Supply Chain Stakeholders Research Articles

Trends in maintaining postharvest freshness and quality of Rubus berries.

Blackberries and raspberries, commonly known as Rubus berries, are commercially grown worldwide across different climates. Rubus berries contain wide array of phytochemicals, vitamins, dietary fibers, minerals, and unsaturated fatty acids. Nevertheless, these berries have short storage life which is the major constraint in their supply chains leading to higher postharvest losses. Inappropriate harvest handling, physical bruising, insect pests, and postharvest diseases lower the acceptability of fruit among consumers and other supply chain stakeholders. Additionally, the susceptibility to microbial decay, fruit softening, higher ethylene production, respiratory activity, and increased oxidation of anthocyanins, phenolics, and flavonoids considerably affects the marketability of Rubus berries at domestic and international markets. To date, several postharvest strategies such as cold storage, precooling, modified and controlled atmospheres, anti-ripening chemicals, edible coatings, biological agents, and nonchemical alternatives (heat treatment, ultrasound, irradiations, ozone) have been reported to prolong storage life, ensure food safety, and maintain the nutritional quality of Rubus berries. This review briefly encompasses multiple aspects including harvest maturity indices, regulation of fruit ripening, pre and postharvest factors affecting fruit quality, and an update on postharvest quality preservation by employing postharvest technologies to extend the storage life and maintaining the bioactive compounds in Rubus berries which are lacking in the literature. Accordingly, this review provides valuable information to the industry stakeholders and scientists offering relevant solutions, limitations in the application of certain technologies at commercial scale, highlighting research gaps, and paving the way forward for future investigations.

Reverse logistics and circular economy: A literature review

The application of circular economy (CE) principles in reverse logistics (RL) processes involves the recovery, recycling, reuse and remanufacturing of materials that return from the consumer to the producer. This literature review assesses whether the manufacturing sector, technology, supply chain (SC) structure, customers’ preferences, and policy makers influence the diffusion of circular RL, highlighting the strategies adopted by companies. The results show different levels of circular RL implementation in different industries. Technology is an enabler but also an obstacle, as it requires large financial resources and a skilled workforce. The involvement of all SC stakeholders proves to be a critical factor in the successful implementation of circular RL, although the likelihood of success depends significantly on producers being the initiators. Policymakers also play a key role in guiding business investment in circular RL projects. This article summarizes the literature on CE and RL on analytical dimensions rarely studied together, providing researchers, companies and public decision makers with an overview of the most critical factors influencing the management of RL within circular processes. Controversial findings, open questions, and promising lines of future research are also outlined.

Grandfathering or benchmarking? The performance of implementing blockchain technology in a low-carbon supply chain

Blockchain can make the production process transparent and increase consumer recognition. With regard to the grandfathering and benchmarking, which are two widely implemented carbon regulation schemes in the industrial field, how will the use of blockchain perform asymmetric cost effects and emission reduction driving effects on these two carbon policies? From the perspective of carbon reduction and supply chain stakeholders, which regulation scheme should be adopted is an important issue that deserves attention. By analyzing the performances of two carbon allocation mechanisms with and without blockchain, we have the following findings: The implementation of benchmarking mechanism can better stimulate the manufacturer's enthusiasm for emission reduction, and the retailer also prefers benchmarking, regardless of whether the blockchain employed or not; There exists a situation where a higher unit blockchain cost leads to a lower total carbon emission, and unit improvement in environmental performance may not necessarily improve overall environmental performance; We define the Pareto regions in which the interests of supply chain stakeholders and the environmental performance of the supply chain can be improved simultaneously by adopting blockchain. We also investigate the impacts of consumer sensitivity to blockchain technology, carbon reduction cost and carbon trading price on the Pareto regions.

Organisation of cross-sector collaboration and its influence on crisis management effectiveness among pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesTo investigate the organisation of cross-sector collaboration and how it influenced crisis management effectiveness among pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders in Finland during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study designQualitative semi-structured interview study. MethodsPurposeful selection was used to obtain the study sample consisting of leaders and specialists from the pharmaceutical industry and wholesalers (n = 9), community pharmacy owners (n = 9), hospital pharmacy heads (n = 6), government agency directors and officials (n = 5) and advocacy organisation representatives (n = 2). Inductive content analysis was performed to examine the data from the semi-structured individual (n = 29) and paired (n = 2) interviews in March–May 2021. ResultsA new conceptual model was developed to describe the organisation of collaborative crisis management. Without a predefined crisis management organisation, cross-sector collaboration was organised based on previous collaboration structures, channels and relationships and through the establishment of issue-specific groups by government agencies as per legal mandates. Crisis dynamics and related issues guided the group formation and meeting frequency. Advocacy organisations and government agencies acted in bridging role between stakeholders. Shared knowledge among pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders enabled anticipation and preparedness during crisis; shared resources fostered maintenance of core functions; and shared problem-solving facilitated cross-sectoral solutions. ConclusionThis was the first study exploring cross-sector collaboration among pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders during a crisis. Sharing knowledge, resources and problem-solving increased the crisis management effectiveness. The study presented a new illustration of organising for collaborative crisis management and added knowledge about private-third sector collaboration and issue-specific groups to the cross-sector collaboration and crisis management literature.

Reformasi Digitalisasi Rantai Pasok Maritim Pasca Covid-19

The maritime supply chain becomes the key factor in trade globalization especially when the pandemic hit; the maritime supply chain was interrupted and caused instability of supply and demand around the world. The pandemic crisis forced the maritime supply chain stakeholders to adopt and implement technologies to give fast and precise services that could reach remote areas. This article reviews several conducted research before and within the pandemic about the challenges and actions of digitalization transformation in the maritime supply chain. The result shows that almost all the research articles reviewed state the importance of digital transformation as the solution of the maritime supply chain interruption due to pandemic that started from the fast and on time exchanged and integrated information to automation of moving goods in the supply chain work processes. Businessmen and the government have the same conclusion that digitalization is an integral part of any solution taken.

Enabling affordances of blockchain in agri-food supply chains: A value-driver framework using Q-methodology

The application of blockchain beyond cryptocurrencies has received increasing attention from industry and scholars alike. Given predicted looming food crises, some of the most impactful deployments of blockchains are likely to concern food supply chains. This study outlined how blockchain adoption can result in positive affordances in the food supply chain. Using Q- methodology, this study explored the current status of the agri-food supply chain and how blockchain technology could be useful in addressing existing challenges. This theorization leads to the proposition of the 3TIC value-driver framework for determining the enabling affordances of blockchain that would increase shared value for stakeholders. First, we propose a framework based on the most promising features of blockchain technology to overcome current challenges in the agri-food industry. Our value-driver framework is driven by the Q-study findings of respondents closely associated with the agri-food supply chain. This framework can provide supply chain stakeholders with a clear perception of blockchain affordances and serve as a guideline for utilizing appropriate features of technology that match organizations’ capabilities, core competencies, goals, and limitations. Therefore, it could assist top-level decision-makers in systematically evaluating parts of the organization to focus on and improve the infrastructure for successful blockchain implementation along the agri-food supply chain. We conclude by noting certain significant challenges that must be carefully addressed to successfully adopt blockchain technology.

Circular Supply Chain Stakeholder Mapping for Blockchain Governance of Lithium-ion Battery Safety

Circular Supply Chain Stakeholder Mapping for Blockchain Governance of Lithium-ion Battery Safety

KETERKAITAN AGEN BERAS DENGAN STAKEHOLDER RANTAI PASOK DI KECAMATAN BATURAJA TIMUR

This study has directions to find out the relation to find out the relationship between rice agents and supply chain stakeholders in East Baturaja District. This research method was carried out using a quantitative method in which the research used Spearman’s rank analysis.Information material was obtained by distributing questionnaires and information material obtained from rice agent business actors in East Baturaja District. The results of this study are the results of the relationship between rice agents and supply chain stakeholder in East Baturaja District, which consist of: capital, rice millers, retailers,labor, consumers and transportation. Of the six factors, three factors have a very close relationship with stakeholders to rice agents in East Baturaja District, namely capital rice agents, consumers and retailers, and three factors that have a very weak relationship with rice agent stakeholders in East Baturaja District.

Business strategy pathways for short food supply chains: Sharing value between consumers and producers

Short food supply chains play a vital role in connecting local producers with consumers, promoting sustainability, supporting local economies, and providing access to fresh, high-quality products. However, their market is still underdeveloped due to the mismatching between consumer demand and producer supply.The aim of this work is to identify a common vision between producers and consumers in short food supply chains proposing key actions for an effective business strategy to improve alternative food systems at a territorial level. The strategic long-term vision to foster short food supply chains is based on a direct farmer-to-retailer model. Grounded on the case of an ancient grains supply chain located in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, this research relies on a mixed-method approach including quantitative and qualitative methodologies. A household survey conducted with a representative sample of 1122 Italian households allowed to identify four consumer profiles. Then, two focus groups conducted with 10 food supply chain stakeholders led to the identification of six thematic areas of action. By the backcasting methodology, ancient grains supply chain actors proposed a set of business actions to reach consumers' preferences. Finally, a two rounds Delphi conducted with 23 food supply chain experts allowed to validate the results and the 18 actions to be adopted from 2023 to 2030 for the business strategy pathway. The business strategy pathway can increase the local market presence of ancient grain products, helping producers to plan future business activities and disclose changes in consumer preferences or market conditions.

Price Analysis in the European Food Supply Chain

The paper assesses the degree of price cooperation between the main agricultural supply chain stakeholders in EU-27. The price transmission mechanism between producers and retailers is used for assessing cooperation. Cereals prices of EU-27 are used for the empirical analysis (January 1995 - April 2022). The price mechanism is modeled via the Co-Integrated Vector AutoRegressive (VAR) representation. The empirical analysis follows the usual drill of stationarity and co-integration tests followed by Granger Causality tests, Impulse Responses and Forecasts of Error Decomposition. The results show restricted cooperation between supply chain stakeholders.
 
 JEL Classifications: Q13, Q18
 
 Keywords: Price analysis, European Union - 27, supply chain management

IoT-based framework for agile supply chain in FMCG indus-tries – a solution for (post-)pandemic times

In recent decades, with the growth of sustainable development, supply chain agility has become very important as a strategy for competitiveness in the business environment, and supply chain stakeholders expect the role of digital developments and efficient tools in these developments in the supply chain to be considered. One of the most important transformational solutions in today's world is the Internet of Things (IoT). It can accelerate activity in the supply chain and create value in the organization. Due to environmental issues and the increasing speed of changes in customer needs in various industries, such as critical industries where agility has a high impact on people's health, these industries have undergone many changes with the emergence of innovation. Therefore, the whole supply chain path requires im-plementing strategies such as agile and green supply chain and achieving smartness. Thus, emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things play a significant role in the agility and greenness of the en-tire path of the supply chain. Given the importance of the FMCG industry and its impact on people's dai-ly lives, this qualitative study aims to provide a framework for agile supply chain sustainability in the FMCG industry and draw possible implications for a post-pandemic period. This framework embedding the IoT into agility in supply chains can effectively guide FMCG companies in using the Internet of Things to streamline the supply chain.

Digital Transformation in Supply Chain India: Challenges and Opportunities

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has brought about significant changes in various sectors, including supply chain management. In the context of India, a country with a diverse and complex supply chain landscape, the adoption of digital transformation presents both challenges and opportunities. India's supply chain ecosystem encompasses a wide range of industries, from manufacturing and agriculture to retail and logistics. Digital transformation offers the potential to streamline operations, enhance visibility, and optimize resource allocation throughout this vast network. However, several challenges hinder the successful implementation of digital technologies. India's supply chain infrastructure faces infrastructure constraints and digital divide issues. Insufficient internet connectivity and technological disparities across regions and sectors limit the widespread adoption of digital solutions. Additionally, the lack of digital literacy and skill gaps among supply chain stakeholders pose significant barriers. Nevertheless, amidst these challenges, there are promising opportunities for digital transformation in the Indian supply chain. The use of advanced technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and cloud computing can revolutionize operations and enable real-time data-driven decision-making. Such innovations can enhance supply chain visibility, optimize inventory management, and enable predictive analytics for demand forecasting.

Study of Blockchain for Supply Chain Management

Abstract: The market has seen significant change in recent years and has become more demanding and dynamic, creating a competitive atmosphere. The supply chain, which is heavily dependent on cooperation, integration, and flexibility, plays a significant part in helping the organization adapt to the changing environment. several business owners are interested in supply chain applications, and several specialized applications are used to better control the flow of the supply chain. Block chain technology has become one of the most significant new applications in the supply chain and has attracted the attention of many business owners due to its ability to be quickly adjusted to changing business environments and market conditions.One upon reading this will get to know about the effect of block chain technology utilization on this field.According to the study's findings, businesses should invest in block chain technology to make their supply chains more open, adaptable, and safe. There is no denying that block chain technology has a significant impact on building trust with supply chain stakeholders. The research paper also discussed several potential uses for the blockchain in the fields of collaboration and integration, as well as some positive implications.

Application of social media in supply chain 4.0 practices: a bibliometric analysis and research trends

In recent years, although scholars and practitioners in the supply chain (SC) field have become increasingly aware of the importance of social media for multipurpose applications, the subject remains unclarified about its functions and outcomes, especially in the 4.0 context. This review paper aims to visualize the big picture and structure of knowledge related to the application of social media in managing supply chains by adopting a bibliometric analysis on a sample of 354 research articles retrieved from the Web of Science during the period between 2008 and 2022 with two widely used bibliometric techniques: co-citation and co-word analysis. We discovered five major clusters of how social media is used in the supply chain context, including (1) in enhancing supply chain sustainability and business transformation, (2) social media analytics as an effective technique to extract business value, (3) in facilitating communication and coordination in the supply chain network, (4) in promoting social interaction and customer relationship management, and (5) in the development of supply chain relationship management. These will enable practitioners to adopt early changes in their SC, allowing them to become competitive and gain market leadership. Supply chain managers can connect with other SC stakeholders and share information through social media to improve operations, establish relationships, reduce risks, and altogether reach for sustainability. Potential research ideas are also offered for future investigation.

The association of corporate social responsibility and sustainable consumption and production patterns: The mediating role of green supply chain management

Sustainable consumption and production pattern (SCPP) in the food supply chain is the key agenda of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, the entire globe may be falling short of its goals for the 2030 agenda as expected. The role of each member country, local businesses, and several supply chain stakeholders is crucial to the feasibility of achieving SCPP. Despite this, emerging countries and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in evolving industries still encounter significant challenges in realizing this objective. Therefore, the goal of this study is to close that gap by investigating how SCPP can be fulfilled. This research examined how corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices affect various stakeholders as well as green supply chain management (GSCM) in driving SCPP. It takes a quantitative approach, collecting the main information through a questionnaire-based survey. Respondents are individuals who have managerial roles in selected companies. In total, 466 valid response sheets were collected. SmartPLS (version 3.3.2) has been used to investigate the hypothesized relations. This research revealed that CSR (both internal & external) had a significant and beneficial influence on GSCM and SCPP. Besides, the findings indicate that GSCM is positively and significantly related to SCPP. This research contributes to the existing literature on SCPP by presenting a combined framework that has been empirically operationalized via the lenses of social cognitive theory, stakeholder theory, and resource-based view (RBV) theory. Additionally, it proposes a novel method for gaining SCPP using SMEs in the food supply chain in evolving markets as an experimental field of study that has not been sufficiently investigated in recent literature. It also suggests theoretical and managerial implications for different groups of stakeholders, making an important contribution not only to the firms’ sustainability, entities engaged in the supply chain, and society at large, but also to the application of SDGs.

Profit-Sharing Contract of the Fresh Agricultural Products Supply Chain under Community Group Purchase Mode Considering Freshness Preservation Efforts

This article constructed a four-level fresh agricultural product (FAP) supply chain with a two-stage pricing strategy under a “community group purchase (CGP) platform + direct procurement from the FAP supplier” sales model. We investigate the influence of the CGP agency’s participation in the control strategy of FAP freshness preservation efforts on the profits of supply chain stakeholders. This article discusses the effects of the FAP supplier profit-sharing ratio, the CGP agency profit-sharing ratio, and consumers’ sensitivity to FAP freshness on the supply chain stakeholders’ freshness preservation efforts. Moreover, based on the fairness preference theory, this article designed a profit-sharing contract that involves the Nash bargaining game between the FAP supplier and the CGP agency as the supply chain coordination mechanism. Modeling results revealed that: (1) The CGP agency’s freshness preservation efforts increased total supply chain profits. (2) The FAP supplier profit-sharing ratio, CGP agency profit-sharing ratio, and consumers’ sensitivity to FAP freshness have a positive correlation to the profits of the FAP supply chain and promote the coordination of the supply chain. (3) Considering fairness preferences, with the increase in FAP suppliers’ business negotiating ability, their freshness preservation efforts and fairness utility both increased gradually, while the fairness utility of the CGP agency gradually decreased.

Zero-shot transfer learned generic AI models for prediction of optimally ripe climacteric fruits

Ideally, ripe fruits offer appropriate nutritional content and best quality in terms of taste and flavour. Prediction of ripe climacteric fruits acts as the main marketing indicator for quality from the consumer perspective and thus renders it a genuine industrial concern for all the stakeholders of the fruit supply chain. However, the building of fruit-specific individual model for the prediction of ripeness level remains an existing challenge due to the scarcity of sufficient labeled experimental data for each fruit. This paper describes the development of generic AI models based on the similarity in physico-chemical degradation phenomena of climacteric fruits for prediction of ‘unripe’ and ‘ripe’ levels using ‘zero-shot’ transfer learning techniques. Experiments were performed on a variety of climacteric and non-climacteric fruits, and it was observed that transfer learning works better for fruits within a cluster (climacteric fruits) as compared to across clusters (climacteric to non-climacteric fruits). The main contributions of this work are two-fold (i) Using domain knowledge of food chemistry to label the data in terms of age of the fruit, (ii) We hypothesize and prove that the zero-shot transfer learning works better within a set of fruits, sharing similar degradation chemistry depicted by their visual properties like black spot formations, wrinkles, discoloration, etc. The best models trained on banana, papaya and mango dataset resulted in s zero-shot transfer learned accuracies in the range of 70 to 82 for unknown climacteric fruits. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the same.

Effects of network structures on the production planning in closed-loop supply chains – A case study based analysis for lithium-ion batteries in Europe

The increasing demand for electric vehicles and related lithium-ion batteries leads to the implementation of battery production in Europe. Recently, legal obligations, high material prices, and supply risk of battery materials induced OEMs to set up recycling facilities or cooperate with battery recyclers. Different network structures emerged in this process. However, it remains unclear how the network structures influence the performance in the short-term. Therefore, a novel multi-stage, multi-product, multi-period production planning approach for closed-loop supply chains of lithium-ion batteries is developed. The model considers a spatial distribution of collection, recycling, repurposing, and production. Furthermore, the facilities of the OEM and suppliers a considered simultaneously. The collection is further divided into cost-free take-back of spent batteries and purchase of additional batteries. This approach enables the stakeholders of the closed-loop supply chain to counteract material shortages or price fluctuations. Subsequently, the effects of different network structures are analyzed based on a case study for closed-loop supply chains of lithium-ion batteries in Europe. The results indicate that centralized and decentralized networks can achieve adequate performance. In this context, the transformation toward closed-loop supply chains is beneficial for all network structures. Furthermore, circular factories outperform all network structures in the short term due to the in-house production of batteries and short transportation distances.

'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.

Fuzzy Bayesian network analysis of the factors causing food losses in reefer containers

AbstractIt is crucial to ensure food security to continue the sustainable nutrition of the world population. Food losses in the global food supply chain pose a significant risk to food security. Especially foods that require cold chain logistics are prone to deterioration and eventually food losses. Therefore, cold chain logistics processes require operational expertise and specialized equipment. Reefer (refrigerated) container is the most used cold chain transport equipment for perishable foods requiring atmospheric control. Analyzing operational and hardware‐related causes and implementing relevant countermeasures are necessary to prevent food losses in reefer containers. With this motivation in the study, the relationships between the factors causing food losses in the reefer containers were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively via the model built using the Fuzzy Bayesian network method. The findings indicate that the most critical root causes of food losses in reefer containers are excessive time off‐power, inappropriate preload conditions, and refrigerant faults, respectively. Moreover, the riskiest combination of factors that causes food loss consists of excessive time‐off power, refrigerant faults, and adverse weather conditions during navigation and in port. When the existing legal framework and professional practices are examined, in light of the results of the study, the following will be recommended: Establishing minimum standard and maintenance arrangements for cooling systems, ensuring safety margin in the shelf life of the foods carried in the reefer containers, making mandatory the automatic temperature recordings systems, and increasing the number of personnel specialized in product types and transportation. The study results will benefit supply chain stakeholders for process planning and implementation to mitigate the risk of food losses in reefer containers.Practical applicationsThis study examines the factors causing food losses in reefer containers from loading to discharge. The findings indicate that the most critical root causes of food losses in reefer containers are excessive time off‐power, inappropriate preload conditions, and refrigerant faults, respectively. When the existing legal framework and professional practices are examined, in light of the results of the study, the following will be recommended: Establishing minimum standard and maintenance arrangements for cooling systems, ensuring safety margin in the shelf life of the foods carried in the reefer containers, making mandatory the automatic temperature recordings systems, and increasing the number of personnel specialized in product types and transportation.