Search

The pulp and paper industry has significant sustainability implications and necessarily requires a careful consideration of direct and lower-tier suppliers for effective sustainable supply chain management. This paper utilized an extensive literature review and semi-structured interviews of experts in the Chinese pulp and paper industry to unearth the factors that highly influence multi-tier supply chain sustainability. A Technological-Organizational-Environmental (TOE) and Human-Organizational-Technological (HOT-fit) based theoretical framework was employed to classify the identified factors. Then, an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based methodology was applied to determine the relative importance of the factors. A comparison analysis of the relative importance of the factors as determined by the experts in the focal companies, Tier-1 suppliers and Tier-2 suppliers of the Chinese pulp and paper industry is presented. The results show that institutional and technological factors are most critical to actualizing multi-tier supply chain sustainability. Thus, the study outcomes present relevant theoretical and practical implications for the managers and practitioners in the pulp and paper industry on how to facilitate multi-tier supply chain sustainability for increased competitiveness. Furthermore, this study provides guidelines for other industries as well and sets the stage for subsequent theorization and exploration of multi-tier supply chain sustainability for expected performance gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping up with the hastily growing economy implies undergoing unremitting transformation permanently. In the field of supply chain, such progress can only be guaranteed via the exploration of new horizons and innovative solutions in response to the constraints of the global market. Emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, offer promising avenues for enhancing supply chain processes, with sustainability ascending as a critical consideration. Despite the recent surfacing of AI-driven applications, scant attention has been devoted to exploring their full potential within supply chain operations, particularly in conjunction with SDGs. Recognizing the untapped opportunities presented by the implementation of AI for a sustainable supply chain this study undertakes a bibliometric analysis of 236 research papers sourced from the Web of science database. The analysis utilizes R language BiblioShiny to examine the extracted papers, and dissect patterns, trends, and relationships among key concepts and themes as well as prominent topics, impactful authors, and leading journals and countries in this domain. The findings reveal substantial growth in research related to SCM, AI, and sustainability as the UK leads this field of study with 132 articles followed by India, China and the USA. Eventually, the National University of Singapore came first in terms of paper affiliations, followed by De La Salle University, and London Metropolitan University. These results only prove that sustainability is becoming more critical in the equation of AI-driven supply chains especially with the current socio-political and economic circumstances, constituting a solid base for further academic research and more innovations in the managerial and business-related policies in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the complexity and the magnitude of optimisation models that appeared in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), the use of meta-heuristic algorithms as competent solution approaches is being increased in recent years. Although a massive number of publications exist around SSCM, no extant paper explicitly investigates the role of meta-heuristics in the sustainable (forward) supply chain. To fill this gap, a literature review is provided on meta-heuristic algorithms applied in SSCM by analyzing 160 rigorously selected papers published by the end of 2020. Our statistical analysis ascertains a considerable growth in the number of papers in recent years and reveals the contribution of 50 journals in forming the extant literature. The results also show that in the current literature the use of hybrid meta-heuristics is overtaking pure meta-heuristics, the genetic algorithm (GA) and the non-dominated sorting GA (NSGA-II) are the most-used single- and multi-objective algorithms, the aspects of sustainability are mostly addressed in connection with product distribution and routing of vehicles as pivotal operations in supply chain management, and last but not least, the economic-environmental category of sustainability has been further noticed by the scholars. Finally, a detailed discussion of findings and recommendations for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on a systematic research of the literature related to influence of Industry 4.0 and its technologies on achieving sustainability in supply chain, which is becoming increasingly significant topic as demand for supply chain sustainability increases. Based on the research findings, this article highlights scholars that mainly discuss the influence of Industry 4.0 on supply chain sustainability, as well as the most relevant articles that might form a basis for other scholars when conducting research. The findings reveal a trend toward studying the supply chain from the perspective of the circular economy, i.e. the importance of building the supply chain using circular economy concepts. The study has limitations due to the analysis of only Englishlanguage articles without including books, as well as a concentration on the Scopus database only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-opetition is gaining increasing attention as a potentially useful form of inter-organisational collaboration model to improve firms' sustainable performance. However, limited previous studies have provided a clear substantive theory or offered empirical evidence for the process of sustainability-driven co-opetition. This paper explores how competing companies can collaborate in their supply chains (SCs) to achieve a higher level of sustainability performance by identifying drivers, facilitators and barriers of co-opetition. Based on two explorative case studies of co-opetition in the UK, the findings of this paper lead to a number of propositions and a theoretical framework for sustainability-driven co-opetition in SCs. This study contributes to the literature by providing a more in-depth understanding of co-opetition as a strategic capability for firms. This paper also proves the feasibility of a combined use of Resource-Based View and Network Theory perspectives in explaining a paradoxical inter-organisational relationship like co-opetition. A road map for sustainability-driven co-opetition in SCs is also provided as a heuristic decision model for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, more than ever, our world is facing supply chain constraints that threaten the basics of current market dynamic on all levels and in every economic field. From economic sanctions limiting commercial trade, the COVID-19 crisis, post-pandemic economic stagnation, the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine, the global chip shortage, as well as the effects of the current Israeli- Palestinian war and its impact on freight transportation in the Red Sea have all exposed the vulnerability of today's global supply chains. The purpose of this paper is to review how supply chain must be designed to ensure their flow and deliverables in complex, uncertain, and everchanging environment. The paper will study how supply chains must be resilient by addressing current challenges through agility to meet both socio-economic and political volatilities, and sustainable through their transition to socio-ecological compliant economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing prominence of climate change, geopolitical crises, and global economic slowdown highlights the challenges and structural deficiencies of traditional cross-border agro-food supply chains. As a result, there has been a growing consensus on the need to leverage digital technology to rebuild and innovate a safe, stable, and sustainable global food system. This study assessed the knowledge progress and development trends in the sustainable development of cross-border agro-food supply chains enabled by digital technology. A total of 352 authoritative papers from the core Web of Science database were selected for analysis. The Citespace tool was utilized to visually examine research elements. The findings reveal that research outcomes in this territory experienced a significant period of rapid growth, particularly after 2020. Sustainability and IEEE Access are the journals with the highest and second-highest number of publications. China and the France National Institute are the countries and research institutions with the largest number of publications in this field. The research hotspots are mainly the application of digital technologies, food safety, and supply chain system model innovation. In the past ten years, the research in this territory has gone through three stages: precise timeliness orientation, intelligent strategic decision-making orientation, and model predictability orientation. We further construct the 'antecedent–practice–performance' conceptual framework of the sustainability of the digital technology-enabled cross-border agro-food supply chain. Finally, this paper presents the potential research directions in this territory, focusing on four aspects: research method, research mechanism, research topic, and research frontier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a compilation of summaries of various research papers related to different aspects of the food supply chain. The summaries cover topics such as sustainability in meat production, information accessibility in logistics response, supplier diversity programs, the use of drones in agriculture, digital traceability, circular supply chains, reducing food loss, digital platforms in e-commerce, transparency and traceability in agri-food supply chains, zero-deforestation supply chain management, the organic pineapple value chain, and integrating technology and sustainability in the agri-food value chain. Each summary provides a brief overview of the key findings and implications of the respective research paper. The document aims to provide library patrons with a diverse range of perspectives on the challenges and innovations in the food supply chain, allowing them to explore specific topics of interest in more depth. [Extracted from the article]

Circular economy (CE) has garnered increasing attention in political circles and practitioner literature thanks to its potential to overcome the harmful consequences of linear patterns of growth. Nonetheless, the adoption of sustainable practices entails a holistic approach requiring businesses to make significant changes to their production, technologies and stakeholder management. These challenges resulted in limited progress in terms of the practical implementation of CE. This paper addresses the need for more literature focused on the pragmatic aspects of applying this paradigm to incumbent firms. The author presents the journey that Lucart S.p.A., a major European tissue paper manufacturer, has undertaken between 2014 and 2020 to apply CE principles to its practices. Insights from the transformation process, reconstructed through interviews with the firm's management and environmental impact data, suggest that to succeed it takes innovating (plants, products and marketing strategies) and setting up supply chains that reconcile environmental and economic sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In disrupted environments, the concept of digitalisation, viability, and sustainability have attracted considerable attention for the last decade. Digital, lean, and green capabilities have stimulated enormous advances in the development of industries. This paper discusses the current state of the art literature regarding sustainable and digital supply chain management performance. It reviews the relationship between digital technologies, lean, green, sustainability, and supply chain performance. A literature review approach, combined with a bibliometric analysis was adopted for robust field analysis. A set of 86 papers has been analysed and synthesised. The analysis of these papers has enabled the identification of the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on the supply chain performance; the relationship of lean, green, and sustainability capabilities and digital supply chain; and the implications of the digital transformation of those capabilities. It presents a roadmap model integrating lean and green for viable, sustainable, and digital supply chain performance. The study is useful for academics and practitioners as it provides a roadmap framework and a solid background for integrating lean and green in the digital supply chain to achieve sustainable and viable performance as it outlines the necessity for incorporating the sustainability and viability performances in the digital supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The enormous amount of waste generated and the scarcity of natural resources worldwide have encouraged societies and industries to adopt the Circular Supply Chain (CSC) concept. With a focus on zero-waste generation, Circular Economy (CE) mimics the ecosystem cycle as an alternative to the traditional linear economic model. This paper aims to investigate the evolution of research themes in this research area, hence, trace the trajectory of development in the field of CSC. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conduct scientometric analysis using Pajek and VOSviewer software to identify key themes in the Circular Supply Chain Management (CSCM) field. The Citation Path Analysis (CPA), including Main Path and Local Path analysis, has been followed by a critical review of the papers. This paper includes highlighting the interrelationships between the information flows in the topic of study as well as an analysis of keywords co-occurrence. Findings: The analysis of keywords co-occurrence revealed that the earlier years of research in CSC were more inclined toward value chain, stakeholders and green supply chains, whereas, in recent years, topics like logistics, Industry 4.0 and food supply chain have been more focused upon. Further, the Main Path Analysis (MPA) revealed an evolving trajectory that examines challenges and opportunities in CSC, the economic aspects of implementing CSC, the impact on the firm's revenue growth and collaboration between multiple echelons of a supply chain and Industry 4.0. Research limitations/implications: The adoption of scientometrics analysis unveils the hidden flow of information, various themes of research and their interconnections. The development of research trajectories and progressive attention paid to certain topics is also discovered. The research findings could be used by researchers for further theoretical and research development. Originality/value: This paper traces the path of development in the field of CSC and its emerging trends and provides a thorough understanding of the same. It enables research scholars to conduct an in-depth study in the CSC domain, adding to the body of literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chains constantly face new problems that go way beyond the traditional issues of supply and demand uncertainty, particularly due to the impact of worldwide disruptive events. This paper aims at mapping academic literature examining so far issues related to the impact on supply chains of the COVID-19 outbreak based on a thorough literature review of peer-reviewed papers published in 2020. Following criteria established by the systematic approach, we build a framework based on the most recent papers of the discipline to address major disruptions that challenge SCM operations. We consider features from individual organisations, characteristics of the whole supply chain, performance metrics for long-term sustainability, and attributes from external disruptions. We derive a list of topics that deserve further investigation such as collaboration, technology adoption and knowledge creation together with their diffusion, strategies to shape and promote awareness along supply chain stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal: The supply chain sustainability (SCS) literature is missing studies that specifically analyse factors that impact sustainability performance in supply chains, according to specific theoretical backgrounds. Within this context, this paper aims to understand how and why social capital theory (SCT) can inspire SCS studies and practice. In doing so, two research questions are addressed: (1) How has the SCS literature evolved in its application of the social capital theory?, and (2) What are the main sustainability performance factors studied in SCS?. Design / Methodology / Approach: A systematic literature review was developed. Data were collected from 12 years (2008-2019) in two databases (i.e. EBSCQ and Web of Science) and a total of 56 articles were selected and analysed through deductive and inductive content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed 24 performance factors that influence SCS research throughout the three sustainability dimensions (i.e. economic, environmental and social). We found that social capital makes a significant conceptual contribution to understanding how the supply chain practices (i.e. cooperation, coordination, collaboration, resource exchanges and information sharing) explain how relationships are formed and interrelated to improve SCS performance. Limitations of the investigation: The use of two databases may present limited results, which may have resulted in missing publications. Practical implications: By recognising the performance factor for SCS, managers can identify their supply chain practices and increase their strategies within the relationship. Originality / Value: By revealing the performance factors that can increase SCS, this paper reinforce how powerful SCT is to explain SCS performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular economy and supply chain are two topics that have aroused the interest of researchers in recent years, which we can find in a relationship of interdependence in the literature. The aim of this paper is to make a review using the technique of bibliometric analysis, on the interconnections in the literature between the concepts of circular economy and supply chain. In this sense, papers published on those subjects indexed in Web of Science (WoS) - 473 publications and Scopus - 633 publications were analysed, while identifying the most influential journals and authors in this area of study. The results highlighted an upward trend of publications on this topic, a top of the journals with the most published papers, a top of the most influential journals based on the number of citations received, the most influential papers depending on the number of citations received and a keywords co-occurrence mapping using VOSviewer software. Those results are useful in terms of identifying the most prolific journals regarding the volume of articles published, but also the most influential in terms of the volume of citations received, while drawing a clearer path for future research that may include in an integrated manner the circular economy and supply chain to identify ways to achieve superior economic performance in a sustainable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic literature review on the application of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for sustainability purposes in various supply chains while primarily focusing on the pharmaceutical supply chain. The review takes into consideration sustainability from an economic, environmental, and social perspective and investigates the various aspects of such a system from both the manufacturer and consumer points of view. The paper highlights the importance, process, and effects of implementing RFID technology in the pharmaceutical supply chain to create a more sustainable and traceable system. The lack of strong scientific studies in the field of sustainability of RFID-enabled pharmaceutical supply chain was identified. In addition to the literature review, this paper also takes into account results from an original survey conducted with current industry professionals and their views on sustainability in the pharmaceutical chain. The review's findings can help frame future work and fill the gaps in the literature focusing on the sustainability impact of RFID technology in the pharmaceutical and healthcare supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain operates on a highly secured framework, and its decentralized consensus has benefits for supply chain sustainability. Scholars have recognized the growing importance of sustainability in supply chains and studied the potential of blockchain for sustainable supply chain management. However, no study has taken stock of high-quality research in this area. To address this gap, this paper aims to provide a state-of-the-art overview of high-quality research on blockchain for sustainable supply chain management. To do so, this paper conducts a systematic literature review using a bibliometric analysis of 146 high-quality articles on blockchain for sustainable supply chain management that have been published in journals ranked "A*", "A", and "B" by the Australian Business Deans Council and retrieved from the Scopus database. In doing so, this paper unpacks the most prominent journals, authors, institutions, and countries that have contributed to three major themes in the field, namely blockchain for sustainable business activities, decision support systems using blockchain, and blockchain for intelligent transportation system. This paper also reveals the use of blockchain for sustainable supply chain management across four major sectors, namely food, healthcare, manufacturing, and infrastructure, and concludes with suggestions for future research in each sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Food supply chain resilience is a critical aspect in ensuring the continuous and reliable flow of food, particularly in the face of disruptions. This study aims to address specific gaps in the existing literature by conducting a bibliometric analysis. The primary objective is to identify key areas of concern and lacunae related to disruptions and resilience within the food supply chain. The study also strives to contribute to the field by developing a comprehensive framework that evaluates the factors influencing resilience. Furthermore, the research intends to propose effective strategies for mitigating and recovering from disruptions, emphasizing the urgency of these measures in light of identified gaps in the current body of literature. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve these objectives, the authors extracted the most relevant papers from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases. The analysis parameters included a comprehensive review of current food supply chain practices and an exploration of trending research topics, such as sustainability, adaptability, circular economy and agility. Notably, the study recognized the pervasive impact of COVID-19 on food supply chain disruptions, with a high occurrence in the literature. Using advanced analytics tools like VOSviewer and Biblioshiny, the research delved into the role of modern technologies, including Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and blockchain in addressing disruptions and enhancing resilience. Findings: The research reveals a significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food supply chain disruptions, underscoring the critical need for strategies to bolster resilience. Notably, the study identifies the pivotal role of modern technologies (Industry 4.0, IoT, AI, ML and blockchain) in mitigating disruptions and enhancing resilience in the food supply chain. The bibliometric analysis conducted through VOSviewer and Biblioshiny provides valuable insights into research trends and focal areas within the literature. Practical implications: The observed importance of Industry 4.0, IoT, AI, ML and blockchain implies a practical need for integrating these technologies into food supply chain operations. Moreover, the paper discusses strategies for reducing the impact caused by disruptions, providing practical guidance for resilience planning in food supply chains. Researchers can leverage the findings to direct future efforts toward areas with identified gaps and opportunities, fostering advancements in the field and offering practical insights for real-world applications. Originality/value: By amalgamating insights from bibliometric analysis and the developed framework, this study contributes to a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities in fortifying the resilience of the food supply chain. The identified factors and strategies offer valuable insights for researchers and practitioners seeking to address disruptions in food supply chains. The study's unique contribution lies in bridging theoretical perspectives with practical applications, enhancing the relevance of business-to-business/industrial supply chain theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring Indigenous producers realize and capture provenance value from the native foods and botanicals supply chain is a key part of achieving economic, community, and ecological sustainability for Indigenous communities. Utilizing blockchain technology to support validated provenance claims throughout supply chain processes is an important intervention toward achieving this objective. This paper presents the preliminary results of an ongoing project in which blockchain technology underpins a "whole of supply chain" approach to addressing issues of provenance value claims and how these are validated within a digitalized environment. The paper focuses on the overarching objectives of achieving provenance value-based growth, and sustainability within a collaborative governance framework that reflects Indigenous community practice. We discuss how technology design and application developments have been undertaken in the context of a cooperative governance model, with the long-term view of enabling ecosystem participants to share responsibility for system development, operations, and benefits. The paper presents a provenance claims approach anchored in a Resources, Events, and Agents (REA) framework. It showcases the first version of a digital application that was developed by engaging a user community. How the application may be applied to other sectors is also briefly explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Operationalizing R-imperatives in firms is seen as vital to bolstering circularity through reduce, reuse and recycle and building circular supply chains (CSCs). However, this process introduces various uncertainties to firms within CSCs. This is a gap that still requires an in-depth analysis, particularly to answer the question of how firms align the operationalization of R-imperatives with uncertainty management to improve sustainability performance and accelerate the transition toward CSCs. Design/methodology/approach: This paper fills this gap through a multiple-case study, whereby nine firms from varying structures, regions and manufacturing industries were examined. Qualitative content analysis was employed to examine the collected primary (27 semi-structured interviews) and secondary data (internal management reports, publicly available corporate reports and website content). Findings: The findings support the evidence that the operationalization of R-imperatives is not a straightforward process. Within-firm and SC uncertainties largely emerged and made the building of CSCs complex. Consequently, strategies aimed at reducing uncertainty were paramount to managing uncertainties and enhancing sustainability performance. For instance, implementing durable or modular designs helped firms easily reuse, repair and recycle products. In turn, firms achieved material efficiency and contributed to extending the life cycle of products. Practical implications: This paper explains how firms can align R-imperatives operationalization with uncertainty management to improve sustainability performance and enhance CSCs. Accordingly, firms should complement R-imperatives operationalization with proactive uncertainty management and an assessment of all environmental, economic and social sustainability dimensions. Originality/value: This paper fills a critical gap in circular supply chain management literature by unveiling its linkage with uncertainty management and sustainability performance. Empirical insights from nine firms within CSCs are provided to guide scholars and managers interested in implementing R-imperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It is claimed that port supply chain integration (PSCI), thanks to its attributes, holds a potential to trigger a port to strategically sustain performance- and competitiveness-measures through strengthening and/or reinforcing an array of port sustainability aspects. This paper aims to empirically investigate the existent influence of PSCI on economic and environmental pillars of port sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a resource-based view, this paper hypothesises that PSCI has a certain impact on port "economic" sustainability (PECS) and port "environmental" sustainability (PENS). Measures of PSCI, PECS and PENS are refined and validated using data collected from the maritime logistics industry in Egypt, and structural equation modelling is employed to test the hypothetical relationships. Findings: The results indicate that a port having adopted an integrative strategy into supply chains could enhance its cost and operational efficiency, financial and investment situation, while offering high-quality services to its customers. Similarly, PSCI is emphatically correlated with water and air pollution management, energy efficiency and green port management practices. Research limitations/implications: Having identified the acute potential of PSCI for sustainable development in maritime logistics and supply chains, this line of research allows port operators and/or authorities to better understand strategic options with which they are able to improve their sustainability practices. This paper is, however, limited only to two dimensions of sustainability by not exploring the "social" aspect of port sustainability due to data-related issues. Originality/value: This line of research could be regarded as an extended application from other industrial sectors to the port industry in a way to empirically examine the inclusive relationship of PSCI with economic and environmental parameters. The findings from this research make a due contribution to the field of port sustainability in general and Egyptian ports in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 has posed formidable challenges to the food industry, exacerbating threats to food security worldwide. In response to this crisis, this comprehensive review systematically maps the existing literature concerning sustainability and resilience within the realm of food security. A meticulous categorization of the identified papers is performed, focusing on elucidating the underlying causes of food insecurity, assessing their profound impacts on public health, delineating the requisite strategies and actions, and discerning the commonalities and distinctions between sustainability and resilience. Systematic searches across reputable databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Springer, were conducted to retrieve pertinent papers published from 2019 to 2022, specifically addressing the threats to food security in the post-pandemic landscape. From an initial pool of 105 papers, 26 met the stringent inclusion criteria for subsequent in-depth analysis and categorization, employing thematic content analysis to elucidate their thematic focus on causative factors, repercussions, mitigation strategies, and intersections between sustainability and resilience. Drawing insights from the amalgamated findings, this study proposes a holistic, systematic conceptualization for integrating sustainability and resilience principles within the food sector. This structure offers a roadmap for fortifying food security, ultimately advancing the cause of public health and well-being. It is poised to serve as a valuable resource for researchers, facilitating the exploration of sustainability and resilience in the context of food supply chains and providing policymakers with actionable insights for implementing these vital approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to uncover how environmental and social sustainability practices are diffused across the supply chain tiers through supplier development initiatives. In particular, the work seeks to uncover the initiatives developed directly or indirectly by manufacturing firms and the factors that enhance them. A systematic literature review is used to examine the breadth of the sustainable supply chain literature. The papers obtained are screened and analysed using established procedures to produce bibliometric and thematic analyses. The findings show the evolution of this young field around key research groups with few papers looking beyond focal firms to immediate suppliers and even fewer examining multiple tiers. Whilst numerous organisational factors are identified, few works consider most of them together and none capture their interrelationships at such breadth. Within this field lacking in theory, the originality of the work is the assembly of environmental and social practices into an integrated framework for their diffusion across supply chain tiers in the design and implementation of supplier development initiatives. There is recognition of where in the supply chain these practices are applied. The implications of this research are a framework around which supply chain diffusion theory can be tested and subsequent potential for its deployment in business to guide sustainable practice adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing concerns around sustainability along the supply chains are global. The complexity of supply chain sustainability becomes even more pronounced across the multiple tiers of organisations and networks and has imposed heavy pressures on organisations. Dealing with these pressures on society and the environment requires supply chains to lessen their socio-environmental impact. Multi-tier sustainable supply chains are a vehicle to aid in this important global goal. However, addressing these issues and concerns in the production processes and consumption of businesses and organisations is still in its early stages. In light of this, this Special Issue published in the International Journal of Production Research advances this important research agenda. Seventeen articles which were accepted for this Special Issue employed various methodologies/methods, theories, and contexts to respond to the need for research and provided valuable insights that address some of the pressing multi-tier supply chain sustainability problems. This Editorial provides an overview of these works, highlighting opportunities for future search directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In recent years, economic, environmental and social sustainability has become one of the fastest-growing research fields. The number of primary and secondary papers addressing the triple bottom line is growing significantly, and the supply chain (SC) management discipline is in the same wave. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a novel tertiary systematic methodology to explore, aggregate, categorise and analyse the findings provided by secondary studies. Design/methodology/approach: A novel tertiary systematic literature review approach, including 94 secondary studies, is proposed and used to analyse sustainable SC literature. The papers have been analysed using a research protocol, including descriptive and content analysis criteria. Findings: This tertiary study does not only provide an overview of the literature on the topic of sustainability in SCs but also goes further, drawing up a categorisation of main research areas and research perspectives adopted by previous researchers. The paper also presents a rank of research gaps and an updated and a prioritised agenda. Originality/value: This paper provides a novel interpretation of the research topics addressed by the secondary studies and presents a new classification of the literature gaps and their evolution. Finally, a dynamic research compass for both academicians and practitioners is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals is to "Ensure access to affordable, sustainable, and clean energy for all." Additionally, the growing concerns about climate change and energy security have heightened the importance of exploring alternative energy sources to replace fossil fuels. The utilisation of agricultural waste for bioenergy production has acquired significant attention due to its potential to mitigate environmental impacts and provide renewable energy sources. However, the major obstacle to producing bioenergy is managing the supply chain while considering economic, environmental, and social factors in an optimal way. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the literature on the management of agriculture waste supply chains, specifically related to the use of modelling and optimisation techniques for planning. The first section describes different stages of the supply chain and various technologies for converting biomass to bioenergy. This is followed by a synopsis of the literature reviewed based on decision levels, objective functions, modelling methodologies, and optimisation approaches. Finally, the review highlights limitations and gaps in current research and the areas with potential for further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chain sustainability-related risks that have an undesirable environmental, social and economic impact result in global supply chain uncertainty and complexity. This paper investigates the relationships between supply chain sustainability risks, global uncertainty and mitigating strategies to attain supply chain resilience capability. The paper suggests the supply chain resilience capability and four fundamental risk-mitigating strategies to cope with supply chain sustainability risks. Data collected via survey were employed for structural equation modelling and moderation tests to explore appropriate mitigating strategies for differing sustainability risk environments. The results suggest a structural procedure for better supply chain resilience under diverse sustainability risks. Inspired by the literature gap, the study empirically examines how sustainability risks and global uncertainty influence supply chain resilience and provides the most effective risk management strategies among accept, avoid, control, share/transfer according to different sustainability risks. There is a lack of empirical research investigating how to address the supply chain sustainability risk through the provision of effective mitigating strategies for better supply chain resilience capability. The results provide insight for future research in supply chain resilience and sustainability studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the supply chains, and this brought researchers and practitioners to think about more on circular supply chains (CSC). The CSC concept has been discussed in the literature more than a decade. This study aims to find out the theoretical roots of CSC by analyzing scholarly articles in literature. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses document cocitation analysis for reaching this aim. After retrieving data from Web of Science database, this paper explores data set by considering used references of these publications and clusters them based on their title terms and visualizes them by using cosine similarity index. Findings: This paper concludes that CSC is mainly discussed along with sustainability, sustainable supply chains and green supply chains, where the focus is integrating circular economy principles to supply chain management (SCM). On the other hand, although resiliency is an essential characteristic of SCM, contribution of CSC to supply chain resilience is neglected in the literature. Research limitations/implications: CSC will gain importance in near future to increase national/firm productivity, and findings of this paper will give researchers insights for furthering their studies. Social implications: To avoid supply chain and market collapse caused by natural disruptions, supply chain resilience is of paramount importance. According to the findings of this paper, the authors believe that business resilience in COVID-19-restricted environment may have exit point by using circular perspective. Originality/value: The importance of CSC has increased due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this unique study was undertaken to investigate the evolution of this crucial topic with evidence from the literature through a cocitation analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More practitioners are embracing blockchain technology to improve recycling performance. However, current research on the use of blockchain is mostly confined to general discussions on sustainable supply chains and circular economy, with limited studies specifically focusing on the recycling chain. This paper conducts a thorough content-based review of the literature related to the application of blockchain technology in the recycling chain with the objective to identify a conceptual framework. Although descriptive and thematic analyses show limited developments, blockchain technology can offer four distinct functions in the recycling chain: transparency, integration, behaviour channelisation, and service transformation. The adoption of blockchain in this area has technical, organisational, and environmental limitations that have not been overcome yet. In terms of benefits, blockchain technology improves recycling performance in terms of cost, dependability, flexibility, sustainability, and risk reduction. To summarise the findings, the paper proposes a novel conceptual framework for blockchain implementations in the recycling chain to support practitioners and guide scholars in further blockchain technology exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, companies have been under increasing pressure from consumers, grassroots and community organizations, governments, and shareholders to develop and practice sustainable business practices. Academic and corporate interest in sustainable supply chain management has risen considerably in recent years. This can be seen in the number of papers published. This paper aims to systematically investigate the discipline of supply chain management (SCM) within the context of sustainability. The two concepts are increasingly aligned, and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) represents an evolving field where they explicitly interact. The study proposes a conceptual framework to classify various factors along the triple bottom-line pillars of sustainability issues in the context of supply chains. The findings indicate that the existing literature is primarily focused on individual sustainability and supply chain dimensions rather than taking a more integrated approach. Also, the economic benefits of developing a sustainable supply chain for an organization are discussed in addition to specific features of sustainable supply chains and limitations of existing research; this should stimulate further research. Our analysis revealed trends and gaps, allowing us to create a solid agenda for additional SSCM research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the current state of research on sustainability-related manufacturing trade-offs (i.e. giving preference and priority to one dimension over others) that affect suppliers in developed and less developed countries (LDCs). There is growing pressure on suppliers to adopt sustainable practices into their global supply chains. Successfully implementing all three dimensions of the triple bottom line (TBL) imperative can provide organizations with an added capability and potentially result in competitive advantage and a focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the long run. However, designing supply chains for achieving the TBL requires suppliers to recognize and overcome numerous trade-offs. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review comprising 71 papers published between 2004 and 2020 was undertaken using a content analysis approach to identify trade-offs affecting suppliers. Findings: This study firstly identified eight sustainability-related trade-offs affecting suppliers from a TBL perspective in both developed and LDCs, consequently, allowing for a detailed discussion on trade-off factors and conditions unique to both developed and LDCs. Together, these findings enable this study to present initiatives and investment-related decisions for supply chains from a TBL perspective. Originality/value: In spite of the plethora of studies on sustainable supply chains, there is little research on trade-offs, specifically those affecting sustainability of suppliers operating in LDCs. This paper addresses this critical gap and advances the literature on sustainability-related supply chain trade-offs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to propose an improved hesitation fuzzy multi-attribute decision-making method to realize green supply chain member selection under green innovation vision. The method uses hesitation fuzzy sets to express decision information of decision makers, takes green innovation capability as the evaluation perspective, and selects green innovation input, synergy of subjects in green supply chain, green innovation output capability, institutional innovation capability of enterprises in green supply chain, and green innovation sustainability as the indexes to evaluate the green innovation capability of enterprises. The multi-attribute decision method proposed in this paper takes into account the shortcomings of the original hesitant fuzzy multi-attribute decision method considering attribute weight optimization in the determination of attribute weights and scheme ranking, then proposes a three-point estimation method for scheme ranking and optimizes the attribute weights by quantifying the balance coefficients of the original decision method. Finally, an example is used to verify the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed method, and a comparison with the original method is made to highlight the advantages of this paper's method. This paper provides a certain theoretical basis for the selection of members in green supply chains, which helps the selection of members in green supply chains and provides some insight for similar hesitant fuzzy multi-attribute decision-making problems in other fields. In future research, the method proposed in this paper can be considered to combine with probabilistic hesitant fuzzy sets and some other fuzzy sets for method extensions to solve multi-attribute decision-making problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain warehousing contributes persistent environmental effects in the food supply chain because of its long-term storage feature and distribution requirements. Thus, it has attracted a number of interdisciplinary researchers to the investigations of green grain warehousing (GGW) over the past decades. This paper presents a valuable comprehensive literature review on the existing publications on this topic via bibliometric analysis and systematic review based on 37 papers obtained from three common international academic databases, namely Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCOhost. We concluded a framework of existing literature with proposing three macro-themes (energy-saving in transporting, environmental harmony, and green deinsectization) as well as a classification of commonly used methods. The results revealed that (1) the increase in research interests over years was found; (2) there are differences in the attention of GGW among countries. Most of the scholars from developing countries focused more on the green operational technologies or strategies, while most of the scholars from developed countries placed their research focuses on keeping grain quality and developing environment-friendly deinsectization approaches with low emission or chemical alternatives; (3) grain quality started to become the most popular hotspot in recent years; (4) the researchers tended to use more comprehensive methodologies or combined methods to conduct their works. Accordingly, we proposed potential research directions. The contribution of this work is to extend current literature and to offer reference to scholars and practitioners for future research and operation in GGW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy (CE) has inspired the emergence of circular supply chains (CSCs) to reduce the environmental impacts of linear production systems. However, the transition to CSCs faces numerous challenges and uncertainties, which in turn impact the sustainability performance of CSCs. Following a systematic review process, this paper aims to identify the uncertainties that CSCs entail and the uncertainty management strategies which can be used to mitigate them to enhance their sustainability performance. A conceptual framework is proposed under which the current literature on CSCs, including 106 peer-reviewed English journal articles, is analysed and discussed based on CE practices, uncertainty management, and sustainability performance indicators. This framework offers guidance to CE and CSC scholars and supports practitioners and policymakers in being aware of the uncertainties related to the operationalisation and implementation of the CE in order to offer CE-inspired solutions. This paper also proposes a research agenda to investigate the integration of CE practices with supply chain management; the ways in which organisations manage different uncertainties simultaneously; and the effect of multiple uncertainty management strategies on firms' sustainability performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the sustainability of the retail supply chain. The paper shows the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Mind Genomics to understand how ordinary people think about food sustainability. The combination reveals how people think about the topic, from the point of view of what information regarding sustainability in retail is attractive to the ordinary person, what information is believable, and finally, the nature of different ways of thinking about sustainabili ty in retail, namely mindsets. The paper closes with the PVI (personal viewpoint identifier) evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The US retail sector grapples with persistent challenges related to supply chain waste, including inefficiencies, overstocking, and logistical barriers, necessitating targeted reduction strategies to mitigate escalating costs, environmental impacts, and diminished profitability. Methods: This study adopts a qualitative research method that draws on secondary data sources such as books, journals, articles, and websites to explore supply chain waste reduction strategies within the US retail industry. The study delineates various supply chain waste types, examines associated challenges and drivers, and proposes a simplified model tailored to the US retail landscape to enhance efficiency and sustainability through waste reduction and control. Results: The findings of this paper underscore the necessity for proactive measures within the US retail sector to minimize supply chain waste, optimize operations, and bolster environmental stewardship. Conclusions: By offering a comprehensive overview actionable insights and proposed reverse logistics model, this study aims to equip US retailers with strategies conducive to sustainable growth and heightened competitiveness while advancing the broader discourse on supply chain efficiency and waste reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability has become a key issue in the forest industry; this research aims to analyze the quantitative techniques and metrics applied to the forest-to-lumber supply chain to achieve sustainable decision-making during the last six years. The methodology used was the PRISMA systematic literature review guide, which provides a complete and updated view of the situation. A total of 724 publications were collected from the Web of Science database. Consequently, 85 papers were selected for analysis and synthesis after applying inclusion criteria. The results show a growing interest in sustainability in the forest-to-lumber supply chain, with a peak of publications in 2019. Mathematical Programming and Simulation models are on top of the quantitative techniques applied. These techniques are applied to the supply chain components, classified according to the raw material's degree of processing or transformation level in forest entities, sawmills, transportation, and other entities. The concluding remarks highlighted that 19 published works research the social dimension, 43 explore the environmental dimension, and 55 examine the economic dimension. Moreover, in the environmental dimension, there is a concentration on the use of metrics associated with greenhouse gases, and to a lesser extent, they have been concerned with soil and water. Additionally, in the social dimension, they have concentrated mainly on the workers, leaving the local communities around the supply chain in the second place. Our systematic review reports the techniques or quantitative methodologies applied in the forest-to-lumber supply chain and the metrics used to handle the dimensions of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic growth of developed or emerging countries through globalization has prompted them to increase their supply chain performance. A large number of concepts, tools, and methodologies have been proposed in support of this performance improvement. They are mainly based on the use of classical optimization or enterprise modeling methods. However, environmental and social issues, not to mention digital transformation, are often ignored or not sufficiently integrated. Indeed, the world geopolitical situation, the increase in oil prices, and the commitment to protect our earth require the integration of sustainability aspects and Industry 4.0 concepts like digital twin and artificial intelligence in transforming the supply chain. This paper focuses on defining a conceptual framework to support sustainable supply chain management and digital transformation. It aims to exploit the sustainability and digital maturity of companies to transform their supply chains and enhance their performance to meet the challenges of Industry 5.0. Several practices related to sustainability, as well as two use cases on optimization and digital twin, are presented to illustrate this framework. Finally, based on the previous practices and use cases, an adapted framework for the supply chain manager to support the transition from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 has been developed, as well as a performance dashboard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper analyses the effect of circular economy practices on sustainable supply chain performance. The study explores the impact of mediating variables such as supply chain flexibility and capabilities and the moderating role of supply chain integration in the relationship between circular economy practices and sustainable supply chain performance in Indian manufacturing firms. The study builds on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model to conceptualise circular economy practices that influence supply chain capabilities, integration and flexibility, impacting sustainable supply chain performance. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopted an online survey questionnaire distributed to managers of Indian manufacturing firms adopting circular economy practices. The data were analysed using SPSS Amos 25 and PROCESS macros. Findings: The results suggest a positive impact of circular economy practices on sustainable supply chain performance in manufacturing firms. In addition, a supply chain manager's relationship with retailers is improved in the presence of supply chain capabilities and flexibility. Supply chain integration further strengthens this relationship as a moderating variable. Originality/value: By examining the literature on circular economy practices and sustainable supply chain management, this study contributes to bridging the gap between supply chain capabilities, integration and flexibility using the S-O-R model. This study is possibly among the first to explore and provide empirical evidence on how circular economy practices in manufacturing firms can impact supply chain managers' experiences and thus help to improve environmental well-being. Both academics and business professionals might find these contributions interesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a conceptual framework aimed at exploring the connections between integration within the food supply chain and the three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social. The analysis combines theoretical insights with empirical research, specifically focusing on the economic aspect of sustainability, measured through efficiency. The study emphasizes the critical role of integrating participants across the food supply chain to achieve sustainability goals. It discusses methodologies for assessing integration levels within the chain, providing a theoretical and analytical basis for modeling integration and efficiency within the supply chain. To empirically validate these relationships, an extended stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) method was applied to selected sectors within the food processing industry. The results demonstrate that enhancing integration with suppliers and buyers can significantly improve efficiency within the food chain. In conclusion, through deductive reasoning, this study asserts that integration plays a pivotal role in advancing economic sustainability objectives within the food sector. This framework contributes to a deeper understanding of how integration influences sustainability outcomes, offering valuable insights for stakeholders aiming to enhance sustainability in food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to summarize the trend and overall aspect of Circular Economy (CE) in supply chain management research as a contribution of the previous research towards the CE concept narrowed in perspective, without presenting a specific application. Further, it is explored to identify the research hotspot, knowledge base, topic, landmark and pivot point in this research. Design/methodology/approach: The scientometric mapping of CE in supply chain research papers is analyzed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software to cover the broader field spectrum and overcome a manual review. The Research papers are extracted from the Web of Science core collection comprising keywords "Circular Economy*" and "Supply Chain*". A number of 1,092 papers are selected from the reputed journals over 20 years (2001–2021) for review. Findings: The co-operation visualization network analysis initially identifies the descriptive analysis of overall publications, leading authors, countries, institutions and journal sources. The co-occurrences of keywords present the research hotspot. Moreover, the co-citation cluster analysis identifies knowledge base, research topic, landmark and pivot point. Industry 4.0 integrated supply chain, their driver, barrier, challenges and risks need further investigation. Research limitations/implications: The findings are based on networks visualization analysis principles, which indicate connection, quality and impact of academic works that might be open to accusations. The methodology chosen for the research and findings interpretations are based on researchers' perceptive limitations and subjective judgment. Originality/value: This review paper covers a diverse view to attain sustainable development goals due to considerable attention from researchers, practitioners and policymakers. Also is expected to set the future direction of the CE in the supply chain research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A port has traditionally played such a fundamental role as cargo handling within the concept of containerisation and multi-modalism. Today, however, the port is required to become more aligned with global supply chains: that is, integration – more specifically, termed 'port supply chain integration' (PSCI). Increasing scale and volume of sea-based trade results in a situation where the port is blamed as a source of environmental and social externalities – 'port sustainability' (PS) being stemmed from. Existing studies have emphasised the role of PSCI with a few economic facets; due attention has not been given to sustainability aspects. Bearing these issues in mind, this paper attempts to conceptually discuss a claim that PSCI has a potential influence on PS and to propose a so-called 'sustainably integrated port supply chain' by establishing a conceptual framework linked to a series of testable propositions. Using systematic review, this paper delineates the role of supply chain integration in achieving sustainability in ports, and it investigates the conceptual interactions among PSCI and PS constructs and variables in a holistic approach. Propositions to be suggested from this line of exercise can be used as a basis for an empirical test towards establishing a theory applicable to the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on efforts to promote the development of local markets in Suceava County, with an exclusive focus on the use of short supply chains. The main purpose of the research is to examine how this approach can influence economic development and sustainability in the region. Through a detailed analysis, the paper explores how local producers and consumers in Suceava County collaborate directly, eliminating intermediaries and reducing the distance between producers and consumers. The benefits of this approach are examined, including increased income for producers, the promotion of local products, and support for the local economy. Additionally, the paper examines the challenges faced in successfully implementing short supply chains in the specific context of Suceava County, such as infrastructure, regulations, and the education of both consumers and producers. The impact on community development and sustainable growth is also analyzed, including aspects related to reducing the carbon footprint and promoting sustainable agriculture. This research highlights the importance of promoting economic development and sustainability through local markets and short supply chains in Suceava County. Through analysis and evaluation, the paper provides significant insights for the ongoing development of these markets and for supporting local producers and agricultural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends research on buyer firm roles in improving supplier sustainability practices by considering institutions – norms and rules – in the organisational field in which suppliers and sub-suppliers operate, exerting pressures on these actors to align their respectivepractices. We introducethe resource-based view to arrive at a framework outlining key capabilities for institutional entrepreneurs that seek institutionalisation of corporate sustainability standards (CSS) as a new institution across a multi-tier supply chain. The paper draws on the results of an exploratory research study using six comparative case studies within four industries. While institutional entrepreneurship explains how organisations drive institutional change, the resource-based view outlines criteria for organisational capabilities enabling the focal firm to achieve the targeted institutional change. Our analysis suggests five key capabilities enabling a buying firm to effectively institutionalise their requirements in multi-tier supply chains: (1) inter-firm dialogue, (2) risk management, (3) external stakeholder collaboration, (4) cross-functional integration, and (5) continuous improvement. The key organisational capabilities identified help to extend the theory of institutional entrepreneurship with concepts that facilitate institutional change in multi-tier supply chains with respect to corporate sustainability. This exploratory work opens up avenues of additional research in general and supply chain theory development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formal scavenging grants material circularity, but its potential contribution to the sustainability of a Supply Chain (SC) is far from being a trivial issue. Thus, this paper aims to understand what is the impact of formal scavenging on the sustainability of an SC and quantify it. Accordingly, a case study in an Italian Pulp and Paper circular SC was developed through the lenses of the Triple Bottom Line. This SC consists of five groups of stakeholders and a formal scavenger that collects and redistributes wastepaper. The findings show that, in a one-year time window, the formal scavenger generated an economic value of over €3 million and led to saving 718 tCO 2 e and an energy equivalent to that consumed by 1000 average Italian families every year. In addition, it created new stable jobs and directly contributed to decreasing the waste tax in the geographical area in which it operates. Furthermore, formal scavenging proved to be effective in building up SC resilience in the face of unexpected changes in the prices and volumes of wastepaper. The results contribute to framing formal scavenging as a collaboration-based solution to enable the achievement of sustainability benefits in closed-loop SCs and provide actionable suggestions for SC managers and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]