising O&SCM theories and methods with the unique aspects of food loss and waste and taking into account the multitude of stakeholders involved, we propose five research avenues.Originality/valueThe perspective of O&SCM management is missing when dealing systematically with food loss and waste, as researchers neglect its unique characteristics.

Determinants of Blockchain Technology Adoption in the Australian Agricultural Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review

Blockchain technology (BCT) is emerging as a key enabler of sustainability in various sectors, including agriculture. This study explores the impact of BCT adoption on sustainability within the Australian agriculture sector. Through a systematic literature review (SLR) of studies published between 2015 and 2021, ten key themes influencing BCT adoption were identified: transparency, traceability, contract exchange, transaction efficiency, trade finance management, quality control, real-time information dissemination, security, trust, and legislative frameworks. The findings suggest that BCT adoption in agriculture can lead to improved sustainability outcomes. By enhancing transparency and traceability, BCT enables stakeholders to track the provenance of products, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring compliance with environmental standards. The automation and efficiency gains afforded by BCT streamline supply chain processes, reducing waste and resource consumption. BCT enhances trust among stakeholders, fostering collaboration and information sharing to address sustainability challenges. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting how BCT can drive sustainability in agriculture through improved transparency, efficiency, and collaboration.

Empirical Research on Factors Influencing Chinese Farmers’ Adoption of Green Production Technologies

During a critical period of structural reform in China’s agricultural supply chain, accelerating the promotion and application of green production technologies emerges as a pivotal strategy to ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products while advancing agricultural modernization. This study empirically examines the factors influencing farmers’ adoption of green production technologies using an ordered logistic model based on survey data collected from 533 respondents in Shandong Province. The survey targeted regions where major economic crops such as corn and soybeans are cultivated, employing simple random sampling to ensure the data’s representativeness and reliability. The findings underscore several critical factors influencing farmers’ willingness to adopt green production technologies, including the presence of quality inspections, evaluations of restrictions on prohibited pesticide use, sales performance of green products, availability of government subsidies, and traceability of agricultural products. To foster greater adoption of green production technologies and propel the transformation of China’s agriculture, it is recommended to advocate and guide green agricultural practices, enhance green agricultural subsidy policies, and strengthen agricultural product market management systems. These measures are essential for ensuring sustainable agricultural development in China.

Research on dynamic pricing and coordination model of fresh produce supply chain based on differential game considering traceability goodwill

This study aims to solve the current pricing and coordination problems in the fresh produce supply chain by proposing a dynamic pricing and coordination differential game model based on traceability goodwill to optimize the operational efficiency and profitability of the supply chain. Freshness and traceability are critical consumer trust and brand value factors incorporated into the dynamic pricing and coordination model in the agricultural supply chain. The research methodology of this paper integrates critical factors such as supply chain cost and market demand to construct a comprehensive differential game model. It also highlights the motivation of dynamic pricing strategy and coordination mechanism based on traceability goodwill. Through traceability goodwill, operating companies can better assess and manage product quality and improve consumer trust in agricultural products, thus enhancing brand value. The dynamic pricing strategy based on traceability goodwill can flexibly adjust prices according to changes in the quality characteristics of agricultural products and market demand, realizing a dynamic balance between supply and demand. On the other hand, the mutual cost-sharing and coordination mechanism promotes the synergy between the various links of the supply chain. It improves overall efficiency through cooperation coo, coordination, and other means. The validity and reliability of the model are verified through numerical simulation experiments. The numerical simulation results show that the dynamic pricing and coordination model based on traceability will significantly improve supply chain efficiency and profitability compared with the traditional model. Specifically, the interests of supply chain participants are balanced, and the overall supply chain operational efficiency is improved. The main contribution of this study is to propose a dynamic pricing and coordination model based on traceability goodwill and verify its superiority through numerical simulation experiments. This study provides a valuable reference for fresh agricultural products supply chain management and offers new ideas for improving supply chain efficiency and profitability.

Risk factor assessment in agricultural supply chain by fuzzy logic

Risk factor assessment in agricultural supply chain by fuzzy logic

Examining the confluence of climate change and conflicts on agricultural and livestock exports in Somalia

Climate-induced extreme weather events and conflicts are jointly contributing to disruptions in agricultural supply chains and destabilizing global food trade. Since the literature has identified that variations in climatic conditions hamper farming and animal raising, it is necessary to explore the consequences of climate change on crop and livestock exports in order to implement policies that mitigate the exposure and enhance exports. In this context, this study aims to examine the confluence of climate change and conflicts—internal and external—on agricultural and livestock exports in Somalia during 1985–2017. The evidence from the cointegration analysis verified the presence of a consistent long-run cointegration between the variables. The empirical results of the ARDL approach indicate that average rainfall enhances agricultural and livestock exports in Somalia in the short-run and long-run, while mean temperature particularly hampers agricultural exports in the long-run. Despite livestock production was found to be statistically insignificant, crop production positively contributes to agricultural exports. In addition, increases in rural population enhance both export categories in the short-run and long-run. A striking finding from the study indicates that internal and external conflicts decrease crop and animal exports in the long-run, although the coefficients of external conflicts were statistically insignificant. The long-run findings were validated using the FMOLS cointegration approach. Moreover, the causality findings demonstrate a unidirectional causality from agricultural exports to precipitation, temperature fluctuations, and internal conflicts. Furthermore, the study shows that agricultural labor Granger causes farm and livestock exports. To this end, this study recommends policymakers promote product diversification, foster sustainable land management practices, facilitate market access, and invest in resilient farming systems.

Preface

The Second International Conference on Food and Agricultural Sciences (2nd ICFAS 2023) December 12 – December 14, 2023 Research Organization for Agriculture and Food National, Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Hybrid from Yogyakarta, Indonesia The Second International Conference on Food and Agricultural Sciences (2nd ICFAS 2023) started as part of the research and dissemination activities of the Research Organization for Agriculture and Food, Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) with its first event in 2022. The theme of the 2nd ICFAS 2023 is “The Future Innovation and Technology in Food and Agriculture Sustainability to Face Climate Change”. The ICFAS 2023 serves as a platform for researchers, scientists, lecturers, engineers, scholar students, and practitioners interested in the advanced technologies of agriculture and food including food technology and processing, pre- and post-harvest technologies, food and nutrition securities, climate change, smart farming, agriculture and food supply chain system and related topics. The conference aimed to create an environment where diverse perspectives converge, fostering a rich tapestry of ideas that can drive meaningful progress in relevant fields or industries. In today’s rapidly evolving world, the exchange of knowledge has never been more crucial. The challenges we face are multifaceted, and it is only through collective intelligence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to excellence that we can navigate the complexities ahead. The ICFAS 2023 is designed to be a nexus for such collaboration, where experts, scholars, and practitioners converge to share their expertise and experiences. Over the three days (12-14 December 2023), The conference has curated a program that features (keynote speakers, invited speakers, panel discussions and workshops) to explore the latest trends, address pressing issues, and inspire new thinking in food and agriculture scopes. We encourage you not only to actively participate in these sessions but also to engage in informal discussions during breaks, fostering connections that extend beyond the confines of this conference. The success of this conference is not only measured by the wealth of information shared but also by the relationships forged and the potential collaborations that may emerge. We would like to express our deep appreciation to all the sponsors (Institut Pertanian STIPER Yogyakarta, PT Wiralab Analitika Solusindo, PT Bayer Indonesia - BCS, PT Fajar Mas Murni, CropLife, PT Elo Karsa Utama, PT Corteva Agriscience Indonesia, PT ITS Science Indonesia, ID Food, and Danone Indonesia), partners (Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Biology, Faculty of Animal Husbandry, and Study Program of Biotechnology - Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada; Faculty of Science and Technology, UIN Sunan Kalijaga; Faculty of Agricultural Technology, STIPER Agricultural Institute Yogyakarta; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Islam Indonesia; Faculty of Industrial Technology, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan; Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Aisyiah; Faculty of Biotechnology, Universitas Atmajaya Yogyakarta; Faculty of Halal Industry, Universitas Nahdhatul Ulama; Faculty of Agricultural, UPN Veteran Yogyakarta; Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Sciences, Yogyakarta State University; Indonesian Biotechnology Consortium) organizers, presenters, and, above all, to the participants, for the priceless contributions of time, expertise, and enthusiasm that have contributed to the success of this conference. Sincerely, Satriyo Krido Wahono, Ph.D. Chairman List of Steering Committee and Organizing Committee are available in this Pdf.

Advisors and inspectors for the development of organic agriculture in Italy

The advisory services play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of the European green transition and enhancing the quality of services along the organic agricultural supply chain. However, there is limited evidence regarding the role and current working conditions of professionals supporting organic farming. The present study aims to fill this gap by investigating the working characteristics and job satisfaction levels among Italian organic advisors and inspectors. The analysis of selected variables encompassing interviewee characteristics, work activities, and satisfaction metrics provides insights into the perspectives of advisors and inspectors on their roles and working conditions. The findings reveal that while technicians generally express satisfaction with their remuneration and opportunities for personal and professional growth, they also report significant stress levels and workload. Identifying variables influencing satisfaction levels was pursued to measure the association between variables. This research establishes a foundation for developing strategies to enhance the well-being and effectiveness of organic farming advisors and inspectors, thereby promoting agricultural knowledge and innovation. One potential avenue for further investigation is monitoring agricultural technicians' operational activities at both the national and regional levels.

Investigating the Structural Composition of Contemporary Sustainable Organic Agriculture Supply Chains: A Case Study from Thailand

The global demand for organic produce has surged, with notable growth among Thai consumers. However, within Thailand's organic agricultural sectors, supply chain obscurity has impeded the understanding and resolution of emerging challenges associated with meeting this rising demand. Public interest has traditionally centered on mainstream economic sectors, resulting in inadequate attention to the sustainable organic farming supply chains. This study aims to explore the complexities of current sustainable organic supply chain configurations in Thailand, addressing gaps that lead to suboptimal planning and non-sustainable practices. Utilizing the Integration Definition for Function Modeling (IDEF0) framework, this research collected data from key stakeholders through in-depth interviews. Participants included representatives from each stage of the supply chain, providing comprehensive insights into the operational dynamics. The analysis identified several critical challenges within the supply chain, including insufficient collaborative planning, reduced productivity, inaccurate demand forecasting, ineffective budgetary planning, and inadequate cold chain management. These challenges highlight the fragmented nature of the current supply chain and the need for strategic improvements. To address these shortcomings, the study suggests integrating technological advancements in demand planning, operations, and budgeting, fostering collaboration among supply chain members, and forming strategic partnerships with cold chain management service providers. These recommendations aim to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of Thailand's organic produce supply chain, ensuring it can meet increasing global and domestic demands effectively.

Digitalization in Indonesia’s Agrifood Sector in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 has disrupted Indonesia’s agricultural food supply chain, leading to the massive mintage and exertion of digitalization in the food and agriculture (agrifood) sector. This study systematically mapped the landscape of agrifood digital technology studies and startups in Indonesia and its relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic evidence evaluation was harnessed for this study to obtain data, which were translated into thematic and interactive maps. The study shows that COVID-19 has hampered some agrifood activities but has positively accelerated the development of digital technologies in the sector. The Government of Indonesia has issued national initiatives and policies that support implementing digital technologies in the agrifood sector. The digital technologies studied and utilized in Indonesia’s agrifood industry are websites, the Internet of Things (IoT), global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technology, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and robotics. About 22.8 percent of the reviewed literature discusses the ripple effects of COVID-19 on the digitalized agrifood sector in the country. Most startups are in the form of farmers’ advisory, mechanization platforms, digital marketplace, e-commerce, traceability, food delivery, and peer-to-peer lending. Both the studies and applications are primarily concentrated on Java island and have benefited from digital technologies, such as IoT, blockchain, AI, smartphone or Android, mobile apps, GPS/GIS, and drones. Startup companies have applied strategic measures to cope with the implications of the pandemic, such as suspending some of their activities.

Study on Sustainable Operation Mechanism of Green Agricultural Supply Chain Based on Uncertainty of Output and Demand

Study on Sustainable Operation Mechanism of Green Agricultural Supply Chain Based on Uncertainty of Output and Demand

Smart agriculture assurance: IoT and blockchain for trusted sustainable produce

Current conventional agricultural practices have exacerbated the depletion of soil, loss of biodiversity, and intensified the substantial challenges of food security including monoculture dependence, resource intensiveness, access and distribution issues. This has raised consumers awareness towards monitoring the resources of their food consumption. Nevertheless, greenwashing and deceptive food labels are prevalent leading to sales of items with misaligned labels, underpinning the need to authenticate, trace, and track the agricultural supply chain from the farm to shop. Consumers should be able to select fresh produce and verify its origin through a transparent, trustworthy, accountable, and reliable process. This paper introduces a blockchain-based solution that leverages intrinsic features of this innovative and disruptive technology to harness transparency, reliability, authenticity, and accountability within an agricultural supply chain. Additionally, our solution eliminates misleading food labels on fresh produce by enabling consumers to reliably trace and verify the origin and authenticity of the food source in a transparent manner. Through the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT), the well-being of the soil, air, and crops is consistently monitored. The sustainable solutions employed are transparent, aligning with the standards set by various sustainable food certifications and agencies, including organic, non-Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). The paper presents detailed algorithms that represent the smart contract code, sequence diagrams along with testing results and security analysis. The smart contract code is made publicly available on GitHub.

Performance Evaluation and Optimization of China-Central Asia Agricultural Trade Supply Chain Using Grey Relational Analysis

Performance Evaluation and Optimization of China-Central Asia Agricultural Trade Supply Chain Using Grey Relational Analysis

Research on cooperative advertising strategies for dual channel supply chain of fresh agricultural products considering carbon reduction efficiency under retailer leadership.

With the development of low-carbon economy and the dominant position of retailers, through the establishment and comparison of three cooperative advertising models: model of supplier's independent advertising, model of supplier's independent advertising and model of retailer's and supplier's cooperative advertising, this paper studies the cooperative advertising decision-making of fresh agricultural products supply chain with two channels, and the demand of both channels is affected by the level of advertising investment, the proportion of advertising cost sharing and the efficiency of carbon emission reduction. The results show that when supplier and retailer adopt the two-way cooperative advertising mode, the demand and profit level of the two channels reach the optimal level. Numerical analysis shows that carbon emission reduction efficiency has an important impact on profits and market demand, which is closely related to cooperative advertising strategy.

Enhancing Traceability in Agricultural Supply Chain Using Blockchain Technology

Enhancing Traceability in Agricultural Supply Chain Using Blockchain Technology

Determinants of Blockchain Technology Adoption in Agricultural Supply Chain

Blockchain technology adoption in agriculture can bring a win-win situation for all stakeholders in supply chain, which aids in the security of transactions and information in both forward and backward linkages in agricultural supply chain. Furthermore, blockchain platform benefits producers by enhancing their reputation, increasing their competitiveness and reducing fraud by eliminating undesirable practices in the supply chain. This research paper aims to analyze the determinants of blockchain technology adoption in agricultural supply chain. Grey relational analysis is employed to identify the determinant factors of blockchain technology adoption in the supply chain. The factors for blockchain technology adoption in supply chain are identified based on the literature review collected and focus group discussion with experts. Experts are insisted to rate the factors based on the five point likert scale. The findings revealed that data transparency, traceability, interoperability, data immutability and high value pricing, product type, organization trust, and government support can influence the blockchain adoption in supply chain. The findings conclude that priorities must be given to those influential factors which will help the organizational stakeholders in formulating suitable strategy for effectively implementing blockchain technology in the agricultural supply chain.. KEYWORDS :Blockchain technology, Adoption, Factors, Agricultural supply chain, Grey relational analysis.

Designing Risk Mitigation Strategies for Agricultural Supply Chain: A Supply Chain Finance-Based Approach

Abstract The agricultural supply chain is distinguished from the manufacturing and service supply chains by its complexity and length. These characteristics emphasize the importance of risk management measures for this supply chain, which will increase farmer income, market stability, and food security. This research aims to design risk mitigation strategies, especially demand risk, in the rice farming supply chain in Tana Paser District, Paser Regency, East Kalimantan. Monte Carlo simulation was utilized to predict the average rice demand and conduct sensitivity analysis. Three financial scheme strategies were compared: soft tolling, hard tolling, and contract farming, to assess the best strategy that provides maximum profits for agricultural supply chain actors. From the simulation results, the average predicted value for rice demand was 2.78 tonnes. The optimal quantities of q1 (processed material), q2 (raw material), and q3 (seeds) obtained from sensitivity analysis were 2.2 tons, 2 tons, and 2 tons, respectively. The soft tolling strategy provides maximum profits for all agricultural supply chain players, with a total profit of IDR 17,471,000.00, considering that implementing this strategy involves all supply chain stakeholders in determining the contract decision (q).