Inefficient Practices Research Articles

Minimizing embodied energy of reinforced concrete floor systems in developing countries through shape optimization

Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) are struggling to meet the demand for affordable housing in their growing cities. There are several reasons for this, but a major constraint is the high cost of construction materials. In India, which needs over 20 million urban housing units by 2022, material costs can constitute 60 to 80% of the total cost of residential construction. Nonetheless, their construction mimics the materially inefficient practices of the More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs), which were developed to reduce labor over material costs. As a result, prismatic beams and flat slabs are often used despite their structural inefficiency. The mounting use of steel-reinforced concrete structures in LEDC cities also raises concern for the environmental costs of construction; for example, construction accounts for 22% of India’s carbon emissions. At the building scale, at least 50% of the structural mass and embodied energy is just in the horizontal spanning elements.This research addresses these challenges with a flexible methodology for the design and engineering of materially efficient structural floor systems that can reduce the economic and environmental costs of urban construction. Construction costs and embodied energy are direct products of material choice and quantity. In response, this paper presents a strategy for the numerical shape optimization of ribbed one-way concrete floor slabs. Designed for the constraints of India, the elements are optimized to reduce the embodied energy associated with the slab’s concrete and reinforcing steel while resisting the same loads of an equivalent solid flat slab. The optimization method includes a novel approach to 3D shape parameterization, as well as a decoupled analytical engineering analysis method that accounts for the key failure modes and constraints of reinforced concrete design. The result of this work is a shaped slab design method that can reduce the embodied energy of one-way concrete floors by 48–64%.

English

BACKGROUND Indoor air pollution is responsible for more than 1.5 million deaths and 2.7 % of the global burden of disease as per WHO report. Globally, more than three billion people depend on solid fuels including biomass and coal. Nearly 4 million people die prematurely from illnesses attributed to household air pollution from inefficient cooking practices using polluting stoves paired with solid fuels and kerosene. As a customary involvement in cooking; women are obliged to breathe the air polluted with biomass fuels and tend to experience the largest exposures and health burdens. Hence this study was done to assess the determinants of indoor air pollution (IAP) and its health impact among women residing in rural areas of Bengaluru. METHODS A community based cross sectional study was conducted among household women residing in rural population of Bengaluru over a period of 4 months. Based on prevalence rate of sources for indoor air pollution being 49 % from the earlier studies the estimated sample was 500. Household women were interviewed by simple random sampling technique. RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 46.9 + 15yrs. where 42.4 % belonged to 40 - 59 yrs. of age group. In majority of households, 84.4 % used LPG as a cooking fuel. Type of fuel, second-hand smoking, smoke from the neighbourhood and use of mosquito repellents were found to be sources while poor housekeeping, inadequate ventilation, and lack of smoke outlet in kitchen were contributing factors for IAP. Irritation in eyes, cough, difficulty in breathing, running nose and chronic respiratory diseases were the perceived symptoms due to IAP. CONCLUSIONS Majority of households in the current study were exposed to IAP due to passive smoking, smoke from the neighbourhood and use of mosquito repellents while improper ventilation, absence of smoke outlet and humid conditions accentuated it. Community awareness program and cost effective interventions is the need of the hour. KEY WORDS Indoor Air Pollution, Rural Population, Women's Health

Metabolite profiles of energy cane and sugarcane reveal different strategies during the axillary bud outgrowth

Commercial cultivation of sugarcane is usually carried out by planting culm segments (sett) carrying buds in their internodes. However, this is an inefficient practice due to high sprouting irregularity. In this work, we inspect the first stages of the physiological preparation of the culm for sprouting, trying to identify compounds that actively participate in this process. We compared, during the first 48 h, the metabolic profile of sugarcane against energy cane, a cultivar known to have higher sprouting speed and consistency. In fact, during this short period it was possible to observe that energy cane already had a higher physiological activity than sugarcane, with significant changes in the catabolism of amino acids, increased levels of reducing sugars, lipids and metabolic activity in the phenylpropanoid pathway. On the other hand, sugarcane samples had just begun their activity during this same period, with an increase in the level of glutamate as the most significant change, which may be linked to the strategy of these cultivars to develop their roots before leaves, opposite of what is seen for energy cane. These results contribute to the development of strategies for increasing the efficiency of sprouting in sugarcane.

Utilization of Building Information Modeling for Arranging the Structural Kingposts

The kingpost was a vertical element that was used to support the structural strut in the deep excavation. The structural kingpost was commonly arranged by experienced engineers who used two-dimensional construction drawings. Thus, it was still time-consuming and error-prone. Currently, an available construction program has been developed to arrange the structural kingpost by identifying the clash problems in the 3D environment. However, they have a limitation for detecting the clash that was unable to visualize the concurrent clashes between kingpost and many underground structures. Then, the engineer cannot see all the clash incidents with each kingpost and move the kingpost to avoid the clashes successfully. Since the kingpost arrangement was still an inefficient practice that was limited in the visualization aspect, this research used engineering knowledge and advanced construction technology to detect and solve the clashes between kingposts and underground structures. The methodology used engineering knowledge of kingpost arrangement to develop the system modules by using a rule-based approach. Then, these modules were developed into the system by using visual programming of Building Information Modelling (BIM). To test the system, an underground structure from building construction was selected as a case study to apply the developed system. Finally, the finding of this study could overcome human judgment by providing less interaction in the kingpost arrangement and visualization improvement of clash occurrences in the 3D model.

Stop multitasking and just read: meta‐analyses of multitasking's effects on reading performance and reading time

BackgroundMultitasking while reading is a commonplace activity. Many studies have been conducted examining the effect of multitasking on reading comprehension and times. The purpose of this meta‐analysis is to consolidate the empirical findings on reading comprehension and times in order to understand the overall effect of multitasking on reading. Characteristics of the reading situation, comprehension assessment and the secondary task were examined to determine if they varied the effect of multitasking.MethodsA systematic search of studies on multitasking and reading was conducted. Only studies that used random assignment and had participants reading independently were included. This screening yielded 22 independent studies (20 reports) that met inclusion criteria, with 20 studies on reading comprehension and 9 studies on reading times. Most of the studies involved adults reading expository texts.ResultsBased on robust variance estimation analyses, multitasking had a negative effect on reading comprehension (g = −0.28, p = .002). The effect was similar after outliers were removed (g = −0.26, p = .001). Based on moderator analyses, this negative effect may only occur when time was limited because the reading pace was controlled by the experimenter (g = −0.54, p < .001) as there was not a reliable effect when reading was self‐paced (g = −0.14, p = .10). Multitasking during reading lead to longer reading times (g = 0.52, p < .001).ConclusionsMultitasking during reading is detrimental to reading comprehension when time is limited. When readers control their own pace of reading, multitasking lengthens the time for the reading task. Therefore, multitasking while reading is less efficient than focusing attention on the primary task of reading.HighlightsWhat is already known about this topic Multitasking during reading is commonplace. Human cognitive resources are limited. Many studies exist on reading while multitasking. What this paper adds Overall effect for multitasking on reading comprehension is negative. Multitasking when reading time is limited is detrimental to comprehension. Multitasking has a greater negative effect when reading from paper than screens. Self‐paced reading times are longer when multitasking. Implications for theory, policy or practice Multitasking while reading is an inefficient practice. Students should be encouraged to focus on reading a text.

Exploring Substrate Water Capture in Common Greenhouse Substrates through Preconditioning and Irrigation Pulsing Techniques

Particles in a substrate create a network of pore pathways for water to move through, with size and shape determining the efficacy of these channels. Reduced particle size diversity can lead to increased leachate, poor substrate hydration, and an inefficient irrigation practice. This research examined the hydration characteristics of three greenhouse substrate components at three preconditioned initial moisture contents using subirrigation under five different irrigation durations and three water depths (2 mm, 20 mm, and 35 mm). Sphagnum peatmoss, coconut coir, and aged pine bark were tested at 67%, 50%, and 33% initial moisture (by weight). The objectives were to determine the impact of varying irrigation event durations (5, 10, 20, 30, 60 min) over a 60-min period, and the further influence of water depth and initial moisture, on the water capture abilities of peat, coir, and pine bark. The number of irrigation events depended on the irrigation event time of that experimental unit divided by the total time of 60 min, varying from 12, 6, 3, 2, and 1 event. Hydration efficiency was influenced by initial moisture content (IMC), water depth, pulsing duration, and inherent substrate characteristics (hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity). Initial MC had the largest impact on peat, regardless of water level or irrigation duration. Lower IMCs increased the hydrophobic response of peat, further reducing the amount of water the substrate was able to absorb. Pine bark had a 5–10% decrease in initial hydration between 67%, 50%, and 33% IMC, while coir’s hydrophilic nature reduced any IMC affects. At 50% IMC or less, coir had the highest volumetric water content (VWC) across all substrates, pulsing durations, and water depths. Water depth was found to increase initial hydration and final hydration 6–8% across all substrates. These three materials had altered and varied water capture responses depending on the combination of treatments employed. This work demonstrated the effects of intensity and exposure on substrates and the need for more integrated research for improving water use efficiency on container crops.

Effects of drift algae accumulation and nitrate loading on nitrogen cycling in a eutrophic coastal sediment

The permeable (sandy) sediments that dominate the world's coastlines and continental shelves are highly exposed to nitrogen pollution, predominantly due to increased urbanisation and inefficient agricultural practices. This leads to eutrophication, accumulation of drift algae and changes in the reactions of nitrogen, including the potential to produce the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). Nitrogen pollution in coastal systems has been identified as a global environmental issue, but it remains unclear how this nitrogen is stored and processed by permeable sediments. We investigated the interaction of drift algae biomass and nitrate (NO3−) exposure on nitrogen cycling in permeable sediments that were impacted by high nitrogen loading. We treated permeable sediments with increasing quantities of added macroalgal material and NO3− and measured denitrification, dissimilatory NO3− reduction to ammonium (DNRA), anammox, and nitrous oxide (N2O) production, alongside abundance of marker genes for nitrogen cycling and microbial community composition by metagenomics. We found that the presence of macroalgae dramatically increased DNRA and N2O production in sediments without NO3− treatment, concomitant with increased abundance of nitrate-ammonifying bacteria (e.g. Shewanella and Arcobacter). Following NO3− treatment, DNRA and N2O production dropped substantially while denitrification increased. This is explained by a shift in the relative abundance of nitrogen-cycling microorganisms under different NO3− exposure scenarios. Decreases in both DNRA and N2O production coincided with increases in the marker genes for each step of the denitrification pathway (narG, nirS, norB, nosZ) and a decrease in the DNRA marker gene nrfA. These shifts were accompanied by an increased abundance of facultative denitrifying lineages (e.g. Pseudomonas and Marinobacter) with NO3− treatment. These findings identify new feedbacks between eutrophication and greenhouse gas emissions, and in turn have potential to inform biogeochemical models and mitigation strategies for marine eutrophication.

Impact of high-performance work practices in human resource management of health dispensaries in Qassim Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, towards organizational resilience and productivity

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the effect of adopting categories of high-performance work practices (HPWPs) in human resource management (HRM) in some health dispensaries in the context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It examines their impact on specific performance areas that can be measured in line with defined performance measurement criteria by adopting the approach of best practices that covers a wide range of departments, levels and processes, including those that reflect the HRM strategy's effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed descriptive-exploratory research design which explores the effect of adopting categories of HPWPs in HRM in some health dispensaries in the context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.FindingsThis study's findings also point to inefficient practices in uplifting organizational performance levels, such as performance-related compensation and information exchange. HPWPs contribute in achieving the institutions' goals in the employees' performance improvement their productivity in health dispensaries improvement of institutional characteristics and performance. HPWPs led to the improvement in the elements of performance, remarkable of which are: improvement in innovation level and creativity; management level improvement due to the compatibility of human resources (HR) practices with the employees' qualifications and experiences; support of the administration to these practices, individual and institutional goal achievement.Research limitations/implicationsThe drawback of this analysis is that HR drivers have been listed for healthcare in Saudi Arabia. There will also be extra drivers or potential examinations. The research used expert opinions; they could modify their views in the future. Such work primarily relates to Saudi Arabia and requires validation in specific contexts. There are prospects for more research in the future, as this analysis should be used. This offers the partnership pattern for HR drivers in healthcare in Saudi Arabia.Practical implicationsThe study presents practical implications to HRM of health services in Saudi Arabia. This may help to improve healthcare programme in Saudi Arabia and transforming it into a comprehensive healthcare network through which the country offers quality health coverage across various government departments. The private sector's involvement in providing healthcare services is also growing but is hampered by many HR-related concerns.Social implicationsWith this study, it offers to improve the health services of Saudi Arabia for social development with regards to HRM practices. In which efficiency in healthcare ensures that the patient wants treatment in an inexpensive, secure, efficient manner because it needs it. HPWPs in HRM are examined in this research paper.Originality/valueDespite the magnitude of the health dispensaries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the geographical expanse, it covers in rendering its practical and medical services, there is an apparent lack of full grasp on the part of managers concerning the potential role that HPHWs can play a major role in contributing to the development of health services across the board; in addition to the fact that some institutions are not desirous of changing the framework and operations of their HRM amongst healthcare institutions in Saudi Arabia.

Designing a Resilient International Reverse Logistics Network for Material Cycles: A Japanese Case Study

With material cycles becoming more international, the design of international reverse logistics (IRL) networks has also become increasingly important, especially in island nations such as Japan, where maritime transportation plays a significant role. Nevertheless, few studies relate to IRL design, with most existing research focusing on economic efficiency. However, IRL networks’ resilience is equally or even more important than the typical logistics network design. As developed countries—including Japan—are usually exporters of recyclables, IRL malfunctions can cause waste or recyclables to accumulate in these countries, leading to inefficient waste management practices, such as landfilling. As IRL networks are characterized by low transportation rates and other uncertainties, they must be able to absorb this volatility and function despite any disruptions. This study utilizes a Japanese case study of IRL networks to establish a model and design a resilient, efficient IRL network using a cost-minimization model with resilience constraints. Our model reveals that expanding ports in a remote area with inexpensive storage costs increases economies of scale while contributing to IRL networks’ resilience by forming hubs.

IDENTIFYING THE FACTORS INHIBITING RESEARCH ON URBAN FREIGHT TRANSPORT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: REVIEW OF STUDIES IN INDIA

Most of the cities in developing countries are found to have non-uniform distribution of urban space, complex land use patterns, mixed traffic conditions, extensive use of non-motorized vehicles and lack of traffic discipline. In comparision to the developed countries, it is more complicated to manage urban freight transport in developing countries due to the lack of sufficient infrastructure, wide socio-economic gaps between urban and non-urban areas and haphazard peripheral developments. Therefore the methods and strategies used to manage urban freight transport in developed countries cannot be directly used for cities in developing countries. It is necessary to devise distinctive solutions to improve the efficieny of urban freight transport in these cities, which may otherwise, inhibit the economic growth of these cities as well as hamper the overall momentum of country’s GDP growth gathered over decades. In recent years some studies focussing on urban freight transport are carried out in India, China and Brazil. This paper reviews urban freight studies carried out for Indian cities. India, world’s second most populous country to China, has 39 cities with a million plus population. Most of its cities are facing problems like congestion and air quality degradation due to inefficient freight movement practices. Review of urban freight studies is carried out based on different parameters influencing efficiency of freight movement. Various challenges and limitations faced by the researchers and administrators are discussed. Based on the review results, suggestions and future scope for research in different aspects of urban freight are presented in the paper.

The Ways to Come Over the Institutional Traps of Higher Education and Science Spere

The present paper is devoted to the Russian ineffective higher education and science institutions functioning study and analysis. We consider such institutions to be institutional traps, which are identified as sustainable inefficient rules and practices with the negative impact for education and science sphere reforms and transformations. The lack of the methodology base for regular institutional monitoring is one of the reasonable issues to institutional traps study. Such institutional monitoring should consist of qualitative and quantitative studies to find out the higher education and science sphere representatives points of view on the reforms results. To find out the solution and to improve the research methodology we used in-depth interview surveys and focus group discussions with lecturers and scientists of the Southern Federal University. This methodology let us to improve the institutional traps study and to design the way to come over the difficulties and barriers considering the ideas and experience of the sphere representatives. The responders involved in the present research were suggested by the six following institutional traps to discuss: the metric's trap, the trap of raising level of bureaucracy, the trap of shortage of financing, the quality of education decline trap, the trap of staff capacity and the electronization and digitalization trap.

Organophosphate poisoning\xa0of Hyacinth Macaws in\xa0the Southern Pantanal, Brazil

The populations of hyacinth macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), an emblematic species, have suffered declines due to many environmental factors. The Hyacinth Macaw Institute’s actions are showing positive outcomes for the conservation of A. hyacinthinus. However, environmental issues, such as fires and deforestation due to inefficient and unsustainable cattle ranching practices, are a threat to the biodiversity. Another major threat is the reckless use of pesticides. The objective of this manuscript is to describe the findings, in the Pantanal, of three dead hyacinth macaws and to investigate their cause of death and conservation implications. A necropsy was conducted on two individuals and biological samples were collected and sent to conduct toxicological exams to test for organophosphates, organochlorines, and carbomates. Compatible with other findings, results showed a highly dangerous level of organophosphate, 158.44 ppb. We describe for the first time, a rare, isolated but unusual mortality event associated with organophosphate pesticide poisoning of hyacinth macaws. Mortality reports for bees and other bird species on how the improper use of pesticides can potentially cause the contamination of food and water resources are discussed. These factors are antagonistic to long-term efforts to preserve wildlife and carry out other conservation efforts in Brazil’s southern Pantanal.

A fuzzy-logic model for benchmarking concrete roof maintenance

PurposeConcrete structures undergo early and fast deterioration, which causes defects such as cracks, water leaks and delamination, resulting from a lack of or inefficient maintenance practices. To improve this behaviour, this paper aims to develop a maintenance strategy benchmarking model for concrete structures.Design/methodology/approachFuzzy logic toolbox on MATLAB R2018a was used to develop the proposed model and it was applied to two cases. A comprehensive literature search was done to review common concrete defects, their impact on the performance and functionality of the structure, effectiveness of maintenance strategies and previous maintenance benchmarking models. The literature findings were further validated through expert interviews which have been incorporated in the model.FindingsCase study results show that preventive maintenance (PM), predictive maintenance (PdM) and corrective maintenance (CM) strategies are required more or less in similar combinations for maintenance of concrete roof structures. The best combination for case 1 is 36.42% PM, 35.40% PdM and 28.18% CM, and for case 2 is 35.93% PM, 35.08% PdM and 28.99% CM. According to suitability, they can be ranked as PM > PdM > CM.Originality/valueThis model will contribute as a comprehensive decision-making tool for building/facility managers. The findings further carry a strong message to those who practice only CM in their buildings.

The Antifragility Effect: Deploying Emerging Tech in Medical Device Supply Networks to Rebuild Better

The research presented in this paper is aimed at determining how emerging technology and specifically blockchain can be deployed to improve the reliability of medical device supply chains. As the current pandemic crisis has clearly demonstrated, global supply chains have become highly efficient and cost-effective at the cost of agility. As the pandemic developed into a global crisis, the vulnerability of supply chains became apparent in the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) due to overreliance on a limited number of sources coupled with the challenge of stepping up production on short notice. In 2021, the shortage of medical oxygen in India revealed another vulnerability in that precious time was lost in pivoting the existing oxygen supply from industrial to medical usage. Over the centuries, and still today in military scenarios, supply chain security has hinged on stockpiling of goods and materials, an extremely costly and inefficient practice.If the global medical device industry can learn from these shocks and adapt global supply chains for greater reliability and resilience, the end result will be positive – an antifragile response (Taleb, Nassim Nicholas 2012). We hypothesize that it is indeed possible to enhance supply chains without massive stockpiling based on distributed ledger technology (DLT) and blockchain. A real-life example in Colombia with plans for rollout across Latin America demonstrates what this can look like in practice and adds weight to our hypothesis. However, more research and broader adoption of DLT and blockchain across medical device supply chains are required to realize the potential of technology to improve reliability, resilience and robustness.

Hypertension Care for People With HIV in Tanzania: Provider Perspectives and Opportunities for Improvement.

One in three people with HIV (PWH) has hypertension. However, most hypertensive PWH in sub-Saharan Africa are unaware of their hypertension diagnosis and are not on treatment. To better understand barriers to hypertension care faced by PWH, we interviewed 15 medical providers who care for patients with HIV and hypertension in northern Tanzania. The data revealed barriers at the patient, provider, and system level and included: stress, depression, and HIV-related stigma; lack of hypertension knowledge; insufficient hypertension training; inefficient prescribing practices; challenges with counselling; capacity limitations in hypertension care; high costs of care; and lack of routine hypertension screening and follow-up. Opportunities for improvement focused on prioritizing resources and funding towards hypertension care. System-related challenges were the underlying cause of barriers at individual levels. Strategies that focus on strengthening capacity and utilize existing HIV platforms to promote hypertension care delivery are urgently needed to improve cardiovascular outcomes among PWH.

Trade Facilitation and Its Impacts on the Economic Welfare and Sustainable Development of the ECOWAS Region

The facilitation of trade is a principal objective in the context of increasing regional trade integration for the achievement of sustainable development goals. The purpose of this study is to estimate the potential annual economic gain to be had from trade facilitation by the coastal countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). These measures would decrease border and documentary compliance time and costs of the administration of international trade. A partial equilibrium welfare economics framework is used that employs sets of export supply and import demand elasticities for each country that are derived using a general equilibrium estimation method. The annual economic welfare gains resulting from the reduction of excessive trade compliance costs for the region are estimated to between US$1.6 billion to US$2.7 billion (2019 prices). This is between 0.24% and 0.42% of the combined GDPs of these countries. The welfare gain is between 6% and 10% of the combined governments’ budgets assigned for education, and is between 33% and 58% of their budgets allocated for health. In the absence of reform, these inefficient practices waste an amount equal to between 15% and 26% of the annual net official development assistance these countries receive.

Transformation Shifts in Economy: Basic Approaches

The article aims to study and analyze the political and social–economic changes in the process of system transformation in Ukraine. It singles out factors that might lead to a more sustainable strategy of political and social – economic development. The paper represents an attempt to understand the content of system transformation, causes of successful and inefficient practices, and proposes recommendations for its improvement. The hypothesis of the study is to estimate how the GDP growth in Ukraine depends on the degree of economic, political, social transformation, as well as the overall indicators (market and democratic) transformation. The study discusses the concepts of system transformation, describes types of transformation, determines the impact of transformation shifts on economic growth in a country, and estimates the econometric model of GDP from transformational changes, contributing and slowing down factors.

Някои парадокси на съвременното възпитание

In historical point of view every human generation learn some standard practices in upbringing from previous generations but create new. In contemporary pedagogy this processes are connected with two basic educational functions – conservative and progressive. Conservatism represent save and continuation of traditional practices in upbringing chiefly in family and educational institutions but according to progressive idea this practices have to be partial or completely changed. This change is important condition for adaptation on children to the present and the future. On the other hand, all this can generate series of contradictions and paradoxes in actions on basic upbringing factors – family and educational institution. In this article the author examine some dysfunctions of educational practices on this factors, as refusal to execute their basic functions, evade responsibility, don’t attach importance to main social problems, inefficient educational practices and so on.

A phased Vanilla planifolia genome enables genetic improvement of flavour and production.

The global supply of vanilla extract is primarily sourced from the cured beans of the tropical orchid species Vanilla planifolia. Vanilla plants were collected from Mesoamerica, clonally propagated and globally distributed as part of the early spice trade. Today, the global food and beverage industry depends on descendants of these original plants that have not generally benefited from genetic improvement. As a result, vanilla growers and processors struggle to meet global demand for vanilla extract and are challenged by inefficient and unsustainable production practices. Here, we report a chromosome-scale, phased V. planifolia genome, which reveals sequence variants for genes that may impact the vanillin pathway and therefore influence bean quality. Resequencing of related vanilla species, including the minor commercial species Vanilla × tahitensis, identified genes that could impact productivity and post-harvest losses through pod dehiscence, flower anatomy and disease resistance. The vanilla genome reported in this study may enable accelerated breeding of vanilla to improve high-value traits.

Collaborative innovation and sustainability in the food supply chain- evidence from farmer producer organisations

Firms today are striving to adopt innovations to ensure their survival, value creation and success. Innovation is increasingly seen as an outcome of a collaborative process, involving various stakeholders both within and outside the firms, in supply chain relationships. Collaborative arrangements are gaining traction and the focus of innovation is shifting from firms to their supply chain networks. This leads to the notion of supply chain innovation, which has been widely accepted as an important ingredient for improving the organisational and supply chain performance of firms. Inefficient practices such as improper crop selection, involvement of too many intermediaries, flood irrigation, over-fertilization and food waste necessitate innovative practices that will improve the sustainability of the food supply chain. In this regard, there is a need to investigate how collaboration among food supply chain entities leads to innovative practices and how these innovative practices in turn improve the sustainability of the food supply chain. This study aims to address this gap using the case of the Indian Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). Further, using the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model, the supply chain of FPO is divided into five levels - plan, source, make, deliver and return and the case is analysed across these levels. The findings show that the formation of FPO through collaboration facilitates many innovative practices that result in several economic, environmental and social benefits to the FPO.