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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 agri-food industry is experiencing a revolutionary shift due to the introduction of Industry 4.0 technologies to improve efficiency, transparency and sustainability. The importance of agri-food supply chains (AFSC) in promoting sustainability is expanding as the globe struggles with issues including resource scarcity, climate change and population growth. In order to better understand how Industry 4.0 might improve sustainability in a world that is changing quickly, this work aims to focus on identifying various sustainability assessment factors influencing AFSC to increase overall sustainability, minimize resource consumption, cut waste and streamline operations.

Important sustainability assessment factors are identified from the past academic literature and are then validated using the fuzzy-Delphi method. A method called decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) is used to examine and analyze structural models with complex causal linkages. The results are then validated using sensitivity analysis.

The factors that emerged as the highest ranked for evaluating the sustainability of Industry 4.0 in AFSC are market competitiveness, and knowledge and skill development, followed by resource efficiency. Industry 4.0 technologies are essential for increasing the marketability of agricultural products because of the major implications of market competitiveness. The significance of knowledge and skill development draws attention to Industry 4.0’s contribution to the promotion of chances for farmers and agricultural employees to increase their capability.

By outlining the nexus between Industry 4.0 technologies and sustainability, the study presents a comprehensive framework that would be relevant for researchers, policymakers and industry stakeholders who want to leverage Industry 4.0 technology to build more sustainable AFSC in the future. The study findings can help the farmers or producers make sensible choices that adhere to sustainability standards and guarantee long-term financial viability.

The originality of this work lies in the identification of sustainability assessment factors especially for AFSC in the era of digitalization which has not been discussed previously.

This paper aims to explore the underlying intention behind using blockchain technology (BLCT) in the agri-food supply chain (AFSC). This is achieved by using a conceptual framework based on technology acceptance models that considers various factors influencing user behavior toward implementing this technology in their practices.

The conceptual framework developed is empirically validated using structural equation modeling (SEM). A total of 258 respondents from agri-food domain in India were involved in this survey, and their responses were analyzed through SEM to validate our conceptual framework.

The findings state that food safety and security, traceability, transparency and cost highly influence the intention to use BLCT. Decision-makers of the AFSCs are more inclined to embrace BLCT if they perceive the usefulness of the technology as valuable and believe it will enhance their productivity.

This study contributes to the existing literature by providing thorough examination of the variables that influence the intention to adopt BLCT within the AFSC. The insights aim to benefit industry decision-makers, supply chain practitioners and policymakers in their decision-making processes regarding BLCT adoption in the AFSC.

This study investigates how decision-makers’ perceptions of BLCT influence their intention to use it in AFSCs, as well as the impact of the different underlying factors deemed valuable in the adoption process of this technology.

The authors originally explore the factors for blockchain technology (BCT) adoption in agricultural supply chains (ASCs) to enhance circularity and understand the dependencies, hierarchical structure and causalities between these factors.

Based on an extant literature review and expert opinion, the present study identified ten enablers for adopting BCT to leverage the circular economy (CE) practices in the ASCs. Then, using an integrated interpretive structural modeling and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (ISM-DEMATEL) approach, hierarchical and cause–effect relationships are established.

It was observed that traceability is the most prominent enabler from the CE perspective in ASCs. However, traceability, being a net effect enabler, will be realized through the achievement of other cause enablers, such as seamless connectivity and information flow and decentralized and distributed ledger technology. The authors also propose a 12 Rs framework for enhancing circularity in ASC operations.

The paper identifies enablers to BCT adoption that will enhance circularity in ASC operations. The ISM hierarchical model is based on the driving and dependence powers of the enablers, and DEMATEL aids in identifying causal relationships among the enablers.

The study's findings and proposed 12 Rs framework may help the practitioners and policymakers devise effective BCT implementation strategies in ASCs, thereby empowering sustainability and circularity.

This study enriches the literature by identifying and modeling enablers for BCT adoption in ASCs. The study also proposes a new 12 Rs framework to help enhance ASC circularity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented disruptions to global supply chains, compelling organizations to reevaluate their strategies for resilience and adaptability. In response, smart technologies (ST) have emerged as integral tools in post-pandemic supply chain management (SCM). This study aims to conduct an exploratory systematic literature review to comprehensively examine the evolving landscape of smart technology adoption in the context of SCM post-pandemic.

A systematic literature review has been conducted to examine the potential research contribution or directions in the field of ST and SCM. In total, 240 articles were shortlisted from the SCOPUS database in the chosen field of research. Bibliometric analysis was conducted by using VOSviewer to investigate the research trends in the area of SCM.

The review identifies key themes and trends, including supply chain resilience, digital transformation, enhanced visibility, predictive analytics and sustainability considerations. It explores the role of ST in fostering agility, transparency and risk mitigation within supply chains. Furthermore, eight clusters were identified to generate several thematic topics of ST in SCM. The results have evidenced a strong gap related to Industry 5.0 approaches for the supply chain field. A total of 240 publications, including journal articles, have been found in the literature. A total of 37 words, which were grouped in 8 clusters, have been identified in the data analysis.

By synthesizing the current state of literature, this study provides valuable insights for practitioners, policymakers and researchers seeking to navigate the complexities of post-pandemic SCM in an increasingly digitized and interconnected world. The findings highlight the transformative potential of ST and offer a roadmap for further exploration in this critical domain.

In this paper, the development path of the field of ST in SCM during the pandemic and the research constructs are presented and potential research directions are based on the bibliometric method.

This paper aims to examine the blockchain introduction and altruistic preference decisions of the supplier in agricultural food supply chains and discuss how the supplier decisions are influenced by blockchain technology and altruistic preference levels.

The author considers a single period two-level supply chain model to describe the supplier’s decisions. The supplier, as the leader of the game, decides whether to introduce blockchain technology and his own level of altruistic preferences. Consumers have environmental awareness and heterogeneity in green trust. Supply chain members determine their own product pricing and green effort level under Stackelberg game.

The results reveal the negative impact of unit verification cost in the technology introduction process on the supply chain. In addition, the supplier can adjust their profits by adjusting their altruistic preferences after introducing blockchain to offset the impact of blockchain through the influence of altruistic preferences as discussed by the author.

This paper investigates how the profits and green efforts of supply chain members are influenced by blockchain technology and altruistic preferences.

Blockchain technology (BCT) has emerged as a powerful tool for enhancing transparency and trust. However, the relationship between the benefits of BCT and agri-food supply chain performance (AFSCperf) remains underexplored. Therefore, the current study investigates the influence of BCT on AFSCperf and sustainability issues.

Through a comprehensive literature review, various benefits of BCT are identified. Subsequently, a research framework is proposed based on data collected from questionnaire surveys and personal visits to professionals in the agri-food industry. The proposed framework is validated using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

The findings reveal that BCT positively impacts AFSCperf by improving traceability, transparency, food safety and quality, immutability and trust. Additionally, BCT adoption enhances stakeholder collaboration, provides a decentralised network, improves data accessibility and yields a better return on investment, resulting in the overall improvement in AFSCperf and socio-economic sustainability.

This study offers valuable practical insights for practitioners and academicians, establishing empirical links between the benefits of BCT and AFSCperf and providing a deeper understanding of BCT adoption.

Stakeholders, managers, policymakers and technology providers can leverage these findings to optimise the benefits of BCT in enhancing AFSCperf. Moreover, it utilises rigorous theoretical and empirical approaches, drawing on a multidisciplinary perspective encompassing food operations and supply chain literature, public policy, information technology, strategy, organisational theory and sustainability.

In recent years, technological advancement has played a crucial role in the growth of emerging economies. However, as with any novel technological development, there are often concerns and hesitations surrounding its implementation. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing blockchain adoption and usage. Thereby evaluating its impact on supply chain performance.

This is a deductive research based on the modified form unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, which is a persuasive model that has been used in numerous studies on the acceptance and usage of information technology systems. For this study, valid data was collected from 129 management-level supply chain professionals and policymakers working in diverse manufacturing industries. The collected data was used for testing hypotheses by deploying the structural equation modeling technique.

The findings of this study reveal that facilitating conditions and technology readiness highly are key influencers for organizations to implement this disruptive technology. Moreover, blockchain adoption and usage can significantly enhance supply chain performance.

Blockchain technology is a novel and promising disruptive technology that industries are looking forward to adopting and using. For the policymakers and supply chain strategists working in a developing country, this study offers a comprehensive viewpoint on the swift acceptance and usage of blockchain technology to facilitate supply chain operations.

Despite the increasing demand for renewable energy (RE) as a low-carbon energy source, the transition to RE is very slow in many regions, including Oman, the case country for this study. It is critical to offer strategic insights to energy supply chain participants towards the sustainable transition to renewable energy (STRE). The purpose of this study is to identify viable RE sources in Oman as a case study of a GCC member country, develop a comprehensive framework of STRE, and suggest future research opportunities.

The paper addressed this problem through a country/regional study of Oman by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) of RE-related peer-reviewed publications spanning over 21 years from January 2000 to February 2021. The qualifying articles are evaluated using template analysis qualitatively to identify viable renewable energy sources, build a holistic framework of STRE and recommend future research opportunities.

Findings confirm the potential of solar, wind, biomass and geothermal energies driven by environmental, economic and social sustainability concerns. However, results suggest that to fast-track the STRE, more emphasis should be accorded to solar and wind energies owing to the geographical composition of Oman. Findings reveal that policies and regulations, advanced and cost-effective technologies, subsidy regimes, grid connectivity and capacity, storage capacity and land availability influence the STRE. Gaps in the literature are identified from the results to clarify and suggest future research opportunities.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that conducted an SLR that was evaluated using the template analysis technique to build a novel and updated framework that facilitates a crystalline understanding of STRE to guide policymakers and professionals in strategic decision-making.

This paper aims to investigate how manufacturing firms behave to mitigate business risk during and post-COVID-19 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the global supply chain.

A systematic literature review for data mining was used to address the research objective. Multiple scientometric techniques (e.g. bibliometric, machine learning and social network analysis) were used to analyse the Lens.org, Web of Science and Scopus databases’ global supply chain risk mitigation data.

The findings show that the firms’ manufacturing supply chains used digitalisation technologies such as Blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing and machine learning to mitigate COVID-19. On the other hand, food security, government incentives and policies, health-care systems, energy and the circular economy require more research in the global supply chain.

Global supply chain managers were advised to use digitalisation technology to mitigate current and upcoming disruptions. The manufacturing supply chain has high uncertainty and unpredictable global pandemics. Manufacturing firms should consider adopting Blockchain technology, AI and machine learning to mitigate the epidemic risk and disruption.

This study found the publication trend of how manufacturing firms behave to mitigate the global supply chain disruptions during the global pandemic and business uncertainty. The findings have contributed to the supply chain risk mitigation literature and the solution framework.