Sustainable Value Chains Research Articles

Toward a sustainable plastics value chain: Core conundrums and emerging solution mechanisms for a systemic transition

In recent years, various environmental issues associated with plastics have become well documented, spurring a growing volume of research on the barriers, drivers, and solutions related to the development and commercialization of sustainable—bio-based, biodegradable and circular—plastics. However, a systemic perspective that addresses the complex interdependencies across the value chain has so far been missing from the analysis. Based on a qualitative study covering the entire plastics value chain in Finland and Northern Europe, this paper addresses the research gap with two main findings. First, the paper identifies three core conundrums that describe the complex and interrelated nature of technological, operational, economic, and societal factors, which are inhibiting the transition to sustainable plastics at three critical junctures of the value chain. Second, the findings describe four solution mechanisms, which suggest that the value chain actors need to shift (i) from the supply of bulk materials to material solutions; (ii) from firm-centric material development to cross-tier collaboration; (iii) from price competition to competition on sustainability benefits; and (iv) from isolated technologies to infrastructure development. These findings extend our understanding of the systemic challenges for the transition to a sustainable plastics economy and shed new light on the ways in which companies can address the challenges for a system-wide impact.

Industrial Agroforestry—A Sustainable Value Chain Innovation through a Consortium Approach

Agroforestry has been practicedtraditionally in India in the form of subsistence farming, but is being increasingly recognized from the economic point of view, in addition to its positive contribution to the wood-based industrial sector, which has recent origin. Low forest cover, poor productivity and legal restrictions coupled with an increasing demand for wood and wood products due to increasing population, industries and associated policy changes have ushered in a total mismatch between demand and supply. This has attracted increasing attention towards agroforestry. The National Forest Policy of India 1988 has directed all wood-based industries to generate their own raw material resources by linking farmers and extending technology and market support. However, these directives were not taken seriously, and consequently, the achievements that should have taken place in industrial agroforestry and plantation establishment are dismally modest for want of suitable institutional mechanism to resolve the research gaps that exist in the entire Production to Consumption System (PCS). Against this backdrop, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has pioneered research by creating a value chain in industrial agroforestry which was initially demonstrated in 200 ha of farmlands through technological, organizational and marketing interventions. Incorporationof high yielding short rotation (HYSR) clones, precision silviculture technology, adoption of multifunctional agroforestry and value addition technology are the major technological interventions that attracted more farmers towards agroforestry development. Conceptualization and successful practice of the contract tree farming model, particularly the quadripartite contract farming model, ensured institutional linkage among the value chain players and facilitated technology transfer, assured buy back, price support system and also institutional credit and insurance. The provision of a market support system for a wide range of pulp wood, plywood, timber, and match wood exerted a significant influence among tree-growing farmers. In order to sustain these value chain innovations and interventions, an institutional mechanism, namely the Consortium of Industrial Agroforestry (CIAF), was established in 2015, which linked all value chain players and aided in resolving the issues in the entire production to consumption system (PCS) of agroforestry on a sustainable basis. Over the years, these innovative interventions have had a significant impact in terms of area increase, productivity and profitability improvement coupled with safeguarding the social and environmental concerns of agroforestry farmers from a holistic perspective. The Consortium-based Value Chain on Industrial Agroforestry model has a very good replication potential not only within India, but also elsewhere across the global landscape.

Effect of Liquid Absorbent Pads and Packaging Parameters on Drip Loss and Quality of Chicken Breast Fillets.

Visible liquid inside food packages is perceived as unattractive to consumers, and may result in food waste—a significant factor that can compromise sustainability in food value chains. However, an absorber with overdimensioned capacity may cause alterations in texture and a dryer product, which in turn may affect consumers’ satisfaction and repurchase. In this study we compared the effect of a number of liquid absorbent pads in combination with headspace gas composition (60% CO2/40% N2 and 75% O2/25% CO2) and gas-to-product volume ratio (g/p) on drip loss and quality of fresh chicken breast fillets. A significant increase in drip loss with an increasing number of liquid absorbent pads was documented. The increase was more pronounced in 60% CO2/40% N2 compared to 75% O2/25% CO2. By comparing packaging variants with a different number of liquid absorbent pads, a higher drip loss for all tested was found at g/p 1.8 compared to g/p 2.9. Total viable counts (TVC) were independent of whether there was free liquid in contact with the product, and TVC was independent of gas composition. Differentiation between the gas compositions was seen for specific bacterial analyses. While significant changes were observed using texture analysis, sensory evaluation of the chicken breast fillets did not show any negative effect in texture related attributes. This study demonstrates the importance of optimized control of meat drip loss, as product-adjusted liquid absorption may affect economy, food quality, and consumer satisfaction, as well as food waste.

Sustainable Partnership: Operational Condition Analysis for Brand Value Co-Creation

Enterprises are the origin of social innovation. Enterprises implement sustainable relations through “people-oriented” social value creation, particularly other economic developments in the post-2020 COVID-19 pandemic no longer show linear development but more diversity. On the one hand, enterprises must face the fast social transformation towards AI and superintelligence. On the other hand, enterprises must cope with green sustainable development, emphasizing corporate social responsibility in innovative research and development. An increasing number of enterprises respond to the service-oriented and green sustainability-based consumer market today by expanding and collaborating between the upstream and downstream relations in supply chains. Therefore, enterprises must construct a healthy and sustainable dynamic value chain through value co-creation. The study analyzes the types of the dynamic brand value chain and the operational conditions that provide enterprises with the direction in searching for and establishing a sustainable partnership. We employ literature review, case analysis, and in-depth interviews to determine the types and causes of the dynamic brand value chain, followed by integrating sustainable design to verify the sustainability in the dynamic brand value chain model. The study findings show that growth in quadrants of culture for the tandem brand value chain acts as the primary motivation to strengthen a sustainable relationship. Subsequently, the development in pursuit of brand value creation will intensify the sustainable relationships and activities of the brand, causing sustainable partnerships to be more intense. The primary motivation for the branch brand value chain lies in the growth in quadrants of culture; the more extensive the development system, the more diverse the participating niche brand, and the brand value innovation of pursuit climbs higher.

Facilitating Aligned Co-Decisions for More Sustainable Food Value Chains

The transition of existing food value chains towards greater sustainability is a societal imperative and a potential competitive factor. To succeed, some actors in the chains define new practices to establish common sustainability goals. To date, there is little evidence that the visions and values of the various actors in the chains have been leading to common solutions. This work explores the impact of collaboration on the value chain actors’ ability to jointly decide strategies for redesigning their activities. It reports on an empirical approach, which elicits the values and priorities of different stakeholders. The case takes place in the context of a value chain of the production/processing/sale of pork products. This value chain involves two French production-processing and redistribution cooperatives. Stakeholders were questioned about their prioritization of sustainability issues and these weights were applied to evaluate 12 animal feed solutions that vary in terms of the composition and geographical origin of rations, and the means and locations of their production. The results show that despite several years of cooperation, the objectives of the upstream and downstream actors remain different. The objectives of the upstream actors are driven by the economic difficulties of production and those of the downstream actors by the multiplicity of consumer demands and cost control objectives. In a reversal of the current practice marked by the economic difficulties of the actors upstream of the chain, an integrated culture could be led by bottom-up approaches to create a shared vision. Public policy would be then essential in regulating the sharing of value among actors; and in promoting chain models that help the required investments.

Circular agri-food systems: A governance perspective for the analysis of sustainable agri-food value chains

Different organizational arrangements have supported the adoption of sustainable-oriented innovations (SOIs) in the agri-food industry. However, despite the promises of SOIs, diffusion has been slow. We claim that the gap between the creation and diffusion of SOIs is due to the neglect of the governance dimension of sustainable agri-food value chains. This study contributes to bridging this gap by providing a theoretical framework that disentangles the governance elements of circular agri-food systems. After discussing the organizational logic of linear systems, we outline five propositions that shed light on different governance aspects related to the establishment and stability of circular agri-food systems: (i) complementarities, (ii) interdependencies, (iii) the role of a leading organization, (iv) the role of a bridging organization, and (v) the influence of technology. We argue that circularization should only occur if the potential benefits of the adoption of SOIs are higher than the overall production costs and the costs of designing an organizational architecture compared with other feasible agri-food systems configurations, whether linear or circular. Governance costs might explain why the diffusion of SOIs is often slower than predicted by scholars, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.

Field-Deployable Computer Vision Wood Identification of Peruvian Timbers.

Illegal logging is a major threat to forests in Peru, in the Amazon more broadly, and in the tropics globally. In Peru alone, more than two thirds of logging concessions showed unauthorized tree harvesting in natural protected areas and indigenous territories, and in 2016 more than half of exported lumber was of illegal origin. To help combat illegal logging and support legal timber trade in Peru we trained a convolutional neural network using transfer learning on images obtained from specimens in six xylaria using the open source, field-deployable XyloTron platform, for the classification of 228 Peruvian species into 24 anatomically informed and contextually relevant classes. The trained models achieved accuracies of 97% for five-fold cross validation, and 86.5 and 92.4% for top-1 and top-2 classification, respectively, on unique independent specimens from a xylarium that did not contribute training data. These results are the first multi-site, multi-user, multi-system-instantiation study for a national scale, computer vision wood identification system evaluated on independent scientific wood specimens. We demonstrate system readiness for evaluation in real-world field screening scenarios using this accurate, affordable, and scalable technology for monitoring, incentivizing, and monetizing legal and sustainable wood value chains.

Sustainable management of agriculture products value chain in responses to climate change for South-Eastern coast of Bangladesh

PurposeThis paper is designed to assess the sustainable value chain approaches for marketing channel development opportunities for agricultural products in coastal Bangladesh to combat climate change through an approach of community-based adaptation options.Design/methodology/approachThe study was designed to select the potential value chain candidate and to analyze and establish a value chain map to benefit the crop farmers. In this connection, the resources of the whole context were evaluated. The approach uses few tools to generate three outputs, the last of which are the final list of value chains selected for in-depth assessment to design interventions as community-based adaptation practices of the study to combat climate change in the study areas.FindingsThe study demonstrated that the difference in the institutional circumstances of the end markets of the agriculture products is connected to the different categories of harmonization and control of the facilitating environment throughout the supply chains. National and local networks improve the value chain in terms of the value addition of the agriculture products, technology improvement, market access and profitability of the products. Strengthening the weak financial structure, focus more on formal financial systems and resolving sociocultural and climate change-induced hazard concerns are the major concerns on the development of value chains in the countries. Apparently, guarantee for good governance, checking illegal and unregulated market contexts, proper mitigation measures to climate change are some paramount important issues for the sustainable management of livelihood, yield, income and development.Practical implicationsAll kinds of stakeholders of the agriculture product value chain should focus on competitiveness and productivity and look for and exploit multiple ways to add value once initial success has been attained with a single deal. Ensuring sustainability within the value chains is an important feature to cater to the challenges and changing demands of the age.Originality/valueThe study will help to established a sustainable value chain approach in response to climate change, which process will help to existent opportunities for firms to manage the issue of climate risk by codeveloping and employing adaptation options that may be more preferred or accepted by consumers across the entire chain for the sustainable management of livelihood, yield, income and development.

R&D Management as a Driver for Sustainable Agricultural Innovation and Adoption: Evidence from India

The present study aims to identify the drivers of innovation for sustainable farming among various models of farming and understand the influence of innovations in sustainable agriculture and their impact in enhancing the sustainable agricultural value chain. This research has been conducted in Uttar Pradesh (UP), which is the largest agricultural producing state of India. Data were collected using questionnaire from 600 farmers of thirty districts in UP and nonparametric test were used to analyse the data in the study. The results document that various R&D based modern and innovative technology/technical know-how has significant impact on agriculture produce of the farmers. It was also found that various organisations play an important role in know-how and knowledge creation among the farmers in India. The findings should be very useful for policymakers to implement R&D advancement in sustainable agriculture and systematic overhaul in agriculture sector. The findings of the study should be very useful for policymakers, practitioners and regulators to promote and implement sustainable agricultural innovation and adaptations in India.

Recomposition des collectifs agricoles pour des filières plus durables

Dans un contexte economique changeant et fortement concurrentiel, l’agriculture francaise fait face a l’emergence de nouveaux enjeux. Ces enjeux sont lies aux preoccupations environnementales, aux questions de viabilite economique d’exploitations agricoles et a leur maintien au sein des territoires ruraux, a l’apparition de nouvelles attentes, relatives par exemple a la qualite des produits agricoles, au « consommer local », a la remuneration des producteurs et aux modes de commercialisation....

Cutting Waste Minimization of Rebar for Sustainable Structural Work: A Systematic Literature Review

Rebar, the core resource of reinforced concrete structures, generates more carbon dioxide per unit weight than any other construction resource. Therefore, reducing rebar cutting wastes greatly contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG). Over the past decades, many studies have been conducted to minimize cutting wastes, and various optimization algorithms have been proposed. However, the reality is that about 3 to 5% of cutting wastes are still generated. In this paper, the trends in the research on cutting waste minimization (CWM) of rebar for sustainable work are reviewed in a systematic method with meta-analysis. So far, the literature related to cutting waste minimization or optimization of rebar published has been identified, screened, and selected for eligibility by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, and the final 52 records have been included in quantitative and qualitative syntheses. Review by meta-analysis was conducted on selected literatures, and the results were discussed. The findings identified after reviewing the literature are: (1) many studies have performed optimization for the market length, making it difficult to realize near-zero cutting wastes; (2) to achieve near-zero cutting wastes, rebars must be matched to a specific length by partially adjusting the lap splice position (LSP); (3) CWM is not a one-dimensional problem but an n-dimensional cutting stock problem when considering several rebar combination conditions; and (4) CWM should be dealt with in terms of sustainable value chain management in terms of GHG contributions.

Phytoremediation Potential of Iris spp.

Iris plants are widely cultivated flowering ornamentals, with a long history of traditional use in Eurasia, where this genus is reaching the highest diversity. This paper aims to provide an overview on recent advances related to the phytoremediation potential of plants from the genus Iris, in order to promote the use of these species in phytoremediation programs. According to the relevant literature, eight species from genus Iris present phytoremediation potential (I. dichotoma, I. germanica, I. halophila, I. lactea, I. latifolia, I. pseudacorus, I. sibirica, I. wilsonii). The studies addressed potential of plants to mitigate toxic metals/metalloids (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn), excess of nutrients (P, N), pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals as well as dyes. Most studies focused on wastewater treatment and environments contaminated due to mining activities. Main hindrances in upscaling this green technology remain mitigation of toxicity stress in plants during remediation and the disposal of resulting contaminated biomass. In this sense, use of beneficial microorganisms to alleviate phytotoxicity effects and new valorization possibilities of contaminated Iris spp. biomass have been proposed recently. Designing an entire cycle that includes phytoremediation and sustainable value chains for contaminated biomass could prove feasible and should receive more attention.

Sustainable circular value chains: From rural waste to feasible urban construction materials solutions

Urban regions in sub-Saharan Africa are growing significantly more rapid than their also growing rural counterparts. However, the employment perspectives in rural areas are decreasing, and thus the urban growth can become a driver for enhanced livelihoods in the rural areas. Since urbanisation in Africa requires high amount of concrete, the conversion of agricultural waste materials to sustainable concrete constituents does not only create new rural and urban income possibilities, it can also help Africa's construction industry to spearhead green concrete technologies, and thus to reduce carbon emission worldwide.From vegetable wastes chemical admixtures can be derived as well as reactive mineral cement substitutes, which help to use concrete more efficiently and reduce the ordinary Portland cement clinker in concrete, respectively. The authors of this paper discuss the potentials and shortcomings of using agricultural waste materials for construction materials and propose a synergistic three-step process chain to obtain polysaccharides, biochar, and a reactive ash. The process requires boiling, hydrolysis and vertical shaft kiln technology, respectively, to obtain maximum useable products with minimum generation of climate gases. Eventually, the process chain is discussed in conjunction with possible rural to urban circular economic potentials in the concrete construction business.

Holonic Reengineering to Foster Sustainable Cyber-Physical Systems Design in Cognitive Manufacturing

Value chain is identified as the generator of the metabolic rift between nature and society. However, the sustainable value chain can mitigate and reverse this rift. In this paper, firstly, a review of the main digital enablers of Industry 4.0 and the current state of cognitive manufacturing is carried out. Secondly, Cyber-Physical Systems are conceived from the holonic paradigm, as an organizational enabler for the whole of enablers. Thirdly, the bijective relationship between holonic paradigm and container-based technology is analyzed. This technology allows mapping the physical and virtual holon as an intelligent agent embodied at the edge, fog and cloud level, with physical and virtual part. Finally, the proposed holonic system based on the cyber-physical holon is developed through multi-agent systems based on container technology. The proposed system allows to model the metabolism of manufacturing systems, from a cell manufacturing to whole value chain, in order to develop, evolve and improve the sustainable value chain.

Greek Tulips: Worldwide Electronic Trade over the Internet, Global Ex Situ Conservation and Current Sustainable Exploitation Challenges.

From an ornamental viewpoint, tulips are famous clonally propagated crops. This research focuses on 15 wild-growing Greek tulip species including 11 range-restricted species, i.e., six Greek endemics and five Balkan or Aegean endemics and subendemics, among which seven are currently threatened with extinction (two Critically Endangered, three Endangered and two Vulnerable). An overview of the global electronic trade over the internet is presented herein for these valuable phytogenetic resources in an attempt to define the extent of their commercialization (25 nurseries in three countries, mainly bulb trade at various prices) with concomitant conservation implications. In the frame of the repatriation initiatives launched, their global ex situ conservation is overviewed according to the PlantSearch facility of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (materials from 15 species stored in 41 botanic gardens of 14 countries). The results of this study on the Greek tulips showed that there are both well-established value chains and gaps in the market regarding the “botanical tulips”; revealed the compromised effectiveness of ex situ conservation for the majority of them; raised conservation concerns related to authorized access to these wild phytogenetic resources; and indicated that their future utilization should comply with the provision of national and international legislation. All these are envisaged and discussed within the framework of the newly launched research project TULIPS.GR which aims to be the pilot establishment of a national collection regarding all Greek tulips (currently holding 38 accessions of 13 species, including almost all of the threatened ones). The project’s scope is to enable the creation of a sustainable value chain for the Greek tulips with authorized collections, sustainable conservation schemes, production of DNA barcoded propagation material, species-specific propagation and cultivation protocols, mycorrhizal investigations, field studies, applying innovative precise soil/foliar fertigation, and investigation of the postharvest treatment of fresh cut flowers, promoting networking and synergies with producers and associations in Greece and abroad.

Viability and Sustainability Assessment of Bioenergy Value Chains on Underutilised Lands in the EU and Ukraine

Bioenergy represents the highest share of renewable energies consumed in the European Union and is still expected to grow. This could be possible by exploring bioenergy production on Marginal, Underutilised, and Contaminated lands (MUC) that are not used for agricultural purposes and therefore, present no competition with food/feed production. In this paper, the viability and sustainability of bioenergy value chains on these lands is investigated and measures for market uptake were developed. Using three case study areas in Italy, Ukraine, and Germany, a screening of MUC lands was conducted, then an agronomic assessment was performed to determine the most promising crops. Then, techno-economic assessments followed by sustainability assessments were performed on selected value chains. This concept was then automated and expanded through the development of a webGIS tool. The tool is an online platform that allows users to locate MUC lands in Europe, to define a value chain through the selection of bioenergy crops and pathways, and to conduct sustainability assessments measuring a set of environmental, social, and economic sustainability indicators. The findings showed positive results in terms of profitability and greenhouse gas emissions for bioethanol production from willow in Ukraine, heat and power production from miscanthus, and biogas and chemicals production from grass in Germany. The webGIS tool is considered an important decision-making tool for stakeholders, which gives first insights on the viability and sustainability of bioenergy value chains.

Assessing the Performance and Participation among Young Male and Female Entrepreneurs in Agribusiness: A Case Study of the Rice and Maize Subsectors in Cameroon

The role played by youth in agriculture cannot be overemphasized, while agribusinesses are important generators of employment and income worldwide. Improving the sustainability of food value chains can benefit millions of rural poor people living in developing countries, especially young women. Despite policies and programs aimed at encouraging agricultural entrepreneurs, they are still facing challenges such as high-cost agrochemicals, limited access to credit, price volatility, etc. which seriously affect their capacity to remain in the sector. This study was undertaken to assess the performance and participation of young male and female entrepreneurs. This study made use of cross-section data from a survey conducted on 1019 young agricultural entrepreneurs in Cameroon. The data were analyzed using gross margin, student t-test, and logistic regression. Our study contributes to the literature by showing that young women agribusiness entrepreneurs are as competitive as their male counterparts and that the opportunities for young women in agriculture are good. Incentives such as single-digit interest rates and no collateral security should be directed to young women to receive more credit for purchasing agrochemicals and improved varieties of seed. Furthermore, a price control policy should be set up throughout the year to enable young women earn as their young men counterparts to enable them remain in production and marketing activities.

From Sustainable Global Value Chains to Circular Economy-Different Silos, Different Perspectives, but Many Opportunities to Build Bridges.

A growing interest in the circular economy concept has pushed the discourse in various management-related disciplines beyond established boundaries, with calls to better address how such a model may be developed in a world of global value chains. Still, the conventional linear economy model continues to dominate business, society, and research. While the concept of better connecting physical output and input flows at multiple production or consumption levels is becoming more accepted, it remains unclear how to make this happen while ensuring that sustainability targets are met or exceeded. Multiple scientific communities contribute different perspectives to this discourse, with promising opportunities for research. Circular economy and sustainability from business and economics perspectives are multifaceted. The existing body of knowledge needs to be advanced to assist private individuals, business managers, investors, or policymakers in making informed decisions. In this article for the inaugural issue, we provide a snapshot of the discourses among those who have studied the circular economy and its related topics. We outline conceptual inroads and potential research questions to encourage further circular economy and sustainability research and discourse from business or economics perspectives as well as from the broader transdisciplinary angle. We propose three research pathways: (1) connecting output with input needs in a global circular economy; (2) beyond today’s business logic for a global circular economy; and (3) inclusion of the Global South in North-dominated circular economies. For each, we propose concepts, theories, or methodological approaches and offer various perspectives from the micro, macro, and meso levels.

English

The purpose of this investigation is to examine transportation inefficiencies and the sustainability of cocoa value chains in Ivory Coast. Problems addressed include unidentified major actors, types of transportation and how it is measured, and lastly, improving efficiency in transportation with respect to society, costs and greenhouse gas emissions. A mixed method methodology is followed in which qualitative and quantitative data are gathered and analysed. Results show that the major actors are planters, cooperative management, exporters, ports, chocolatiers and supermarkets. The main forms of transportation are trucks and motorcycles and are measured using the United Nations criteria for sustainable transportation. The conclusion is that cocoa transportation in Ivory Coast is unsustainable. However, with the correct implementation of policy, financing and technological innovation, there is potential to improve the sustainability of cocoa transportation from farm gate to export harbour. Key words: Cocoa value chain, Ivory Coast, sustainability, transport.

Factors explaining postharvest loss of hot pepper under tropical conditions

ABSTRACT Major loss of hot pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacquin) in the humid tropics is due to disease and spoilage during postharvest storage following harvest occurring when conditions are cool and damp. The study assessed socio-economic drivers of postharvest loss of hot pepper in the tropics in order to provide empirical information on the underlying causes of postharvest losses of hot pepper for efficient and sustainable hot pepper value chain policies under tropical conditions. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis and binary logistic regression. Although Capsicum chinense had a low yield in the sub-humid region, it was profitable. Being a male, primarily engaged in farming, reduced the likelihood of high postharvest loss, while long distances and high transportation costs increased it. Technical and marketing support for smallholder farmers, especially females, could reduce postharvest loss of hot pepper.