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This article sheds light on the missing links concerning the study of using integrated enabling technologies toward sustainable and circular agriculture supply chains by examining the available literature and proposing future research possibilities.

The relevant literature was researched through online databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, Emerald, IEEE Xplore, Science Direct, World Scientific Net and Springer-Link Journals, covering a period from 1999 to 2020. A systematic literature review based on 75 papers analyzed the integration of the concepts of enabling technologies, sustainability, circular economy and supply chain performance in agriculture supply chains.

It was identified that enabling technologies and agriculture supply chains alone have been explored further than integrated enabling technologies, sustainability, circular economy, supply chain performance and agriculture supply chains. Enabling technologies and agriculture supply chains' main findings are: enabling technologies have been studied to improve food safety, food quality and traceability in agriculture supply chains. The main results regarding integrated enabling technologies, sustainability, circular economy, supply chain performance and agriculture supply chains are: Internet of Things and information communication technology play an important role in addressing food security, traceability and food quality, which help achieve sustainable development goals.

This review study provides 13 research questions to underpin future trends regarding integrated technologies' application in agriculture supply chains for circular and sustainable growth.

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review and critically examine food losses and waste quantification in supply chain, especially in studies that tackle all the supply chain activities in a real context.

This work employed a systematic literature review methodology on the extant literature focusing on peer-reviewed journal articles published from 2000 to 2019.

A systematic analysis of 117 articles reveals that downstream supply chains are studied to a greater extent than upstream supply chains, with an emphasis on consumer waste. The findings also highlight more than half of the articles focus on only one supply chain activity. In terms of the methodologies, surveys and modelling methods are the most used to measure food losses and wastes, adopt monetary, carbon emission and calorific metrics. This study highlights that while food losses and waste research remains a relevant field of study, it has yet to been fully explored.

The main limit is the adoption of a systematic review method for food losses and waste quantification in supply chain.

The results suggest that supply chain managers should invest in acquiring more knowledge about food losses in the global network. Upstream supply chains should be more studied and integrated with the downstream supply chains. Using combined direct and indirect methods has the potential to deal with the contradictions of quantification, the lack of data and reduce losses over time and space.

Based on this review as the first one focusing exclusively on quantification of food losses and waste in supply chain context, the authors develop an aspiring research agenda that proposes opportunities for future research.

Headings

1. We analyse 117 studies addressing food losses and waste quantification.

2. Downstream food supply chains are more studied than upstream food supply chains.

3. Case studies of food supply chains in developed countries are more prolific.

4. The main metric to quantify food losses and waste is weight.

We analyse 117 studies addressing food losses and waste quantification.

Downstream food supply chains are more studied than upstream food supply chains.

Case studies of food supply chains in developed countries are more prolific.

The main metric to quantify food losses and waste is weight.

The food industry and its associated agricultural production have very significant global environmental and social impacts. The purpose of this study is to apply and evaluate the use of institutional theory and extended resource-based view (ERBV) to sustainability in food manufacturing and its supply chains. This will provide an understanding of the pressures that facilitate sustainability responses in food manufacturers and their supply chains.

An investigation of the Nespresso company and a multinational confectionery company were used to highlight the pressures that an organisation can face with respect to sustainability and demonstrate its responses using institutional theory and ERBV.

Based on ERBV and institutional theory, the authors developed an integrated conceptual framework that is readily applicable to food manufacturers and their supply chains and improves our understanding of how they react.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that both ERBV and institutional theory have been used to evaluate sustainability in food manufacturers and their supply chains. It is also the first time that the sustainability responses of the Nespresso company and another food manufacturer have been evaluated using these combined theories and this should improve our understanding of how these theories interact.

Although suitable leadership is crucial for chain coordinators (chief executive officers (CEOs), managing directors and heads of departments) to achieve the effectiveness of supply chain coordination (operational and social performances contributing to financial performance), the potential caveats in New Zealand-Euro agri-food supply chains are the lack of theoretical as well as empirical investigations that scrutinize the linkages between leadership styles, their interactions and the effectiveness of supply chain coordination. The purpose of this study is therefore to address the above knowledge gap.

Structural equation modelling and interaction effects are applied to the data collected from chain coordinators working in the selected New Zealand-Euro agri-food supply chains (dairy, meat, fruits and vegetables).

The results indicate that participative leadership is more strongly correlated with the effectiveness of supply chain coordination than directive leadership. The directive leadership is also significant, which leads towards the adoption of strategic leadership. Interaction effects further conclude that companies perform better when their chain coordinators apply strategic leadership practices. Moreover, operational (service quality and product quality) and social (trust in and satisfaction with supply chain partners) performances are the key determinants of financial performance (increased sales, profit and market share).

The results enhance the understanding of chain coordinators and help them to achieve coordination effectiveness among agri-food supply chain partners. Therefore, the study provides practical implications linked with contemporary international agri-food supply chains.

This study provides in-depth analysis to develop a comprehensive theoretical framework, which helps to confirm the complicated linkages between the underlying constructs, with the specific characteristics of New Zealand-Euro agri-food supply chains. Consequently, the results also clarify the earlier ambiguous findings from other industries and countries.

Considering the unprecedented supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the agri-food sector, the possession of dynamic capabilities (DCs) – particularly, the need for higher agility – seems to be the key to survival in highly uncertain environments. This study aims to use the dynamic capability view (DCV) theory to analyze how three key supply chain capabilities – organizational flexibility, integration and agility – should be combined to obtain the desired supply chain performance.

The authors designed a conceptual model in which the relationships between these three key capabilities and supply chain performance were hypothesized. The model was first tested through partial least square regression using survey data collected from 98 members of the Peruvian coffee supply chain. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted to uncover how DCs could be combined in successful supply chain configurations.

The authors show that organizational flexibility is a driver of higher agility in agri-food supply chains, together with external and internal supply chain integration, that have a direct impact on agility, which positively affects supply chain performance. Higher levels of supply chain agility are necessary but insufficient to guarantee high performance, as sufficiency is reached when both integration (internal and/or external) and agility are present.

This study represents a pioneering attempt to apply the DCV theory to agri-food supply chains – characterized by many sources of uncertainty. All the DCs are included within the same model and the joint use of PLS regression and fsQCA provides evidence about the relationships between DCs and how they can empower agri-food supply to obtain the desired performance.

Given the increasingly turbulent business landscape and unprecedented incidents (e.g. Covid-19), firms must achieve supply chain resilience (SCRes) as a dynamic capability to bounce back from adversities and ensure continuity of operations. The purpose of this study is to integrate the three interrelated [knowledge management, risk management culture (RMC) and resilience] but often separately discussed concepts to advance the understanding of their intertwined influence on SCRes in the agri-food supply chains.

This study uses a cross-sectional survey approach where quantitative data is collected from 349 participants from the Australian agri-food supply chains to test the proposed hypotheses.

Exposure to supply chain risks triggers the deployment of specific knowledge management practices in the agri-food supply chains. Further, the analysis on serial mediation suggests that firms’ knowledge management practices work sequentially (knowledge acquisition, assimilation and application) and develop a RMC to achieve SCRes amid supply chain risks.

The findings of this study inform practitioners and policymakers who seek to understand the key mechanisms that facilitate the development of SCRes when facing supply chain risks, particularly in the Australian agri-food supply chains.

The growth of the food industry through more resilient food supply chains could ensure sustained food supply and more employment opportunities.

Using dynamic capability theory, the authors devise a novel empirical model that explicates how knowledge management practices and RMC instigate the dynamic capability of SCRes amid supply chain risks facing agri-food supply chains.

This chapter explores the potential economic advantages and disadvantages of reusable plastic containers (RPCs) in the transport of fresh produce from growers to retail stores. The empirical research linking packaging to quantifiable economic and social benefits is reviewed. This study answers the question – what are the economic and social impacts of increased standardization of bulk packaging in the North American fresh produce supply chains? Implications for the potential use of RPCs and its impact on sustainability are explored.

The chapter describes data from grocery retailers who have implemented both one-way and reusable plastic containers for fresh produce distribution. A Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TD-ABC) analysis was conducted to capture and evaluate process times and product damage associated with the typical deployment of bulk containers in the grocery retailers’ distribution centers (DC), retail stores, and asset recovery centers of the supply chain. Economic measures were implemented and together with the social dimensions provided insights about sustainability-based implications.

Fresh produce shipments using the RPC technology had significantly less waste and damage representing potential social and economic benefits. The empirical findings included results about the economic impact of RPCs on the sustainability level of a typical supply chain for fresh food products.

The quantification of the economic and potential social sustainability for the explored packaging types constitutes an important contribution. Much of the previous research did not contain comprehensive assessments. The impact of technological change – the introduction and use of RPC in packaging – is examined. In addition, the supply chain scope for this research included most of the major activities that involve the packaging of fresh produce commodities in its practical dynamics.

The aim of this article is to identify the issues of short food supply chains (SFSCs) in three countries of Central and Eastern Europe, i.e. Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, to compare the barriers to shortening food supply chains and to indicate business models for short supply chains.

Within the AgroBRIDGES project, the authors organized local co-creation workshops from August to September 2021 in 12 European regions and countries, engaging 150+ agrifood stakeholders of the project’s local communities.

The development potential of SFSCs in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland is high and seems to be growing every year. Currently, the development potential of SFSCs in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland is stimulated more by social trends than by public support. Traditional business models based on the distribution of food products through local and regional markets have a definitely diminishing potential.

Although this article covers an existing gap in the literature, it also has several limitations that may serve as an inspiration for future research. First, the results draw on a sample of agrifood value chain stakeholders in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland; hence, the findings might be industry specific. Therefore, future studies should explore this topic on wider target groups or different industries. Moreover, the method is qualitative and could be supplemented with additional quantitative analysis of similar tools or the experience of other agrifood companies from European countries.

The article seeks to build bridges between consumers and producers by supporting SFSCs through a systemic, holistic and multi-actor approach.

The study elaborates on the under-researched topic of SFSCs in the context of barriers to shortening food supply chains and business models for short supply chains in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

The objectives of this paper were twofold: to explore if there are differences in the perceptions about supply chain performance (SCP) and relationship quality (RQ) among traditional food supply chain members, and to examine the influence of individual relationship variables and aggregated relationship quality on SCP in the traditional food sector.

The survey was conducted in a triadic context with 189 supply chain members (62 suppliers, 65 focal companies and 62 customers) of 65 traditional food supply chains (cheese, olive oil, meat products, brandies and liqueurs, wine and honey) in Croatia. The influence of individual relationship variables and aggregated RQ on perceived SCP was tested using regression analysis.

It was found that there were no significant differences in the perception of overall SCP and RQ among supply chain members. It was identified that aggregated RQ and all individual relationship variables (trust, commitment, economic satisfaction, non-coercive and coercive power, reputation and conflict) have a significant influence on perceived SCP of the traditional food supply chains.

This study provides a systematic approach to investigate the SCP and supply chain RQ in the traditional food sector. The findings suggest that managers should not neglect any aspect of supply chain relationship to keep high SCP and to be competitive on the market.

This multiple supply chain study makes an original empirical contribution to the supply chain and network management literature by using a triadic approach to investigate RQ and SCP. The influence of individual RQ constructs and aggregated RQ on traditional food SCP examined in this study has not been explored thus far. This study also makes an original empirical contribution by investigating RQ and SCP in the traditional food sector, which has received little attention recently.

The paper aims to explore the potential effects on logistic operations of implementing the Electronic Product Code Information Service (EPCIS) standard and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to enable food traceability. A conceptual model for analysing supply chains according to EPCIS standard is also presented.

A literature review was conducted to establish a theoretical framework. A case study of a Swedish fresh fish supply chain was then carried out.

Implementation of the EPCIS standard and RFID technology to enable food traceability potentially affects the following logistic operations activities: identification, monitoring, labelling, goods handling, reporting of production, identification costs and revenue changes due to sales of goods. The conceptual model was used to analyse the effects.

The paper contributes to logistic research by studying the implementation of RFID technology and information standards to comply with food traceability requirements. The research is limited to fish supply chains; other sectors and supply chains need to be investigated for further generalisation of the results.

Regulatory requirements on food traceability stipulate the implementation of food traceability systems, placing the responsibility on companies by authorities. The research presented can support managers in understanding the potential effects of implementing such systems.

The discussion about logistics and food traceability has in part revolved around implementation of RFID technology and standardised approaches for handling information to preserve food quality and safety. This paper presents potential effects on logistic operations when implementing the EPCIS standard and RFID technology as a way of enabling traceability throughout food supply chains.