Fresh Produce Supply Chain Research Articles

Decisions of dual-channel fresh agricultural product supply chains based on information sharing

PurposeThis paper studies the optimal decision-making and coordination problem of a dual-channel fresh agricultural product (FAP) supply chain. The purpose is to analyze the impact of information sharing on optimal decisions and propose a coordination mechanism to encourage supply chain members to share information.Design/methodology/approachThe two-echelon dual-channel FAP supply chain includes a manufacturer and a retailer. By using the Stackelberg game theory and the backward induction method, the optimal decisions are obtained under information symmetry and asymmetry and the coordination contract is designed.FindingsThe results show that supply chain members should comprehensively evaluate the specific situation of product attributes, coefficient of freshness-keeping cost and network operating costs to make decisions. Asymmetric information can exacerbate the deviation of optimal decisions among supply chain members and information sharing is always beneficial to manufacturers but not to retailers. The improved revenue-sharing and cost-sharing contract is an effective coordination mechanism.Practical implicationsThe conclusions can provide theoretical guidance for supply chain managers to deal with information asymmetry and improve the competitiveness of the supply chain.Originality/valueThis paper combines the three characteristics that are most closely related to the reality of supply chains, including horizontal and vertical competition of different channels, the perishable characteristics of FAPs and the uncertainty generated by asymmetric demand information.

Advance selling strategy of fresh products under two contracts

PurposeThis paper analyzes the advance selling and pricing strategies of fresh products supply chain where the e-retailer provides wholesale contract or agency contract to the fresh products supplier.Design/methodology/approachThis paper constructed a two-period sequential-move game of fresh products supply chain members.FindingsThis analysis showed that the supply chain members had different preferences for contracts under different market conditions. The advance selling of fresh products was not a decision of the seller, but also required the support of other supply chain members. And the advance selling strategy was not always beneficial to all supply chain parties. Under the two contracts, there were market conditions in which the profits of supply chain members were Pareto-improved through the implementation of advance selling.Research limitations/implicationsThe model presented in this study focuses solely on the context of monopoly, overlooking the competition from alternative suppliers or retailers. Consequently, exploring the competitive landscape within the fresh products supply chain, particularly in relation to pre-sale pricing, emerges as a crucial avenue for further investigation. By employing empirical research methods, valuable insights are gleaned, thereby significantly augmenting the existing body of relevant theories.Practical implicationsThe decision to pre-sell fresh products should be based on market conditions. Supply chain members can control production costs and fresh products circulation losses to maximize profits.Originality/valueFrom the perspective of game theory, this study analyzed the optimal advance selling and pricing strategies of fresh products supply chain members under two kinds of contracts. These results can provide practical implications for fresh products suppliers and e-retailers.

A fair multi-commodity two-echelon distribution problem

In the context of a short and local supply chain of fresh produce in the public sector, we introduce a fair multi-commodity two-echelon distribution problem. A decision maker has to decide on the planning of the first-echelon collection trips of commodities from suppliers to distribution centers equitably and on the second-echelon delivery routes of commodities from the centers to customers. In addition to the classic objective of minimizing the total transportation cost in vehicle routing problems, the goal is to make sure that all suppliers receive an equitable service with regard to their profits. This is done by introducing fairness measures into the problem as a set of constraints. We use two widely used inequality metrics from the literature and present a novel problem-specific equity measure as well. We model the problem as a mixed-integer program using an arc-route-based formulation and suggest a matheuristic to solve the problem. Through numerical experiments, we analyze the performance of our matheuristic on a series of generated instances and on the instances of a French fresh produce supply chain from the literature. We evaluate the efficacy of the three used fairness schemes with regard to a series of key performance metrics and investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the different fairness measures. Moreover, we study the trade-off between enforcing fairness and optimizing transportation costs to come up with insights for the managers of the supply chain.

On the Value of Smart Contract and Blockchain in Designing Fresh Product Supply Chains

On the Value of Smart Contract and Blockchain in Designing Fresh Product Supply Chains

Insights from a Patent Portfolio Analysis on Sensor Technologies for Measuring Fruit Properties

A patent portfolio focusing on sensors for the measurement of fruit properties was generated and analyzed with the aim of contributing to a better understanding of the trends in the development and application of sensors intended for measuring fruit properties and their changes. A patent portfolio of 189 patents, utility models and patent applications was formed. Three groups of patents were identified: (i) sensor-based measurement of individual parameters, (ii) multisensor solutions for the simultaneous monitoring of multiple relevant aspects and (iii) solutions integrating sensor-derived data with artificial intelligence tools and techniques. The analysis of the patent portfolio pointed out the main driving forces of technology strengthening in the field of fruit property measurement. The development of sensing technologies enables the real-time, rapid and cost-effective determination of ever-increasing and more sophisticated sets of fruit properties and environmental conditions. Solutions integrating different sensing technologies into multisensor systems for monitoring fruit quality, ripening or freshness as holistic concepts opens avenues for the introduction of a new approach to fresh produce management. Increasing numbers of solutions introducing the application of artificial intelligence tools such as computer vision, machine learning and deep learning into the fresh produce supply chain contribute to the possibilities of substituting human decision-making at points of relevance for fresh produce management with optimal evidence-based solutions.

To be traceable and responsive: blockchain adoption and information sharing in a fresh produce supply chain

AbstractThis study targets a fresh produce supply chain that includes a retailer owning private demand information, a supplier who may adopt blockchain, and a 3PL (Third Party Logistics) engaging in freshness keeping. By developing a multi‐stage game model, we study the blockchain adoption strategy and the information‐sharing strategy considering information transmission between the 3PL and the supplier and analyze the interaction of these strategies. We find that under the case of moderate blockchain cost, the retailer could encourage the supplier to adopt blockchain by sharing information strategically. In that case, the retailer would actively share with the supplier and the 3PL for fresh produce with low freshness sensitivity and serious consumer distrust. Otherwise, due to the dominant impact of information transmission, the retailer has to keep private information if consumers are less concerned about freshness, while it has to share information if consumers are more concerned about freshness.

Ranking Food Safety Priorities of the Fresh Produce Industry in the United States

A broad understanding of community member food safety priorities in the fresh produce supply chain does not currently exist. This information is essential to improve food safety knowledge and practices effectively and efficiently throughout the fresh produce industry; therefore, the goal of this study was to identify and rank community produce safety priorities in the United States. Survey questions were designed and approved by food safety experts for participants to rank 24 fresh produce safety priorities. The anonymous survey was distributed online via Qualtrics™ to fresh produce community members from November 2020 to May 2021. A score was calculated for each priority by summing weighted ranking scores across responses. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to determine frequencies and distribution of response and identify factors (e.g., role in produce safety, size/location of organization/operation) that influenced rankings. A total of 281 respondents represented fourteen different roles in the fresh produce industry, with most identified as growers (39.5%). Produce operations were distributed across the U.S. and annual produce sales ranged from below $25,000 to over $5,000,000. Health and hygiene, training, postharvest sanitation, traceability, and harvest sanitation were ranked as the top five food safety priorities. These findings provide insight into community member priorities in fresh produce safety and can be used to inform intervention efforts, ranging from specialized training for produce growers and packers, industry-driven research projects, and gaps in risk communication strategies.

A study on inventory control strategies of fresh food supply chain considering advertising delay effect

PurposeThe existence of the advertising delay effect and its impact on supply chain operations have been demonstrated in the current study. Therefore, this study develops a timely inventory control strategy for the fresh produce supply chain to address the advertising delay effect in the fresh produce supply chain.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposes a game model based on the Nerlove-Arrow time delay differential equation and Pontryagin's maximum principle. Through comparative analyses of the optimal equilibrium strategies, the authors compare the optimal equilibrium strategies, product goodwill and optimal inventory trajectories for suppliers and retailers under secondary replenishment decisions and decentralized decisions.FindingsThe authors find that (1) Only when the sales cycle meets certain conditions can the overall profit of the supply chain under the secondary replenishment decision be greater than that under the decentralized decision. As the price markup coefficient increases, the total profit of the supply chain first increases and then decreases. (2) With the increase in the delay time, the replenishment quantity during the initial period gradually decreases. After the delay time elapses, the inventory depletion rate under secondary replenishment decisions is faster than that under decentralized decision-making. (3) Although there is a continuously increasing maximum value of product goodwill with the increase in delay time, it becomes difficult to achieve this value for longer delays.Practical implicationsThe authors’ findings provide a theoretical basis for supply chain members of fresh agricultural products to select replenishment and inventory control strategies when adopting different levels of delay in advertising marketing.Originality/valueFirstly, this paper explains the impact of advertising delay effect on fresh produce supply chain from a dynamic perspective, and secondly, it provides guidance on advertising formulation and inventory replenishment for fresh produce retailers under the influence of advertising delay effect.

Developing Platform Supply Chain Contract Coordination and a Numerical Analysis Considering Fresh-Keeping Services

With changes in demand and the emergence of new distribution channels, consumer-centric buyer’s markets for many products have been formed. The platform supply chain has been continuously optimized and upgraded. Supply chain leaders have moved downstream to the end of the supply chain. The operational value has been further enhanced. The corresponding systematic construction of the platform supply chain has become an important driving force for future development. The model in this paper is different from the traditional supply chain contract model, which mainly focuses on suppliers or demand. In order to meet the requirements of fresh-keeping services and the goal of revenue sharing, we integrate the production and circulation characteristics of fresh produce into the design of a contract model. In this paper, a revenue-sharing contract model of the fresh produce supply chain is constructed based on the core position of retailers, the uncertainty of the market size, and the consideration of a fresh-keeping service. The model is mainly composed of the core retailer and the supplier. Through further numerical analysis, we verify the effectiveness of the revenue-sharing contract model in supply chain coordination. We also analyze the change trends in the optimal retail price, optimal freshness level, and optimal order quantity caused by changes in both the fresh-keeping service capacity and the revenue-sharing coefficient. The results show that after changing these two parameters, the supply chain can achieve coordination under the specified parameter values. The changed parameters will also lead to certain change trends in the optimal retail price, optimal freshness level, and optimal order quantity, and will have a corresponding impact on the stability of supply chain operation. This research provides a relevant theoretical and empirical basis for a fresh produce supply chain contract model with retailers at the core position. We also provide guidance and reference for optimizing the supply chain management mode and improving the overall operational efficiency of the fresh produce supply chain.

Online sales mode selection of competing suppliers in a fresh product supply chain

This paper studies the selection of sales mode in a fresh product supply chain consisting of two competing suppliers and an e-tailer providing online platform. Suppliers can choose an online sales mode and provide freshness-keeping service. Considering the product freshness level, platform commission, supplier’s market share and cross-price coefficient between two channels, we study three sales scenarios and obtain the optimal decision and profit of the two suppliers and the e-tailer. Then, we get some conclusions through theoretical and numerical analysis. The lower the commission rate charged by online platform, the less the e-tailer likes the marketplace mode. The best action of the suppliers is also related to this commission. The lower the commission rate, the more the suppliers tend to choose the marketplace mode. And their best action is different under different sales scenarios. If the two suppliers adopt different modes, the one who chooses the marketplace mode will have more advantage. We also get an interesting conclusion that when suppliers make the same choice, the commission does not affect their competition and decision-making.

B2C or O2O? The strategic implications for the fresh produce supply chain based on blockchain technology

The breakout of COVID-19 has made consumers pay attention to the quality and source of fresh produce sold on e-commerce platforms, while the information traceability feature of blockchain can effectively monitor fresh produce quality and cope with fresh produce safety issues. Considering influencing factors such as the cost of blockchain technology, and the perceived and real quality of fresh produce, should blockchain technology be adopted in the supply chains for fresh produce? In this paper, for a fresh produce supply chain consisting of an e-commerce platform, i.e., Business-to-Consumer (B2C) or Online-to-Offline (O2O), and an offline retailer, we apply the Stackelberg game model to investigate the equilibrium strategy of the supply chain under the following scenarios: Model C(O) where the B2C (O2O) supply chain without blockchain technology; and Model CB(OB) where the B2C (O2O) supply chain implements blockchain technology. We research the conditions for implementing blockchain technology in the B2C (O2O) supply chain, the best business model for the e-commerce platform, and the conditions for the offline retailer to cooperate with the O2O e-commerce platform. Further, we investigate the impact of consumers’ awareness of traceability and the incentive effect of government subsidy on the implementation of blockchain technology. It is shown that the B2C (O2O) supply chain implements blockchain technology only when consumers' awareness of traceability is high. At this time, the offline retailer has the willingness to cooperate with the e-commerce platform. For the B2C supply chain, government subsidies are beneficial to the B2C e-commerce platforms but not to the offline retailer. For the O2O supply chain, government subsidies are beneficial to both the O2O e-commerce platform and the offline retailer.

Equilibrium Decisions for Fresh Product Supply Chain Considering Consumers’ Freshness Preference

Equilibrium Decisions for Fresh Product Supply Chain Considering Consumers’ Freshness Preference

Electrochemical Sensor for Food Monitoring Using Metal-Organic Framework Materials

Feeding the world’s increasing inhabitants requires considerable quantities of food, whose quality is essential to personal and economic health. Food quality parameters are mandatory to control throughout the fresh produce supply chain to meet consumer requests. Until now, different analytical techniques have been employed in food safety control. However, most of these are laboratory needed, expensive, and time-consuming. To address these obstacles, many researchers have concentrated on developing electrochemical sensors (ECSs) as a powerful method with great sensitivity and reliability for food evaluation. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with surprisingly porous morphology provide uniform yet tunable features, a high specific surface, and established practical applications in various fields. MOF-based ECSs present novel routes for the fast and effective detection of food contaminants or nutrients. In this current review, we concentrate on the MOF-based ECSs for food evaluation by first overviewing the library of available MOF sensors from pristine to MOF-bio composites and then exploiting recent application fields, with an emphasis on how this novel material unlocks new opportunities to monitor food nutrients or hazards.

Influence of drop test impact on the physiochemical attributes of tomatoes

Purpose This study aims to determine the influence of bruise damage generated from the impact test on the physical, chemical and nutritional responses of tomato fruit.Design/methodology/approach The impact loading was applied from different heights. The impact energies for 20, 40 and 60 cm drop heights were 129.59, 259.18 and 388.77 mJ, respectively. The injured samples were kept for 48 hours at low (10 °C) and ambient (22 °C) storage temperatures. Weight loss, firmness, color, total soluble solids (TSS), lycopene and carotenoids were measured before the impact test (day 0) and after 48 hours of the impact and storage.Findings The drop height of 60 cm and storage at 22 °C showed the highest values in the bruised area. The impact from the 60 cm drop height significantly reduced weight, lightness, yellowness, hue, firmness, lycopene and carotenoids, particularly at 22 °C storage condition. Redness (a*) and color index (CI) showed a remarkable increase (p < 0.05) at 22 °C on tomatoes affected from the highest impact level (388.77 mJ) after 48 hours of storage. No pronounced significance was seen between TSS and drop heights. This study has confirmed that tomato bruising for a short-term storage period induces physiological changes at different storage temperature conditions.Originality/value The study can confirm the crucial role of inappropriate handling in increasing fresh produce loss within short-term storage. Also, this research can be considered as a guideline for transporters, handlers, processors, distributors and horticulture researchers in the fresh produce supply chain during postharvest operations.

The Current Trends of Research on Mathematical Programming Models for Perishable Fresh Produce Supply Chain: A Thematic Review

The Current Trends of Research on Mathematical Programming Models for Perishable Fresh Produce Supply Chain: A Thematic Review

Fresh Produce Supply Chain Coordination Based on Freshness Preservation Strategy

Today, consumers are increasingly demanding higher quality in fresh agricultural products. The issues that need to be addressed now are how to keep fresh products fresh and how to coordinate the operations of supply chain participants. Three decision models are developed in this paper using the Stackelberg model: supplier-led decision making, retailer-led decision making, and centralized decision making. The comparative model analysis shows the following: (1) Regardless of the decision model, the supply chain system under centralized decision-making is always more profitable than the supplier-led or retailer-led one. (2) The optimal profit and freshness preservation strategy of the supply chain system depends on the sensitivity coefficient of consumers to price and freshness. (3) Suppliers and retailers can coordinate the costs of freshness inputs according to how the cost-sharing coordination contract is structured. (4) Finally, the numerical analysis is applied to demonstrate the correction of the model.

'I think this is where this lovely word "sustainability" comes in': Fruit and vegetable growers' narratives concerning the regulation of environmental water use for food production.

This article concerns UK commercial fruit and vegetable growers' narratives regarding the sustainability of water use for food production. In it we explore their perspectives on efforts by regulators to limit agricultural withdrawals of water from the natural environment in line with EU Water Framework Directive objectives, alongside their views on retailer sustainability commitments. Discourse analysis is used to investigate how the growers contested restrictive regulation, constructed their identities, portrayed other supply chain stakeholders, and conveyed their social relations with them. Using ErvingGoffman's theory of frontstage and backstage performances, the implications for the growers' water management decisions and their internalisation of sustainability agendas for water are examined. Whilst the growers gave accounts of purposely misrepresenting their water withdrawal practices and their discourse illustrated significant polarisation between environmental and agricultural interests, their underlying commitment to environmental sustainability was ambivalent, with both anti and pro-environmental attitudes expressed. The growers also frequently gave critiques of superficial sustainability in fresh produce supply chains. We argue that, given contemporary shifting definitions of agricultural identities, settings in which their construction is negotiated can provide windows of opportunity for conventional growers to engage in genuine pro-environmental performances that may deepen their assimilation of environmental goals and commitment to sustainable water use.

Cooperation Mode Selection and Information Sharing in a Fresh Produce Supply Chain With Freshness-Keeping Effort

ABSTRACT This article considers a fresh produce supply chain where the supplier provides freshness-keeping effort and the e-commerce platform owns private demand information. The supplier can choose to cooperate with the platform in reselling or agency selling mode, and the platform can choose whether to share information. Considering that demand is affected mainly by freshness and price, we model a multistage game and explore the supplier’s cooperation mode choice and the platform’s information sharing strategy. We reveal that the supplier should consider scale economics while investing in freshness-keeping resources. The platform should be cautious in setting the commission fee because she does not always benefit from the increased commission rate. We also show that the platform may benefit or suffer from information sharing, depending on the freshness sensitivity and the cooperation mode choice. As information sharing benefits responsive decision making, we reveal that the supplier may choose agency selling to induce information sharing even at a high commission rate. We also find that the interaction between cooperation mode selection and information sharing may lead to a win–win or lose–lose equilibrium strategy. Specifically, the supplier and the platform may achieve win–win cooperation under agency selling (reselling) at a low (high) commission rate. Then, to improve supply-chain performance, we design incentive contracts to motivate information sharing and adjust the cooperation mode choice. After the strategy adjustment, we find that the supplier may adopt a strategy of high quality with a low price under agency selling.

Corrigendum: Impact of carbon emission difference on the dual-channel fresh produce supply chain with capital constraints

Corrigendum: Impact of carbon emission difference on the dual-channel fresh produce supply chain with capital constraintsShizhen Bai and Xuelian Jia*School of Management, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin, China* Correspondence: Xuelian Jia,jxl7933@126.comKeywords: capital constraint, financing strategies, carbon emissions difference, supply chain decision,dual-channelCorrigendum on: full citation of the original version of the article. Incorrect Author NameIn the published article, an author name was incorrectly written as [Xualian Jia]. The correct spelling is [Xuelian Jia]. The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.

Impact of COVID-19 on the End in Supply Chain of Fresh E-commerce Products and Risk Control

COVID-19 has impacted many industries and caused severe disruptions in the food supply chain, which has also had a significant impact on the lives of people around the world. Some researchers have pointed out the long and short-term impact of the epidemic on the fresh produce supply chain, but there is a gap in research on the prevention and control of risks at the end of the fresh produce supply chain. Therefore, this paper uses a case study approach to analyze the challenges encountered by fresh produce e-commerce in the context of the epidemic from multiple perspectives and provide recommendations for risk prevention and control. It is found that the risks at the end of the fresh food supply chain are mainly in the areas of environmental risk, supply and demand risk, and transport risk. In response to the above risks, companies need to improve the following aspects: cost reduction and loss, product quality control, and sales channel innovation to seize the opportunity to develop fresh food e-commerce and improve risk response mechanisms at the end of the fresh produce supply chain to drive its own development.