Chain Stakeholders Research Articles

Myrrh, Frankincense, and Grape Supply Chain Practices and Challenges

This study includes the supply chain management practices and challenges of the three EOTC worship requirement supplies i,e Myrrh, Frankincense, and grape. Myrrh is a gum resin extracted from some small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora. Frankincense also known as olibanum is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia. A grape is a berry or typically green, purple, or black growing in clusters on a grapevine, eaten as a fruit and used in making wine. Therefore, the purpose of this study was investigating the challenges and practices of the Myrrh, Frankincense, and Grape supply chain system. The study used methods of assessing the most relevant literatures written from the Web of Science, Scopus, and google scholar including Ethiopian reports to the world unions. The KJV version of the holy bible mentions frankincense more than 100 times, myrrh 18 times, and grapes 7-25 times. These resources are to be used prudently and according to Leviticus' instructions. The findings indicated that three elements of worship are taking place under various, negative circumstances. All three species are widely known around the world and in Ethiopia in particular, but little is being done about them because EOTC only spends 33,075,050,000birr annually. Even key users are not heavily involved in the import-export chain. Values: The chain's stakeholders are paying a high price and losing benefits as a result of this reasons. According to church teaching, it is also necessary to use isolated Frankincense, pure grape, and pure and tested myrrh. Standardization of the supply chain and frameworked stracture should asuured by stakeholder. As far as the government concerned, and the EOTC, which accounts for the largest portion of those three consumes, it recommend to learn from the past in order to ensure future demand and supply balances.

Cost-effectiveness and gain-sharing scenarios for purchasing a blockchain-based application in the maritime supply chain

Maritime supply chain (MarSC) stakeholders interact with third parties (e.g. freight forwarders, 3PLs, financial institutes, custom authorities) to facilitate the cargo flow and exchange of information, documents, or financials. Hence, MarSC stakeholders are increasingly interested in innovative technological solutions that vouch for the authenticity and/or the ownership of digital assets without the control of a central third party. Extended research is carried out to prove how applications based on the distributed ledger technology or blockchain address these requirements, yet limited research investigates their purchasing process and economic implications. This paper uses the phytosanitary certificate in an international supply chain flow as a case study where interaction between multiple stakeholders is fundamental and analyses the purchase scenarios of a blockchain-based tool. To do so, it uses a theoretical model that identifies and quantifies the costs and benefits incurred by MarSC stakeholders, formulates gain-sharing scenarios and presents the results of a sensitivity analysis to show the dependence between the data-use and the potential economic gains it generates. The results show that freight forwarders could share economic benefits with shippers or consignees to anticipate purchasing a blockchain-based tool.

Ready for the Road? A Socio-Technical Investigation of Fire Safety Improvement Options for Lithium-Ion Traction Batteries

Battery technology is crucial in the transition towards electric mobility. Lithium-ion batteries are conquering the market but are facing fire safety risks that might threaten further applications. In this study, we address the problem and potential solutions for traction batteries in the European Union area. We do so by taking a unique socio-technical system perspective. Therefore, a novel, mixed-method approach is applied, combining literature review; stakeholder interviews; Failure Mode, Mechanisms, and Event Analysis (FMMEA); and rapid prototyping. Our findings confirm that fire safety is an upcoming concern. Still, most stakeholders lack a full understanding of the problem. Improving safety is a shared responsibility among supply chain and societal stakeholders. For automotive applications, voluntary standard-setting on safety risks is an appropriate tool to improve fire safety, whereas for niche applications, a top-down approach setting regulations seems more suited. For both groups, the adaptation of battery pack designs to prevent thermal runaway propagation is shown to be promising from a technological, practical, and organizational perspective. The chosen mixed-method approach allowed for a holistic analysis of the problems and potential solutions. As such, it can serve as an empowerment strategy for stakeholders in the field, stimulating further discussion, agenda building, and action.

Where Is My Crop? Data-Driven Initiatives to Support Integrated Multi-Stakeholder Agricultural Decisions

Globally, there has been an explosion of data generation in agriculture. With such a deluge of data available, it has become essential to create solutions that organize, analyze, and visualize it to gain actionable insights, which can guide farmers, scientists, or policy makers to take better decisions that lead to transformative actions for agriculture. There is a plethora of digital innovations in agriculture that implement big data techniques to harness solutions from large amounts of data, however, there is also a significant gap in access to these innovations among stakeholders of the value chains, with smallholder's farmers facing higher risks. Open data platforms have emerged as an important source of information for this group of producers but are still far from reaching their full potential. While the growing number of such initiatives has improved the availability and reach of data, it has also made the collection and processing of this information more difficult, widening the gap between those who can process and interpret this information and those who cannot. The Crop Observatories are presented in this article as an initiative that aims to harmonize large amounts of crop-specific data from various open access sources to build relevant indicators for decision making. Observatories are being developed for rice, cassava, beans, plantain and banana, and tropical forages, containing information on production, prices, policies, breeding, agronomy, and socioeconomic variables of interest. The Observatories are expected to become a lighthouse that attracts multi-stakeholders to avoid “not see the forest for the trees” and to advance research and strengthen crop economic systems. The process of developing the Observatories, as well as the methods for data collection, analysis, and display, is described. The main results obtained by the recently launched Rice Observatory (www.riceobservatory.org), and the about to be launched Cassava Observatory are presented, contextualizing their potential use and importance for multi-stakeholders of both crops. The article concludes with a list of lessons learned and next steps for the Observatories, which are also expected to guide the development of similar initiatives. Observatories, beyond presenting themselves as an alternative for improving data-driven decision making, can become platforms for collaboration on data issues and digital innovations within each sector.

Chazuta: subnational governments and internationalization of the agro-industrial value chain

Chazuta: subnational governments and internationalization of the agro-industrial value chain

Assessment of Supply Chain Management Practices in Live Animal Export: The Case of Gurage Zone, Ethiopia

The main purpose of this study was to assess supply chain management in live animal export. In order to meet the objectives of the study, a descriptive survey design was employed. Both secondary and primary data sources were employed. Primary data sources include questionnaire, interview, and focus group discussion were used. The target population of the study is livestock producers in some selected Woredas, firm exporter and livestock traders in the two target towns were selected by purposively sampling method. From the total population of 1500 household livestock producers’ and 50 employees of exporter firms, 315 household livestock producers and 44 employees of exporter firms were randomly selected for this study. Finally, the data collected from the respondents were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively by using descriptive Statistical Analysis Such as frequencies, mean values, standard deviations and t-tests. The information obtained through document, open-ended questionnaires, focus group discussion and the interviews were qualitatively analyzed to supplement the quantitative data. The findings revealed that the livestock producers, traders and exporters were the main actors of the supply chain. These actors were did not establish strong and effective mutual relationships cooperation, integration and coordination rather they all operate their respective business independently and traditionally. The current live animal traders practice in Gurage Zone seems to be the traditional linking with the producers. All live animal supply chain participants were used traditional way of gathering marketing information like personal observation. Therefore, it is recommended that serious awareness creation, workshops on livestock production, marketing and export regulation, policies and strategies have to be conducted to the supply chain participants and stakeholders of the sector that aimed to create conducive conditions for export trade. Keywords: supply chain management, live animal, export DOI : 10.7176/IEL/9-4-03 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

A systematic literature review on barriers in green supply chain management

Green supply chain management has emerged as a trending topic of discussion for organisations thriving for enhanced competitive advantages, increased customer satisfaction, improved brand image, and of course minimum adverse impacts on the environment. The primary objective of this research is to perform literature analysis on the green supply chain barriers and propose a classification framework to prioritise the most impactful ones. Six different categories of classification are proposed to analyse the barriers namely multiple Ms (eight Ms), supply chain processes (design, purchasing, production, testing and inspection, packaging, transportation, warehousing, after sales service, and recycling), stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers, government/regulatory, and non-government organisations), sustainability areas (societal, economic, environmental, technical), organisational hierarchy (top management/executive level, middle management/departmental level, worker/supervisory level) and others (psychological, technological, knowledge, and strategical). Classification of barriers using the proposed categories will assist decision makers in prioritising actions and channelling resources in the right direction for achieving sustainability objectives for green supply chain management.

Hygienic design of food processing lines to mitigate the risk of bacterial food contamination with respect to environmental concerns

Abstract Public authorities, chain stakeholders and consumers are all concerned by microbial food safety. Microbiological hazards are one of the most common causes of food poisoning that has been considered for many years but still on the track nowadays considering the recent foodborne disease outbreaks largely reported by the media. Microbial contamination origins are diverse from the field to the plate e.g. soil, air, equipment surfaces, packaging material and staff. Firstly, this article highlights the ways in which the choice of materials plays a major role in surface hygiene. Hydrodynamic conditions directly linked to the equipment geometry are focused on, as is the role played by surfaces in contact with air in surface drying. Surface environmental conditions during processing or cleaning are discussed and new proposals described. Better knowledge of surface contamination and cleaning mechanisms would positively impact hygienic design principles, thereby mitigating any environmental impact of the cleaning operations in the food and beverage industries: new strategies are therefore proposed. Industrial relevance Hygienic design of food processing equipment is nowadays considered to be mandatory in the reduction of the risk microbial food contamination. The presentation of potential roles of materials on the remaining bacterial soil, after soiling and cleaning, provide new insights when envisaging any hygienic improvements. Equipment design plays a major role in contamination trapping or in the ease of removal via the flow arrangements, notably during cleaning and rinsing operations. More detailed knowledge of the flow mechanical actions combined with the unavoidable chemical action of the detergents would allow industries to go further in enhancing certain “good” phenomena, such as pulsed flow conditions. Last but not least are those possibilities offered by a hygienically designed processing line, in the quest for environmental impact mitigation of cleaning operations i.e. drinking water and energy reductions, or the use of new “green” mild detergents.

Policy and Institutional Frameworks Impacting on Vegetable Seed Production and Distribution Systems in Cameroon

ABSTRACTVegetables, especially traditional species, are an important source of micronutrient rich foods and diversified sources of income for rural people. However, farmers’ access to quality vegetable seeds is a critical bottleneck in most communities, while enabling government policies to facilitate the establishment of an efficient vegetable seed supply and distribution systems are lacking. This article assesses policy and institutional frameworks impacting on vegetable seed production and distribution systems to establish benchmark indicators for successful integration and/or diversification of vegetables into existing farming systems in the humid forest area of Cameroon. Results revealed four categories of seeds: hybrid, composite, “washed,” and farmers reserved seeds. Many actors that could be motivated to work on vegetable seeds if an enabling environment was created were identified. The major constraints observed in the vegetable seed sector included the inadaptability of legal instruments to the vegetable seed sector, absence of effective processing and storage facilities, absence of seed-testing facilities, poor knowledge of seed production, and the heterogeneity/adulteration of seeds. Consequently, farmers were obliged to use poor quality seeds with low germination rates of 5% to less than 80%. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the national agricultural policy to make special provisions on the production and distribution of vegetable seeds. Such provisions will increase collaboration and coordination between major seed value chain actors and stakeholders (i.e., national agricultural research system, the ministry of agriculture, and the private sector), remove critical bottlenecks in the seed-supply chains, and examine the existing opportunities in the systems for improvement.

Novel approaches to improving the chemical safety of the meat chain towards toxicants

In addition to microbiological issues, meat chemical safety is a growing concern for the public authorities, chain stakeholders and consumers. Meat may be contaminated by various chemical toxicants originating from the environment, treatments of agricultural production or food processing. Generally found at trace levels in meat, these toxicants may harm human health during chronic exposure. This paper overviews the key issues to be considered to ensure better control of their occurrence in meat and assessment of the related health risk. We first describe potential contaminants of meat products. Strategies to move towards a more efficient and systematic control of meat chemical safety are then presented in a second part, with a focus on emerging approaches based on toxicogenomics. The third part presents mitigation strategies to limit the impact of process-induced toxicants in meat. Finally, the last part introduces methodological advances to refine chemical risk assessment related to the occurrence of toxicants in meat by quantifying the influence of digestion on the fraction of food contaminants that may be assimilated by the human body.

Guides for value chain development: a comparative review

Purpose– In recent years, governments, donors, and NGOs have increasingly embraced value chain development (VCD) for stimulating economic growth and combating rural poverty. In line with the rise in interest, there has been a proliferation of guides for VCD. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a review of 11 guides for value chain along six different dimensions, ranging from objectives and value chain definitions to monitoring impact. The paper concludes with suggestions for the use of guides based on local needs and context, and recommendations for future guide development.Design/methodology/approach– The review compares the concepts and methods endorsed and it assesses the strengths and limitations of the guides for steering development practice.Findings– Overall, the guides provide a useful framework for understanding markets and engaging with chain stakeholders, with a strong emphasis on strengthening institutions and achieving sustainability of interventions. However, the guides often lack discussions on the conditions necessary at different levels for VCD to advance development objectives and achieve that sustainability. The guides are designed to be implemented largely independently of the specific context, in which the chain is situated, despite the major implications context has for the design of interventions and overall success of the chain. Attention to mutual learning, whether related to tool design or the outcomes and impacts of VCD interventions, is limited.Research limitations/implications– More critical reflection and debate is needed on the design of guides for VCD. The authors suggest three areas for this reflection and debate: concepts, methods, and tools for addressing the needs of the poor in value chains; tools for addressing variations in the context; and mechanisms for mutual learning on the design and implementation of VCD.Originality/value– The paper concludes with various recommendations for guide authors and donors that support VCD.

The socioeconomic impact of the phasing out of plantations in the Western and Southern Cape regions of South Africa

This study investigates the possible socioeconomic impact of the phasing out of nearly 22 500 ha of plantations within the Southern and Western Cape regions of South Africa as a result of a decision made by government in 2000. Data was collected in 2007 from three plantations (one near Grabouw in the Western Cape, and two near George in the Southern Cape) managed by Mountain to Ocean Forestry (Pty) Ltd (currently Cape Pine Investment Holdings Ltd), among three different plantation stakeholder groups. These groups are (1) forest-dependent communities, (2) stakeholders among the forestry value chain and (3) indirect stakeholders. This study indicates that there are significant differences between the potential impacts of the phasing-out process within the Southern and Western Cape regions. Communities and secondary processing companies in the Southern Cape are much more dependent on forestry than those in the Western Cape region. The study highlights three aspects related to the phasing-out process that need urgent attention. These are (1) to increase public awareness and community participation among local beneficiaries and companies to be impacted on by the phasing-out process, (2) provide appropriate training and capacity-building and thus increased skills level of workers who face unemployment and (3) the identification of alternative employment opportunities for the unemployed affected by the phasing-out process.

The fruit and vegetable marketing chains in Thailand: policy impacts and implications

PurposeThe main objective of this paper is to identify and study the marketing chains of fresh fruit and vegetables (FFV) in Thailand, the linkages of FFV farmers with supermarkets, and an evaluation of supermarket procurement systems. Another aim is to discuss the policies and implications relating to FFV and the connection of farmers with supermarkets in the context of Thailand.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses both secondary and primary data. Public agencies' documents and published reports were used to describe retailing and FFV policy of Thailand. The supermarket managers and chain stakeholders were interviewed about the FFV marketing chains and supermarkets' procurement system. Policy issues were discussed with policymakers, and extracted from relevant documents.FindingsThe government has made various attempts to improve the FFV market by promoting both domestic and export markets simultaneously thus improving production efficiency. Supermarkets play important roles in connecting farmers to markets through direct procurement while improving cultivation practices of participating farmers in order to enhance quality of produce. A number of policy gaps still exist to protect the interests of the farmers in maximizing their benefits, and in the areas of participation between public and private sectors.Practical implicationsThe findings, which are derived from FFV stakeholders and comparative studies in developing countries, are that FFV policy gaps exist.Originality/valueThis paper can help policymakers, private sector and researchers to formulate appropriate policies in the future and catalyse the FFV marketing through supermarket channels while protecting farmers' interests.

Exploring radio frequency identification technology's application in international distribution centers and adoption rate forecasting

Radio Frequency Identification Technology's (RFID) application in the global supply chain has seen increased attention, and international distribution centers (IDC) are now playing a more crucial role in the global supply chain operation. This paper adopts structure equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the impact of three factors mainly based on the technology acceptance model (TAM): perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and the social norm on the use intention of an IDC. Empirical results indicate that a revised TAM could explain the RFID acceptance behavior. Perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and the social norm are demonstrated to have an effect on RFID acceptance intention. The choice of RFID adoption is also impacted by the supply chain's stakeholders. Factors that affect the adoption intention of an IDC thus include customers and partners' request, government policy, and competitors that have already adopted RFID. Furthermore, the study adopts the binary Logit model based on the stated preference method's data to predict the possible adoption rate of the RFID system in the adoption intention of an IDC. This empirical study shows that significant statistical determinants influencing RFID acceptance are: system purchasing fixed cost, variable cost, and perceived usefulness. Our model also predicts that the penetration of RFID application in Taiwan's international distribution centers could hit the 25% adoption rate. The study provides several managerial implications and suggests future research directions.

Strategic management tools and public sector management

This article highlights the applicability and effectiveness of two well established strategic management tools, value chain and stakeholder analyses, in the context of seven public sector strategic consultancy projects. The article provides a strong justification for the use of both models, when used independently, but particularly in conjunction, as powerful strategic analytical frameworks that can significantly encourage and illuminate strategic discourses in public sector organizations. The article establishes that strategic tools such as value chain analysis, when applied in the public sector context, require significant adaptation to maximize their contribution to understanding a given situation. This study proposes that the strategic analysis of relationships that build or contribute to concepts of organizational value are of limited importance if the complex web of interdependent relationships themselves are not clearly demonstrated. This work therefore makes a clear case for applying two strategic models, value chain analysis and stakeholder analysis, in an analogous way to demonstrate how strategic understanding in the public sector is enhanced as a result of such symbiosis.