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Digital Twins (DTs) hold significant promise in addressing the challenges faced by food supply chains (FSCs). This paper aims to provide critical insights into the potential for Digital Twins to meet the key challenges of the FSC and establish a comprehensive conceptual framework for their implementation. Following a systematic literature review (SLR), the study identified 81 peer-reviewed, high-quality papers published over the last decade (2012–2023). The typology-driven thematic analysis emphasises the emergent nature of DTs within FSCs, highlighting their key characteristics including monitoring, real-time simulation, and scenario analysis. The identified characteristics, applications, implementation drivers and barriers of Digital Twin form the basis for a novel conceptual framework for implementing DTs in FSCs. Leveraging insights from Innovation Adoption Theory and the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, the study outlines a structured five step implementation process divided into three stages. Notably, technology assessment and performance evaluation emerge as two innovative steps necessary for the successful implementation of DTs specifically, not previously considered by the theory. The study identifies promising avenues for future research. These findings provide invaluable guidance to researchers and practitioners seeking to embrace the potential of Digital Twin within the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feta cheese is a Greek product under Protection Designation of Origin (PDO), benefiting its producing regions with its marketing potential. However, farmers are evidently often excluded from this value chain. This study aims at understanding the opportunities farmers in Greece have for supply chain arrangements (SCAs) that ensure fair market participation. It uses a two-step latent class analysis on data from a farm survey to explore and classify farmer–cheesemaker SCAs based on their perceived characteristics, farmers' satisfaction, availability of alternative options and farmers' sustainability objectives. Results highlight the importance of collective arrangements, economic incentives and price formulation mechanisms in forming farmer-inclusive SCAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper examines the potential of in-store vertical farming technologies in urban food retail as a solution to the increasing demand for fresh, locally sourced food. By enabling a “sell where you produce” model, vertical farming can reduce food miles, enhance traceability, and lower carbon emissions. The study applies the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to analyze factors influencing the adoption of these technologies among food retailers in Rouen, France, with a particular focus on the role of risk aversion in shaping attitudes and decisions. The findings highlight that performance expectancy and facilitating conditions are the key drivers of adoption intentions among retail store managers. However, perceived risks, such as high investments and operational costs, pose significant barriers, while social influence appears to have little impact on their decisions. The study underscores the importance of conducting economic evaluations and risk assessments of vertical farming practices to ensure their long-term viability. As vertical farming holds the potential to boost fresh food production in urban areas, reduce food miles, and create sustainable supply chains, it is crucial to carefully weigh its benefits and risks to support its successful adoption in urban food retail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Russian military invasion has caused a collapse in food supplies from Ukraine to world markets. The transformation of Ukrainian export logistics has been carried out under critical conditions and extremely limited deadlines. This article evaluated the transformations in logistics in the grain and oilseeds markets due to the war, discussed the impact of international agreements on export and logistics supply chains, and proposed marketing strategies for the trade of grain, oilseeds, and related products during wartime. The authors employed various general scientific and special methods and approaches, including a systematic approach, abstract-logical and graphic methods, retrospective and comparative analysis, correlation-regression analysis, and forecasting methods. A periodisation of the export logistical transformation due to the war was used. It included the following stages: the collapse of logistics; the growth of exports due to the impact of international agreements; and the operation of an alternative Ukrainian maritime corridor with the support of international partners. The significant impact of production and sales transformations caused by the war on the growth of wheat export logistics costs for various supply bases was demonstrated. The authors concluded that the export logistics risks were primarily mitigated by low grain and oilseed prices for agricultural producers. An assessment of the grain, oil crops, and processing products export market in Ukraine was also provided. The development of effective marketing strategies was highlighted. The practical value of the study lies in the use of the research results for developing marketing strategies for enterprises and European cooperation development projects in the agrarian sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to heightened competition arising from globalization, companies are crafting strategies to sustain their operations. However, these strategies also introduce risks that require meticulous management. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated disruptions in supply chains, including the vulnerable food supply chain (FCS), strained further by escalating food prices and resource depletion in recent times. Within this context, the vulnerability of global FSCs has escalated significantly due to government-imposed lockdowns during the pandemic. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the multifaceted disruptions in global FSCs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. By delving deep into the complexities of these disruptions, it seeks to uncover the key factors contributing to the vulnerability of supply chains. Employing a blend of literature review and expert opinions, the study identifies and prioritizes factors using the Fermatean Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FF-AHP). A two-level criteria framework consisting of three main criteria and eleven sub-criteria has been developed, taking into account expert recommendations and previous studies. According to the results obtained, it has been revealed that the Managerial factors within the main criteria are the most significant factors in the fragility of the FSC. Among these factors, it has been observed that Technology, Corporation, and Inventory Management are the leading criteria causing to the vulnerability of the FSC. This is the first study to investigate the vulnerabilities of FSC using fuzzy logic. The research underscores the imperative of comprehensive risk management strategies that encompass all stakeholders within the supply chain, particularly during unanticipated crises like pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food supply chain's heavy reliance on electricity poses significant vulnerabilities in the event of prolonged and widespread power disruptions. This study introduces a system-dynamics model that integrates five critical infrastructures—electric grid, liquid fossil fuels, Internet, transportation, and human workforce—to evaluate the resilience of food supply chains to major power outages. We validated the model using the 2019 Venezuelan blackouts as a case study, demonstrating its predictive validity. We then explored how more extreme electricity losses would disrupt the supply chain. More specifically, we modeled the impact of a large-scale cyberattack on the US electric grid and a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) event. A cyberattack severely damaging the US electric grid and allowing for recovery within a few weeks or months would lead to substantial drops in food consumption. However, it would likely still be possible to provide adequate calories to everyone, assuming that food is equitably distributed. In contrast, a year-long recovery from a HEMP event affecting most of the continental United States could precipitate a state of famine. Our analysis represents a first attempt at quantifying how food availability progressively worsens as power outages extend over time. Our open-source model is made publicly available, and we encourage its application to other catastrophic scenarios beyond those specifically considered in this work (for example, extreme solar storms, high-lethality pandemics). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The food supply chain’s heavy reliance on electricity poses significant vulnerabilities in the event of prolonged and widespread power disruptions. This study introduces a system-dynamics model that integrates five critical infrastructures—electric grid, liquid fossil fuels, Internet, transportation, and human workforce—to evaluate the resilience of food supply chains to major power outages. We validated the model using the 2019 Venezuelan blackouts as a case study, demonstrating its predictive validity. We then explored how more extreme electricity losses would disrupt the supply chain. More specifically, we modeled the impact of a large-scale cyberattack on the US electric grid and a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) event. A cyberattack severely damaging the US electric grid and allowing for recovery within a few weeks or months would lead to substantial drops in food consumption. However, it would likely still be possible to provide adequate calories to everyone, assuming that food is equitably distributed. In contrast, a year-long recovery from a HEMP event affecting most of the continental United States could precipitate a state of famine. Our analysis represents a first attempt at quantifying how food availability progressively worsens as power outages extend over time. Our open-source model is made publicly available, and we encourage its application to other catastrophic scenarios beyond those specifically considered in this work (for example, extreme solar storms, high-lethality pandemics).

The globalisation of the food industry increases the complexity and the difficulty in enhancing efficiency and solving issues in food supply chains. Blockchain is a promising decentralised information technology that could benefit food supply chains by reducing transaction cost and time, increasing process transparency, security, and efficiency, as well as building trust among participants. In this paper, we introduce the major blockchain platforms currently used in food supply chains and conduct a synthesis analysis to explore the benefits and challenges of blockchain technology in the food industry. We demonstrate that blockchain enables unprecedented visibility at each step of the food supply chain, helps increase transaction transparency, food safety, and quality, and also reduces food fraud and waste. Furthermore, it serves as a digital solution for reducing operational costs and improving efficiency in food supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food grain production in India has progressively risen in the past few decades, whereas the storage capacity has remained limited. The policymakers in India are attempting to close this capacity gap while addressing sustainability objectives. However, the quantification and integration of multiple social sustainability factors have remained a challenge. To improve the overall sustainability, the study attempts to develop a mathematical model considering procurement, transportation, inventory, and location-related issues. Several supply chain network factors are integrated and assessed while focussing on the social sustainability dimension. Three cases of India's largest food grain-producing and consuming states are analysed with the help of two Pareto-based algorithms. Multiple relationships between variations in supply, demand, and the capacity of silos with three defined objectives are evaluated. It is observed that, the demand significantly influences the economic and environmental objectives compared with the supply and silo capacity. The capacity of silos has a more significant impact on social objectives than economic and environmental objectives. Results reveal the importance of establishing a sufficient number of modernised silos, which reduces environmental impact and improves social factors such as farmers' economic condition and welfare, balanced economic development, number of jobs created, and public health level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the dynamics of price linkages and transaction costs in agricultural markets, emphasizing the sustainability of food supply chains. By exploring vertical and horizontal price linkages in agro-farming value chains of a developing country, it addresses the efficiency of market information transmission and the capacity for arbitrage among chain participants. The methodological core of the research involves analyzing price linkages in Chilean horticultural wholesale markets, focusing on key vegetables such as, onions, lettuce, maize, and tomatoes. This analysis is underpinned by a novel approach that models and estimates time-dependent, conditional threshold bands, extending the traditional cointegration models. This method allows a more nuanced understanding of how agricultural market linkages evolve over time, enhancing our comprehension of price transmission behavior and market integration. The results reveal significant non-linear relationships between fuel prices and vegetable prices, particularly in central Chilean regions. This finding challenges the traditional linear perspective, suggesting that factors such as storage capacity and arbitrage behavior can influence price signal transmission. Such insights are crucial for stakeholders in the agribusiness value chain, offering a deeper understanding of market dynamics and aiding in the development of more sustainable and efficient market strategies. This research contributes significantly to the field of agricultural economics by providing a more robust framework for analyzing market behaviors and transaction costs in the context of sustainability and value chains. Its findings have profound implications for both theory and practice, informing policy-making and strategic decision-making in the agribusiness sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper explores the potential of blockchain technology (BCT) in promoting sustainable food production and consumption (SFPC) from a consumer perspective. India, a significant global food producer, faces challenges related to affordability and food logistics due to transport and labour constraints. Food safety concerns, that is, foodborne illnesses and quality issues, alongside unexpected events like COVID‐19 and geopolitical conflicts, threaten SFPC. In recent times, consumer focus has shifted a lot towards food safety and security. The study adopted exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the factors strengthening consumer trust through BCT. The EFA helped classify the items into five factors, that is, reliability, sustainability, impact on health, trust and switching intentions. The results reveal that these factors are the most significant reasons consumers are willing to accept a blockchain‐enabled food system over a traditional system. The study findings will benefit organisations willing to introduce blockchain within their operations to improve the consumer base. It will also prove to be helpful for researchers and academicians to understand consumer perspectives towards BCT for SFPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, demand for processed food items is escalating towards the record consumption volume, which resulted in the surging of the Food Supply Chain (FSCs) network. But, the flow of the commodities through the various channels of the FSC is hampered by the various inefficiencies, which persist due to a lack of monitoring. This results in the widening of the gap between the supply and demand patterns allied with it. To tackle the same, and cater to the upwelling shares of the consumer demand, the dynamics of the Food Supply Chain Performance System (FSCPS) need to be tuned with the avenues of Industry 4.0 practices. Presented work clusters the various attributes of the inefficiencies, which hampers the processed FSCs dynamics and maintenance-related activities, elaborated by their sub-attributes based upon their events of occurrences. A model comprising the various attributes and sub-attributes of inefficiencies constrained outside the organizational boundaries of a firm's FSC is rendered in this study. For effective handling of the mutual interdependencies persisting between the attributes, the methodology of the Graph Theory and Matrix Approach (GTMA) is exercised for the analysis of the developed model. Outcomes of the presented work felicitate the managers of industries, its allied corporates and numerous stakeholders of the FSC to ground a robust decisional framework, governing policies and managing the process permutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste is a serious global problem. Efforts to reduce food waste are closely linked to the concepts of circular economy and sustainability. Though food organizations across the world are making efforts to reduce waste in their supply chains, there is currently no theoretical explanation that would underpin the responses of food companies in reducing food waste. Based on interactions with food companies over a nearly 5-year period, we explore the applicability of some well-known and not so well-known organizational theories in the operations management literature to underpin the observed responses of companies in reducing food waste. This paper is one of the first attempts to study food waste from an operations and supply chains point of view, especially from the lens of existing theories in the operations management literature and newer sustainability theories borrowed from other disciplines. Our research findings not only show that existing organizational theories and societal theories can help explain the motivations of firms engaging in food waste reduction, but also call for more research that could help explain some interesting observations that are not apparent when existing theories are used. This paper contributes to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2 and 12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent extreme events and the disruptions they caused have made food supply chain resilience a key topic for researchers and policymakers. This paper provides input into these discussions by evaluating the efficiency and resilience properties of the leading policy proposals. We develop a conceptual model of a prototype agricultural supply chain, parameterize the model based on the empirical literature, and conduct simulations to assess the impacts on resilience and economic welfare of four key policy proposals: (i) intensified antitrust enforcement to improve market competition, (ii) subsidization of entry of additional processing capacity, (iii) prevention of price spikes through anti‐price‐gouging laws, and (iv) diversification of production and processing across multiple regions. Results show that some of the policies have potential to improve supply‐chain resilience, but their impacts depend on the existing market structure, and resilience gains often come at the cost of reduced efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the sources of resilience for logistics operations as it relates to food supply chains and their responses during natural disasters and other disruptions. The literature tends to treat inherent and adaptive resilience as somewhat separate constructs. Thus, this study also aims to provide some insights into the relatively underexamined area of how inherent resilience synergistically works with adaptive resilience to maintain flows for food supply chains in a developing economy context. To address the research aim, two supply chain wide case studies were used to investigate the contribution of logistic activities toward the resilience of foods supply chains in two different South Asian regions. This context was selected as these regions are prone to frequent natural disruptions and other disruptions, and these food supply chains also play a crucial role in economy and providing relief supplies to their communities. Logistics operations play a key role in achieving overall supply chain resilience. The sources of inherent resilience are the network structure, buffer capacity, and strong social connections among the actors. Adaptive resilience is derived from transportation flows, storage, information sharing, and demand management processes. Surprisingly, resilience in this context is achieved despite the relatively low level of integration, an unsophisticated technological landscape and compromised logistics infrastructure. Still, resilience can be enhanced further. This study contributes to the sparse literature that examines logistics activities that influence the resilience of food supply chains in the context of natural disasters and other disruptions. Furthermore, uncovering the substructure of logistics resilience activities, and surprisingly, the synergies between inherent and adaptive resilience, adds to the emerging body of literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global food systems need an urgent transformation to be compatible with sustainable development. While much of the recent academic discussion has focused on food production and consumption, food supply chains have received considerably less attention. Here, we conduct a large‐scale, systematic literature review of 48,014 academic articles to assess the links between the food cold chain literature and sustainable development. We find a multitude of deep links between food cooling and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but also identify underexplored areas of sustainable food cooling research regarding its (1) goals, (2) analytical depth, and (3) context specificity: There is a limited understanding how several relevant synergies between SDGs can be captured, how to best design sustainable food cold chains across multiple value chain stages, and how to scale sustainable cold chains in low‐income and lower‐middle‐income country contexts. We recommend to explicitly consider the salient interconnections between SDGs, increase the analytical depth by deploying more system‐level approaches across entire value chains, and focus on localized solutions in contexts where food supply chains are most underdeveloped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy (CE) has gained global attention for its potential to promote sustainable production and consumption through continuous growth and the efficient use of resources. Despite several reports highlighting its benefits, there is still a lack of concrete and proven studies examining the importance of institutional pressures for the transition towards CE in food supply chains. This study aims to address this gap by conducting a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to identify the drivers and barriers to the institutionalisation of CE in food supply chains, and to propose practical and managerial implications for achieving this transition through institutional pressure. We reviewed 25 studies and conducted a descriptive analysis of papers per year and journal, followed by a categorical thematic analysis. The results indicate that normative pressures were the most frequently identified among the different institutional pressures, followed by mimetic and coercive pressures. Therefore, promoting CE in food supply chains may require the implementation of laws, policies, and strict governance to reduce risks. This paper contributes to the existing literature and provides valuable insights for researchers and practitioners interested in the transition towards a CE in food supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the disruption of food supply to households and reduced farm‐to‐market arrivals in India's food supply chain during the COVID‐19 lockdown. We focus on the relationship between logistics quality (and performance) and the intensity of disruptions across India's states. We find four policy‐relevant findings: (1) Food consumption expenditure was higher in states with better logistics quality; (2) These states recovered more quickly from farm‐to‐market disruptions with higher agricultural market arrivals in the later phases of the lockdown; (3) Rural food supply chains turned out to be as vulnerable as urban ones; and (4) Expenditure on cereals and pulses faced large reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the COVID-19 crisis affected delivery security and firms’ preparedness and responses in Norway. Investigations focus on supply chains which were critical for maintaining the supply of essential goods when large parts of society closed down. This includes four firms belonging to food and pharmaceutical industries, representing different parts of the respective supply chains, and covering imports, exports, domestic distribution, and home-delivery services.The originality of this article is that we employ theoretical models on supply chain risk management, resilience and reliability in conjunction, where these are usually used separately. Recognizing links, overlaps, and complementarity between the models, and using them step-by-step, we exploit synergies that enable more comprehensive assessments of strengths and weaknesses in firms’ supply chains, covering gaps, prioritizing between improvement areas, and collecting input towards detailed, actionable risk mitigation actions. Investigations build on semi-structured interviews, systematically covering the formative elements for each of the models. Using the models in conjunction, we compare the firms and identify differences, similarities, strengths, and weaknesses in the consequences of pandemic-related disruptions and how firms approached the challenges.The main challenges for the firms were sudden demand changes early in the pandemic. While the firms had minor differences, their pre-pandemic contingency plans were generally not actionable or detailed enough, nor prepared for the pandemic's longevity. Therefore, more detailed and long-term guidelines are desirable, noting the importance and interrelationships of elements of supply chain risk management, resilience, and reliability. A common feature for all firms, and crucial for handling disruptions, is the importance of good and long-term relationships with upstream and downstream supply chain partners and the need for improving contingency plans and future resilience.

Modern food supply chains—infused with scientific and engineering innovations—have made food increasingly more affordable and accessible. Yet there is growing concern about the long‐term sustainability of our food system. Over time, the inputs (e.g., water, fertile soil, fossil fuels, and chemicals) and working resources (e.g., land and labor) required for industrial food production and its associated supply chain structure have become more scarce and hence more expensive. At the same time, the by‐products of these farming and supply chain activities (e.g., farm runoff and greenhouse gas emissions) have often created negative externalities on the environment and human health. To improve the sustainability of food production, research from the life sciences recommends adoption of transformative farming methods that incorporate ecological principles in a sustainable approach to farming. Operationally, this approach leverages economies of scope. In order to maintain strategic alignment, changing food production methods should be complemented with appropriate changes in the rest of the supply chain, including consumption habits. We propose a research agenda informed by findings from the life sciences, which integrates approaches from supply chain management as well as food and agricultural economics, to align all food supply chain partners with sustainable food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powerful long-term drivers are increasing both the demand and supply of quantified environmental impact information in food systems. The trend is fast (with many initiatives underway) and furious (presenting a confusing landscape) but has so far received little attention from economists. Better information can inform public and private efforts to reduce environmental pressures. However, the use of different methodologies and reporting requirements could lead to a fragmented landscape. Moreover, there is a risk that poor producers will be disproportionately affected. We discuss the trend, its drivers, impacts and potential pitfalls, as well as the many open research and policy questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Die ergriffenen Maßnahmen zur Eindämmung der COVID-19-Pandemie sowie Einstellungs- und Verhaltensänderungen der Konsumenten haben sich global auf Lebensmittelwertschöpfungsketten ausgewirkt. Um die Auswirkungen von COVID-19 auf die österreichische Landwirtschaft zu untersuchen, wurden im Frühjahr 2021 Interviews mit 34 Landwirt:innen geführt. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen einer qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse wird deutlich, dass die vielfältigen und heterogenen Auswirkungen von COVID-19 auf landwirtschaftliche Betriebe sowohl Chancen als auch Herausforderungen verursachen. Zu den negativen Auswirkungen zählen Absatzschwierigkeiten durch die Schließung von Gastronomie und Märkten, das Verbot nichtlandwirtschaftlicher Aktivitäten, die gestörte Verfügbarkeit von Arbeitskräften und Betriebsmitteln sowie Belastungen der Landwirt:innen. Die Mitigation negativer Auswirkungen durch staatliche Hilfen und Interessenvertretung zeigte eine begrenzte Wirksamkeit. Dennoch wurde die Funktionsfähigkeit der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion aufgrund geringfügiger direkter Auswirkungen und adäquater Anpassungen aufrechterhalten. Positive Auswirkungen resultieren aus der gestiegenen Nachfrage in der Direktvermarktung und im Lebensmitteleinzelhandel, der verbesserten Wahrnehmung der Landwirtschaft in der Gesellschaft und Vorteilen im Privatleben der Landwirt:innen. Langfristige Veränderungen der landwirtschaftlichen Betriebe werden vor allem durch Digitalisierung, Investitionen und Anpassungen der Vermarktung ausgelöst.

Developing country food supply chains have been pummeled by a series (and often a confluence) of shocks over the past several decades, including the Russia-Ukraine war, COVID-19, climate shocks from hurricanes to floods to droughts, animal and plant diseases, an intensification of road banditry and local conflicts, and overlaying all these, deep transformation in markets themselves with new requirements for quality and food safety. Yet supply chains have been largely resilient, adapting and bouncing back in surprising ways. We show that this has often involves deep 'pivoting' by one segment or one value chain, and 'co-pivoting' by another to facilitate the former's pivot. We present a conceptual framework and then illustrate with a variety of examples from Africa and Asia, such as pivoting toward e-commerce by Asian retailers and co-pivoting by delivery intermediaries; pivoting toward quality horticultural production by African and Asian farmers and co-pivoting by mobile outsource services for farming and marketing; and building of redundant ports to protect rice milling operations from climate shocks in Asia by agribusiness and logistic firms. The paper provides implications for policy to facilitate these adaptions and for resilience strategies of agribusiness firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weather extremes are the biggest challenge for supply chains worldwide, with food supply chains particularly exposed due to agriculture’s sensitivity to weather conditions. Whilst attention has been paid to farm-level impacts from, and adaptation to, weather extremes, there remains a need to better understand how different actors along the supply chain suffer, react and adapt to these natural hazards and how their resilience-building strategies affect other actors’ and the whole system’s resilience. Taking the UK potato supply chain as a case study, this paper analyses the synergies and trade-offs in drought resilience in a multi-level food supply chain. Data from an online survey (87) and interviews with key informants (27) representing potato supply-chain actors (growers, packers, processors, retailers) were used to analyse drought risk perceptions, impacts and coping strategies, long-term resilience measures and further actions to build system resilience. Results suggest that the potato supply chain has increased its resilience to weather extremes due to retailers and packers having a wider geographical spread of supply, an increasing reliance on forward contracts and favouring growers with water security. However, a conceptual framework of resilience-building strategies adopted by supply chain actors shows that these measures are largely designed to reduce their own risk without considering implications for other parts of the chain and the system as a whole. A more integrated approach to promote drought resilience in complex food supply chains that enables improved vertical collaboration and trust between actors is therefore needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization of the food supply chain (FSC) has brought significant challenges to the food system, such as fraud, safety, security, and quality issues, due to information asymmetry. Globalization also increases the difficulty and complexity of solving these problems to improve FSC efficiency. Blockchain technology (BCT) has proven to have the capability to transform FSC based on its potential benefits. However, studies of BCT adoption in FSC are relatively new and scarce. This study systematically reviews the current state of research in the space of BCT and FSCs. In carrying out the research, a systematic literature review (SLR) was deployed using two prominent databases, Scopus and Business Source Complete (EBSCO), covering articles from 2016 to 2021, with 52 articles synthesized to identify blockchain enablers, benefits, and barriers. Based on this review, a conceptual framework was developed for BCT adoption within the FSC. The study identified scalability, interoperability, high cost, lack of expertise, and regulations as the most likely barriers to BCT adoption. It contributes to the body of knowledge by providing insights into BCT adoption in the FSC and offers evidence-based direction for other industries to build their BCT strategies.

Cervantes et al have provided an insightful addition to the policy literature by identifying the contextual, political, and policy factors that create constraints and opportunities for putting nutrition at the center of the food supply chain policy process. This commentary discusses important elements and features when aiming for reconciling nutrition goals and food supply policy, provides some examples of the salience of nutrition of non-health policies in countries with different income levels, and argues for improving governance for better nutrition outcomes and inspiring institutional interest and idea of food supply policy actors around population nutrition. Cervantes et al highlight the political context that favors nutrition outcomes, nutrition advocacy in the public agenda, and multisectoral mechanisms which can keep the nutrition objective moving forward in the food supply sector. However, a wider view on governance and institutional capacity is needed, recognizing government action by multiple sectors, with diverse sets of actors. The expanded understanding of nutrition, which includes considering nutrition as an emerging facet of food systems, by policy actors is needed. Enhancing discourse involving nutrition and food supply actors is important in order to appeal to the wider public and opinion leaders across the political spectrum. Accomplishing this also requires political will and an advocacy movement, especially by civil society and grassroots movements.

Blockchain technology has received significant attention from the food industry; however, due to the scarcity of successful Blockchain projects and sector-specific studies, a step-by-step approach for implementing Blockchain in food supply chains (FSCs) is still missing. A systematic literature review of 69 high-quality, peer-reviewed articles is utilized to capture Blockchain adoption drivers and barriers, applications, and implementation stages within FSCs. Current Blockchain issues such as scalability, regulations, privacy, and incentivization are identified as future research opportunities. Following innovation adoption theory, a three-stage conceptual framework for Blockchain implementation in FSCs is developed. The proposed framework is novel and is expected to benefit food chain managers in establishing the suitability of Blockchain for their organization and/or wider supply network. Identified influential factors, case examples, and implementation stages are expected to guide practitioners in developing a roadmap for adopting Blockchain in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of a plethora of wireless technologies to support real-time food quality monitoring during transportation has significantly improved the performance of fresh food delivery systems. However, deployment of these technologies increases the capital and operational costs of food delivery and, hence, not all food delivery operations need to employ them. This paper looks at the trade-off of the costs involved in utilizing these technologies with the nature of food delivered, the length of transportation, and the perceived costs of food wasted using a linear programming model. The problem is formulated over a bi-echelon network with the possibility of transporting the fresh produce through dry vans, vans with temperature control but without monitoring capability, and vans with temperature control and monitoring capability. Results indicate that under situations of infinite vehicle resource availability, the optimal choice of the van type is independent of the demand levels; however, the optimal choice changes for different travel distances and the value of penalty costs (of allowing food to go waste). For example, technologies that maintain and monitor the temperature of storage conditions will be useful for food items that quickly become waste, especially when transported over longer distances and when the penalty costs are higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In North America, farm-to-school (F2S) initiatives that link farms directly with schools have been cited to have the potential to provide a substantial boost to the agri-food sector, especially local and regional rural economies. Limited human resources, food processing and distribution infrastructure, however, have made these direct purchasing arrangements challenging. In Ontario, Canada, a similar decentralized school food procurement model predominates, where volunteers are responsible for purchasing, transporting, and preparing meals for schools individually. One alternative is intermediated F2S food procurement, a regional value chain approach to local food procurement that enrolls additional actors between farm and school. In attempting to quantify the economic activity associated with F2S, many analyses have focused on the direct F2S model or have not specified the delivery mechanism. This paper reports on an intermediated approach coordinated by non-profit organizations (NPOs) in Ontario, Canada, that seeks to model the desired benefits of F2S approaches, but at a regional scale. Attention is given to both the organizational or 'architectural' features of such programs and to the level of economic activity such programs produce. Primary purchasing data from two NPO-intermediated F2S programs (n=611 schools)--one in Southwestern Ontario and one in Northern Ontario--and three non-intermediated or 'decentralized' programs were used to examine the types, quantities, and provenance of fruit and vegetables purchased in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and identify possibilities for and the supports required to expand local procurement of fresh fruits and vegetables by Ontario schools. The intermediated F2S model procured an average of 37% of Ontario-grown food across all purchases in the study time period compared to the average of 19% by the comparator decentralized schools, providing preliminary evidence of the potential value of NPO-intermediated F2S models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to organize and analyze studies on blockchain application in food supply chains and to discover emerging research themes and topics using cluster analysis to determine future research directions. Bibliometric analysis was used to organize and analyze the literature on blockchain application in food supply chains. The database consisted of 629 Scopus-indexed articles from 2016 to 2021. These were organized using bibliometric analysis (e.g., annual publication trends) and content analysis (e.g., research method applied). Themes and emerging research trends were then clustered based on keywords using the VOSviewer software. The analysis showed that manufacturing is the type of industry that most applies the blockchain. Trust is the most-cited benefit achieved by blockchain application, while traceability is the most-claimed function. Keyword classification resulted in seven main clusters (e.g., sustainability and transparency) and each cluster had emerging research trends (e.g., resilience toward sustainability and transparency). This research provides an overview of scientific development and emerging application trends related to blockchain application in food supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]