Food traceability as an integral part of logistics management in food and agricultural supply chain

Traceability and authentication in agri-food production: A multivariate approach to the characterization ofthe Italian food excellence elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.), a vasoactive nutraceutical

A research platform for food authentication was set up by combining stable isotope ratio analysis, metabolomics by gas and liquid mass-spectrometry and NMR investigations, chemometric analyses for food excellences. This multi-analytical approach was tested on samples of elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.), a species belonging to the same genus of common garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.), mainly produced in southern Tuscany-(Allium ampeloprasum). The isotopic composition allowed the product to be geographically characterized. Flavonoids, like (+)-catechin, cinnamic acids, quercetin glycosides were identified. The samples showed also a significant amount of dipeptides, sulphur-containing metabolites and glutathione, the latter of which could be considered a molecular marker of the analyzed elephant garlic. For nutraceutical profiling to reach quality labels, extracts were investigated in specific biological assays, displaying interesting vasorelaxant properties in rat aorta by mediating nitric oxide release from the endothelium and exhibited positive inotropic and negative chronotropic effects in rat perfused heart.

How can blockchain technology promote food safety in agricultural market?-an evolutionary game analysis

The governance of agricultural food safety issues is closely linked to social interests. To promote food safety supervision in the Chinese agricultural markets under the background of blockchain application, this paper develops a partnership comprising vendors, consumers, and the government. Using the theory of evolutionary game combined with the actual situation of China, the evolutionary process simulations of three participants prove that the tripartite subjects can realize a stable state under the specific relationship. Impact investigation results of typical influential factors indicate the following: (1) The behavior of vendors depends on the government's supervision and consumers' reporting attitude. Limiting the penalty amount for vendors to 66.7% of speculative gains can shorten the processing time for vendors to comply with the law. (2) Consumers play a vital role in food safety supervision of the agricultural market. The penalty for consumers should be limited to 1/3 of the reward amount. (3) The government's incentive-oriented and punishment-inhibited policies can promote blockchain technology in supervision. Punishment-inhibited and key influencing parameters can cooperate in obtaining the maximum regulatory benefits. The results of this study have certain reference values for promoting policy formulation and implementing blockchain technology in agricultural food safety supervision.

The Role of Blockchain Technology in Promoting Traceability Systems in Agri-Food Production and Supply Chains

Due to recurring food quality and safety issues, growing segments of consumers, especially in developed markets, and regulators in agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) require a fast and trustworthy system to retrieve necessary information on their food products. With the existing centralized traceability systems used in AFSCs, it is difficult to acquire full traceability information, and there are risks of information loss and data tampering. To address these challenges, research on the application of blockchain technology (BCT) for traceability systems in the agri-food sector is increasing, and startup companies have emerged in recent years. However, there have been only a limited number of reviews on the application of BCT in the agriculture sector, especially those that focus on the BCT-based traceability of agricultural goods. To bridge this knowledge gap, we reviewed 78 studies that integrated BCT into traceability systems in AFSCs and additional relevant papers, mapping out the main types of food traceability information. The findings indicated that the existing BCT-based traceability systems focus more on fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy, and milk. A BCT-based traceability system enables one to develop and implement a decentralized, immutable, transparent, and reliable system in which process automation facilitates the monitoring of real-time data and decision-making activities. We also mapped out the main traceability information, key information providers, and challenges and benefits of the BCT-based traceability systems in AFSCs. These helped to design, develop, and implement BCT-based traceability systems, which, in turn, will contribute to the transition to smart AFSC systems. This study comprehensively illustrated that implementing BCT-based traceability systems also has important, positive implications for improving AFSC management, e.g., reductions in food loss and food recall incidents and the achievement of the United Nations SDGs (1, 3, 5, 9, 12). This will contribute to existing knowledge and be useful for academicians, managers, and practitioners in AFSCs, as well as policymakers.

Finding Traceability Granularity Influencing Factors Using Rough Set Method: An Empirical Analysis of Vegetable Companies in Tianjin City, China

The effectiveness evaluation of the traceability system (TS) is a tool for enterprises to achieve the required traceability level. It plays an important role not only for planning system implementation before development but also for analyzing system performance once the system is in use. In the present work, we evaluate traceability granularity using a comprehensive and quantifiable model and try to find its influencing factors via an empirical analysis with 80 vegetable companies in Tianjin, China. We collect granularity indicators mostly through the TS platform to ensure the objectivity of the data and use the TS granularity model to evaluate the granularity score. The results show that there is an obvious imbalance in the distribution of companies as a function of score. The number of companies (21) scoring in the range (50,60) exceeded the number in the other score ranges. Furthermore, the influencing factors on traceability granularity were analyzed using a rough set method based on nine factors pre-selected using a published method. The results show that the factor "number of TS operation staff" is deleted because it is unimportant. The remaining factors rank according to importance as follows: Expected revenue > Supply chain (SC) integration degree > Cognition of TS > Certification system > Company sales > Informationization management level > System maintenance investment > Manager education level. Based on these results, the corresponding implications are given with the goal of (i) establishing the market mechanism of high price with high quality, (ii) increasing government investment for constructing the TS, and (iii) enhancing the organization of SC companies.

Juice Quality Evaluation with Multisensor Systems-A Review

E-nose and e-tongue are advanced technologies that allow for the fast and precise analysis of smells and flavours using special sensors. Both technologies are widely used, especially in the food industry, where they are implemented, e.g., for identifying ingredients and product quality, detecting contamination, and assessing their stability and shelf life. Therefore, the aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the application of e-nose and e-tongue in various industries, focusing in particular on the use of these technologies in the fruit and vegetable juice industry. For this purpose, an analysis of research carried out worldwide over the last five years, concerning the possibility of using the considered multisensory systems to test the quality and taste and aroma profiles of juices is included. In addition, the review contains a brief characterization of these innovative devices through information such as their origin, mode of operation, types, advantages and disadvantages, challenges and perspectives, as well as the possibility of their applications in other industries besides the juice industry.

Supply chain transparency: theoretical perspectives for future research

Purpose

This paper lays the groundwork for future research in supply chain transparency in two ways. First, the authors delineate the construct and explore how it is shifting the business landscape. Second, the authors connect nine theories to the construct to guide future scholars in this growing research area.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors explore the practical implications for the future of supply chain transparency research through the application of nine theories: stakeholder theory; the technology acceptance model; transaction cost theory; commodity theory; competing values theory; ambidexterity; the natural-resource-based view of the firm; actor-network theory and neo-institutional theory. The authors also consider the blending of theories to provide further insights into the ways firms engage in supply chain transparency.

Findings

This analysis relates theories from several disciplines (i.e. marketing, supply chain management, economics, information systems and organizational behavior) to add theoretical insights to the concept of supply chain transparency, with suggestions for using these theories in conjunction to address complex emerging issues. The authors offer guidance and direction for cross-disciplinary research to help supply chain and logistics influence other fields.

Originality/value

Supply chain transparency is a boundary-spanning phenomenon swiftly proliferating multiple aspects of business. This research applies nine theoretical perspectives to guide future researchers and lays the foundation for managers looking to adopt transparency into their supply chains.

Managing food security using blockchain-enabled traceability system

Purpose

Food insecurity is a major concern for developing economies. Operational inadequacies get introduced with unorganized interactions among stakeholders in the food supply chain, affecting social, economic, environmental and operational (SEEO) aspects of a nation. This study analyzes India's largest food safety net program, Public Distribution System (PDS) and develops a perception-based model, mapping the root causes (of food insecurity) with possible solutions. The novelty lies in leveraging blockchain in the implementation of food traceability system.

Design/methodology/approach

Soft system methodology (SSM) is used to identify and analyze problems in PDS, leveraging the learning and inquiry process. It relies on system thinking and action research to create a defendable and rational model, which helps in proposing recommendations for addressing the problem.

Findings

Blockchain-enabled food traceability system increases transparency, thus enabling the fulfillment of basic food necessities for beneficiaries.

Practical implications

The proposed model enables policymakers to build a profound understanding of existing operational issues and provides insightful recommendations for making informed decisions to deal with the grave issue of food insecurity.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies, this research attempts to understand operational inefficiencies during interactions among stakeholders. It proposes a perception-based conceptual model for the final implementation at the ground level. It also reveals significance of three systems: a delivery system, an enabling system empowering delivery system and a criteria system to control and monitor processes. This study thus bridges an important gap in the literature by proposing a blockchain-driven traceability system, under the control of criteria system, through the integration of system-thinking and action-research approach.

Managing the traceability system for food supply chain performance

Purpose

The objective of this study is to improve the food supply chain performance taking into consideration the fundamental concepts of traceability by combining the current frameworks, its principles, its implications and the emerging technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

A narrative literature review of already existing empirical research on traceability systems was conducted resulting in 862 relevant papers. Following a step-by-step sampling process, the authors ended up with 46 final samples for the literature review.

Findings

The main findings of this study include the various descriptions of the architecture of traceability systems, the different sources enabling this practice, the common desirable attributes, and the enabling technologies for the deployment and implementation of traceability systems. Moreover, several technological solutions are presented, which are currently available for traceability systems, and finally, opportunities for future research are provided.

Practical implications

It provides an insight, which could affect the implementation process of traceability in the food supply chain and consequently the effective management of a food traceability system (FTS). Managers will be able to create a traceability system, which meets users' requirements, thus enhancing the value of products and food companies.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the food supply chain and the traceability systems literature by creating a holistic picture of where something has been and where it should go. It is a starting point for each food company to design and manage its traceability system more effectively.

Dynamic evaluation of a post-pandemic agricultural traceability system, based on the HFLTS-DEMATEL method

Purpose

Due to consumption changes in the post-pandemic era, the production safety of agricultural products is affecting global consumers. This paper constructs an evaluation index of the agricultural Internet of things (IOT) traceability system and evaluates it using the dynamic hesitant-fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTS)-based DEMATEL method to improve agricultural supply-chain links and improve production quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The agricultural IOT traceability index system is constructed using the literature and expert interviews; it comprises 6 first-level indices and 20 second-level indices. The agricultural IOT traceability system is evaluated using the dynamic HFLTS-DEMATEL method.

Findings

Producers' awareness of agricultural-production safety (A11) has the most significant impact on production and processing links, while warehouse location and storage capacity (A31) have the largest impact on the circulation link. Inspection authenticity and transparency and quarantine information (A41) have the largest impact on the detection-consumption link. The extent to which the traceability-platform construction is complete (A62) has the largest impact on technical support.

Research limitations/implications

The present paper may be limited to the era of post-pandemic, and it is hard to consider all the indices. Further research can broaden the research context and establish a more comprehensive index system.

Practical implications

The index system constructed in this study will surely help relevant regulatory authorities in China to promote the construction of agricultural IOT traceability system and establish a unified standard, so as to provide a basis for future developers to enter the field. Accordingly, it also can help every subject to identify the key indices of each process in the agricultural-product supply chain and guide relevant departments to conduct targeted information tracking and management. The consumers could also understand the standards of traceable agricultural products and effectively protect their own rights and interests.

Originality/value

The existing literature does not provide an objective, unified standard for measuring a decentralized traceability system or identifying key processes. This study therefore proposes a new evaluation index system and uses a dynamic evaluation method to determine the importance of key indices. This study identifies the most important indices in each process, making it possible to discover, improve, and enhance the quality of agricultural products at a practical level.

Toward Better Food Security Using Concepts from Industry 5.0

The rapid growth of the world population has increased the food demand as well as the need for assurance of food quality, safety, and sustainability. However, food security can easily be compromised by not only natural hazards but also changes in food preferences, political conflicts, and food frauds. In order to contribute to building a more sustainable food system-digitally visible and processes measurable-within this review, we summarized currently available evidence for various information and communication technologies (ICTs) that can be utilized to support collaborative actions, prevent fraudulent activities, and remotely perform real-time monitoring, which has become essential, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Internet of Everything, 6G, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and digital twin are gaining significant attention in recent years in anticipation of leveraging the creativity of human experts in collaboration with efficient, intelligent, and accurate machines, but with limited consideration in the food supply chain. Therefore, this paper provided a thorough review of the food system by showing how various ICT tools can help sense and quantify the food system and highlighting the key enhancements that Industry 5.0 technologies can bring. The vulnerability of the food system can be effectively mitigated with the utilization of various ICTs depending on not only the nature and severity of crisis but also the specificity of the food supply chain. There are numerous ways of implementing these technologies, and they are continuously evolving.

Adaptation of IoT with Blockchain in Food Supply Chain Management: An Analysis-Based Review in Development, Benefits and Potential Applications

In today's scenario, blockchain technology is an emerging area and promising technology in the field of the food supply chain industry (FSCI). A literature survey comprising an analytical review of blockchain technology with the Internet of things (IoT) for food supply chain management (FSCM) is presented to better understand the associated research benefits, issues, and challenges. At present, with the concept of farm-to-fork gaining increasing popularity, food safety and quality certification are of critical concern. Blockchain technology provides the traceability of food supply from the source, i.e., the seeding factories, to the customer's table. The main idea of this paper is to identify blockchain technology with the Internet of things (IoT) devices to investigate the food conditions and various issues faced by transporters while supplying fresh food. Blockchain provides applications such as smart contracts to monitor, observe, and manage all transactions and communications among stakeholders. IoT technology provides approaches for verifying all transactions; these transactions are recorded and then stored in a centralized database system. Thus, IoT enables a safe and cost-effective FSCM system for stakeholders. In this paper, we contribute to the awareness of blockchain applications that are relevant to the food supply chain (FSC), and we present an analysis of the literature on relevant blockchain applications which has been conducted concerning various parameters. The observations in the present survey are also relevant to the application of blockchain technology with IoT in other areas.

Research on traceability strategy of food supply chain considering delay effect

The traceability system has significantly contributed to ensure food safety and quality. However, the biggest difficulty in food traceability is the numerous links from field to table, and there is no stable strategic partnership between supply chain members and the lack of social responsibility of some practitioners. Thus, this study aims to seek the best traceability strategy for companies in centralized model and decentralized model, respectively. Therefore, we have constructed a differential game model based on the delay effect to determine the optimal traceability level and traceable goodwill and compare the profits of the food supply chain (FSC). The results show that the delay time is positively related to the level of traceability effort and has a high impact on the traceable goodwill. Companies in the FSC can formulate optimal traceability strategies based on delay time and foster improvement in food safety and quality.

Investment Decision of Blockchain-Based Traceability Service Input for a Competitive Agri-Food Supply Chain

Competitive agri-food supply chain (hereafter, AFSC) is an important component of AFSC. In a competitive environment, more and more AFSCs use blockchain-based traceability services (hereafter, BBTS) to improve the traceability level of agricultural products. The investment rules concerning BBTS and the coordination rules in an AFSC are vital issues for many firms who want to adopt BBTS. To explore these laws, we constructed two competitive AFSCs, each of which included a supplier and a retailer. Considering the new changes in consumers’ perception of product quality and safety after using the BBTS, the demand function was modified. Then we built the income functions of chain members under three situations of investment. The research found that: (1) the improvement of customers’ perceived quality by using the BBTS can increase their benefits; (2) when decision-makers want to invest in the BBTS, they should pay attention to consumers’ perceived quality safety factor for their competitive products; (3) when the investment cost is greater than its threshold value, two competitive AFSCs should invest in the BBTS together.

Does a Traceability System Help to Regulate Pig Farm Households' Veterinary Drug Use Behavior? Evidence from Pig Farms in China

In China, there is a renewed interest in traceability systems as an efficient tool to guarantee pork safety. One of the pathways through which a traceability system can benefit consumers is by easing information asymmetry. However, past literature on the traceability system in China pays more attention to theoretical analysis and less to empirical analysis. Using a large-scale survey of pig farms in China, we investigate the effects influencing farmers' participation in the traceability system. Findings show that a traceability system can influence the safety of pork indirectly through its impacts on farmers' production behaviors. Another important finding is that unsafe pork is a result of non-standard use of veterinary drugs, and the traceability system works well for farmers by pushing them to take stricter safety measurements.

Quality Improvement of Agricultural Products Supply Chain Under Social Preference and CSR by Big Data Analysis

Purpose- The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and social preference on quality improvement of the agricultural products supply chain composed of agricultural products producer and processor (A3P) and supermarket by theoretical analysis and empirical evidence. Methodology- This paper sets Stackelberg game model under A3P’s CSR by considering supermarket’s altruistic reciprocity and A3P’s fairness conern, respectively. By comparative analysis, we study the effect of CSR, altruistic reciprocity and fairness conern on the quality improvement of the agricultural products supply chain. Then, we adopt the empirical evidence to analyze the correlation between CSR, altruistic reciprocity (fairness concern) and quality improvement and the mediating effect of altruistic reciprocity (fairness concern) by investigating the agricultural enterprises.

Inclusion of circular economy practices in the food supply chain: Challenges and possibilities for reducing food wastage in emerging economies like India

In the context of the food supply chain, the UN sustainable goals of 2030 aim at reducing food wastage by fifty percent. Developed countries have started taking steps, but there is little or no sign of progress toward reaching the goal for emerging economies. One such sustainable approach is incorporating circular practices in the food supply chain. A total of 15 barriers to the closed-loop food supply chain were identified through extensive literature review and expert opinions. Further ranking of barriers was done, and a causal relationship among them was built using the Grey DEMATEL methodology. It was found that traceability issues, limited expertise in information and technology, poor logistic network design, and high installation and operational cost of updated facilities were the most influential factors. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to check the robustness of the framework. This study will assist managers in forming the policies and looking after the factors ranked higher. While modeling the framework for their company, they can implement the changes to overcome the challenges of closing the loop. It will also help government regulations in setting regulations for the organization with the aim of encouraging clean practices.

Latent DIRICHLET allocation (LDA) based information modelling on BLOCKCHAIN technology: a review of trends and research patterns used in integration

The past decade is known as the era of integrations where multiple technologies had integrated, and new research trends were seen. The security of data and information in the digital world has been a challenge to everyone; Blockchain technology has attracted many researchers in these scenarios. This paper focuses on finding the current trends in Blockchain technology to help the researchers select an area to carry future research. The data related to Blockchain Technologies have been collected from IEEE, Springer, ACM, and other digital databases. Then, the formulated corpus is used for topic modelling, and Latent Dirichlet Allocation is deployed. The outcomes of the Latent Dirichlet Allocation model are then analyzed based on various extracted key terms and key documents found for each topic. All the topic solution has been identified from the bag of words. The extracted topics are thereafter semantically mapped. Thus, based on the analysis of more than 900 papers, the most recent research trends have been discussed in this paper, ultimately focusing on the areas that need more attention from the research community. Also, the meta data analysis has been accomplished, evaluating the year wise and publication source wise research growth. More than 15 research directions are elaborated in this paper, which can direct and guide the researchers to pursuit the research in specific trends and also, find the research gaps in various technologies associated with Blockchain Technology.

Blockchain Technology in the Food Supply Chain

This paper explains about the feasibility of Blockchain Technology in food organization. The technology of BCT helps the organizations to achieve integrity among peer-to-peer nodes, such as maintaining proof of work, reducing intermediaries, traceability, etc. It can be applied in the BCT at different levels of Supply Chain Management processes. This empirical study was conducted with the help of the primary data. The data was collected from food industry managers who have knowledge about the BCT in the process of supply chain management. The questionnaire was prepared based on the different supply chain activities like procurement, pre-processing, logistics, warehousing, inventory management, distribution, retailing, processing, and marketing activities. Based on the literature and data analysis, the BCT had the greatest advantages are cost reduction, traceability, time-saving, immutability, authentication and proof of work. The major weaknesses that are associated with present employees having a lack of knowledge, limited scalability, complexity in usage, and high initial cost.

Antecedents of E-Marketing of Agriculture Products in This Digital Era

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. The majority of the citizens of this country are dependent upon the agricultural supply chain for the livelihood. This study shows the role of the workforce in this digital era for the e-marketing of agriculture products. E-marketing platforms (i.e., search engine optimization, affiliate marketing, social media marketing, and e-mail marketing) help digital marketers to track and analyze the dynamic and complex buying behavior of consumers. Structural equation modelling is used to test the framework for the e-marketing of agriculture products. The developed model can enhance the capability of workforce in this digital era for developing an effective e-marketing strategy for agriculture products.

Enablers for resilience and pandemic preparedness in food supply chain

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous disruptions to supply chain (SCs). Border restrictions forced countless businesses to close either permanently or temporarily. However, the food industry is an essential sector that needs to be operational during a pandemic. Although the food industry has proactively worked towards fulfilling human needs, the food supply chain (FSC) faced numerous challenges, forcing SC managers to rethink their business strategy to cater to consumer demands effectively. In a pandemic situation, manufacturing operations need to repurpose and adapt to produce different high-demand products. Resilience initiatives help fight disruption phases in an uncertain environment by building capacity to resist and recover to a better position. This study identifies 14 key enablers to develop a resilient FSC and reveals the most significant enablers in India. We used a hybrid Delphi-interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (Fuzzy-DEMATEL) methodology to achieve these goals. The Delphi technique identified essential enablers, while the ISM analyzed the interrelationship among enablers and level of importance in a hierarchical structural model. Finally, the Fuzzy-DEMATEL categorized the enablers into the cause-effect group. This study helps SC decision-makers recognize the enablers and the contextual and causal relationships to improve resilience initiatives. It also helps them repurpose their manufacturing operations and shift to other highly required and high-demand production.

Modeling and analysis of a quality traceability framework for phosphate extraction process: evidence from Morocco

Purpose

According to United Nations reports, the worldwide population is expected to reach around 9.6 billion by 2050. This forecasting emphasizes the role of phosphate-based fertilizers for developing sustainable agriculture and ensures the demand all over the planet. From this perspective, phosphate companies are racing to improve their industrial performance and guarantee the quality, reliability and integrity of information efficiently. The purpose of this paper is to propose a traceability system framework that ensures product quality tracing and real-time operations monitoring for open-pit mines.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors develop a hybrid approach that integrates Business Process Model and Notation techniques with System Modeling Language to formalize several use cases and scenarios to model quality traceability processes related to open-pit mines. This framework also embeds an optimization module based on mathematical modeling approaches to optimize stockpiles’ movement and respect the distinction between different qualities.

Findings

This paper explains a successful implementation of a quality traceability tool for an African mining company. The research team was able to understand and scale down the problem faced by the managers. Further, the study is focused on improving quality tracing over time and automatizing the current compliance processes related to the mine extraction activities. The proposed tool is proved highly effective in reducing the time of tracing quality claims by 46% compared with the manual procedure. Second, the implementation of this tool reduced fuel costs by 34% and CO2 emissions by 10%.

Originality/value

The originality of the contributions lies in four aspects: (1) adapting quality traceability concept for the mining industry; (2) assessing the current trends of traceability systems considering the mining industry context; (3) hybridizing business processes re-engineering, quality system and optimization modeling; and (4) using a real case study of a phosphate company to evaluate the framework.

An integrated literature review on sustainable food supply chains: Exploring research themes and future directions

The sustainable food supply chain (SFSC) is a research area of global significance. The increasing number of research articles in SFSC justifies this. With 80% of publications in SFSC coming up in the last 7 years, this field is expanding and diversifying at a rapid rate. The research on sustainable food supply chain (SFSC) covers a wide variety of areas and has a wide range of research themes in FSC. To facilitate the theoretical understanding of SFSC, we have conducted a review of the literature on SFSC. With the aim to define prominent research themes in SFSC, we follow an integrated review approach of structured literature review (SLR), bibliometric analysis, and thematic analysis. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using the vosviewer software version 1.6.16. The thematic analysis identified- "Waste management", "SC sustainability and impact assessment", "Decision support", "Operations management and optimization", "Food quality and safety", "Sustainable business models", "Innovation and technological solution", "SC strategy", and "Social sustainability" as the key emergent themes. We discuss the conceptual and theoretical basis of each of these themes. "SC sustainability and impact assessment" is identified as the most dominant theme in SFSC. Innovation and technological solution is an emerging theme with many new publications related to disruptive technologies coming up. Research in collaboration and decision theory-based approaches is important to enable sustainability in FSC. Quantifying waste streams, identifying hotspots are important future directions of research in SFSCM. Circular economy, AFSC, and the use of advanced technologies to enable circularity and sustainability also have great scope. The review aims to help researchers and academicians understand the boundaries and domain of SFSC and the future scope of these themes about how they can enhance the sustainability in SFSC.

Edible Insect Farming in the Context of the EU Regulations and Marketing—An Overview

Simple Summary

Insects have been identified as an alternative in the development of food systems and as a response to the growing demand for protein in the world. Edible insects have been recognized as an important innovation in the food sector. In the past, insects have been consumed in many cultures, and they are presently being introduced to Europe as a novel food and livestock. This article comprehensively reviews the use of edible insects in relation to their breeding, production technology, legal and socio-economic aspects. The role of food safety and legislation in implementing insects as food and feed is discussed. Moreover, the article introduces the breeding of edible insects as a developing and future-oriented business sector. In conclusion, the consumption of insects by humans and animals can significantly contribute to better diversification and security of the global food chain. The low acceptance of insect-based foods, in particular in Western societies, is an important problem that has been identified in this article. Consumer acceptance of insects as a rich source of nutrients is required for the further development of the sector. Consumer education and appropriate marketing strategies are required to promote the growth of the edible insect industry.

Abstract

Insects are increasingly being considered as an attractive source of protein that can cater to the growing demand for food around the world and promote the development of sustainable food systems. Commercial insect farms have been established in various countries, mainly in Asia, but in Europe, edible insects have not yet emerged as a viable alternative to traditional plant- and animal-based sources of protein. In this paper, we present an interdisciplinary overview of the technological aspects of edible insect farming in the context of the EU regulations and marketing. Based on a review of the literature, we have concluded that edible insect farming can be a viable business sector that significantly contributes to the overall sustainability of food systems if the appropriate regulations are introduced and food safety standards are guaranteed. However, the success of the edible insect industry also requires consumer acceptance of entomophagy, which is rather low in Western societies. Therefore, targeted marketing strategies are indispensable to support the implementation of edible insect programs.

Traceability Models and Traceability Systems to Accelerate the Transition to a Circular Economy: A Systematic Review

Research and implementation efforts and investment in the circular economy are rising sharply. With the high stakes associated with achievements in the field, an increasing emphasis on evaluation, transparency and accountability are to be expected. All require high-quality data, methodologies and tools that are able to improve results and to assess and document the implementation processes and outcomes. A challenging key issue in the implementation of a circular economy is ensuring coordination, control and transparency within a network of parties. Traceability models and systems are vital pillars of such an endeavor, but a preliminary search of the available literature revealed a rather unstable and fragmented research field and practice. The objective of this systematic review was to examine those studies discussing traceability models and traceability systems while connecting traceability capacities and outputs to implement the principles of the circular economy. The literature databases were searched on 6 January 2020, with an update for the entire year of 2020. Overall, 49 studies were included. By addressing eight specific research questions, we found that a link between traceability and the circular economy is yet to be established. Sound research and practice documentation are required to establish evidence regarding this connection, including methodologies that are able to support the design and implementation of business- and lifecycle-oriented, value-based traceability models and traceability systems, along with thorough evaluation methods and tools incorporating economic, social and environmental perspectives.

Enhancing Food Supply Chain Security through the Use of Blockchain and TinyML

Food safety is a fundamental right in modern societies. One of the most pressing problems nowadays is the provenance of food and food-related products that citizens consume, mainly due to several food scares and the globalization of food markets, which has resulted in food supply chains that extend beyond nations or even continent boundaries. Food supply networks are characterized by high complexity and a lack of openness. There is a critical requirement for applying novel techniques to verify and authenticate the origin, quality parameters, and transfer/storage details associated with food. This study portrays an end-to-end approach to enhance the security of the food supply chain and thus increase the trustfulness of the food industry. The system aims at increasing the transparency of food supply chain monitoring systems through securing all components that those consist of. A universal information monitoring scheme based on blockchain technology ensures the integrity of collected data, a self-sovereign identity approach for all supply chain actors ensures the minimization of single points of failure, and finally, a security mechanism, that is based on the use of TinyML’s nascent technology, is embedded in monitoring devices to mitigate a significant portion of malicious behavior from actors in the supply chain.

RiceChain: secure and traceable rice supply chain framework using blockchain technology

The increasing number of rice product safety issues and the potential for contamination have established an enormous need for an effective strategy for the traceability of the rice supply chain. Tracing the origins of a rice product from raw materials to end customers is very complex and costly. Existing food supply chain methods (for example, rice) do not provide a scalable and cost-effective means of agricultural food supply. Besides, consumers lack the capability and resources required to check or report on the quality of agricultural goods in terms of defects or contamination. Consequently, customers are forced to decide whether to utilize or discard the goods. However, blockchain is an innovative framework capable of offering a transformative solution for the traceability of agricultural products and food supply chains. The aim of this paper is to propose a framework capable of tracking and monitoring all interactions and transactions between all stakeholders in the rice chain ecosystem through smart contracts. The model incorporates a system for customer satisfaction feedback, which enables all stakeholders to get up-to-date information on product quality, enabling them to make more informed supply chain decisions. Each transaction is documented and stored in the public ledger of the blockchain. The proposed framework provides a safe, efficient, reliable, and effective way to monitor and track rice products safety and quality especially during product purchasing. The security and performance analysis results shows that the proposed framework outperform the benchmark techniques in terms of cost-effectiveness, security and scalability with low computational overhead.

Exploring Attractive Quality Requirements for Short Food Supply Chain Digital Platforms

Perceptions towards unsustainable supply chain practices in global, mainstream food systems are motivating a shift towards short food supply chains. Short food supply chains are developed to remove the physical and social distances between producer and consumer. Advances in digital technologies offer promise for short food supply chains, including platforms that can enable real-time data flow, create visibility, and support sustainable practices. This research aims to prioritise attractive quality requirements of short food supply chain digital platforms. The methodology consists of a literature review and Kano analysis for requirements prioritisation. The results show that the requirements span across the four Kano categories, attractive quality encompassing the largest number of requirements. The attractive quality requirements identified offer increased levels of satisfaction when present and have limited negative impact when missing. Therefore, they are considered exciting for potential users of a system. The limitations of the research and areas of future work are presented.

Digitalization in Food Supply Chains: A Bibliometric Review and Key-Route Main Path Analysis

Technological advances such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data, social media, and geographic information systems represent a building block of the digital transformation that supports the resilience of the food supply chain (FSC) and increases its efficiency. This paper reviews the literature surrounding digitalization in FSCs. A bibliometric and key-route main path analysis was carried out to objectively and analytically uncover the knowledge development in digitalization within the context of sustainable FSCs. The research began with the selection of 2140 articles published over nearly five decades. Then, the articles were examined according to several bibliometric metrics such as year of publication, countries, institutions, sources, authors, and keywords frequency. A keyword co-occurrence network was generated to cluster the relevant literature. Findings of the review and bibliometric analysis indicate that research at the intersection of technology and the FSC has gained substantial interest from scholars. On the basis of keyword co-occurrence network, the literature is focused on the role of information communication technology for agriculture and food security, food waste and circular economy, and the merge of the Internet of Things and blockchain in the FSC. The analysis of the key-route main path uncovers three critical periods marking the development of technology-enabled FSCs. The study offers scholars a better understanding of digitalization within the agri-food industry and the current knowledge gaps for future research. Practitioners may find the review useful to remain ahead of the latest discussions of technology-enabled FSCs. To the authors’ best knowledge, the current study is one of the few endeavors to explore technology-enabled FSCs using a comprehensive sample of journal articles published during the past five decades.

A systematic literature review of food sustainable supply chain management (FSSCM): building blocks and research trends

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the increased research attention gained by sustainability in food supply chain management. Although previous review studies have focused on aspects such as traceability, food safety, and performance measurement, sustainability has rarely been considered as a means of integrating these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a comprehensive review of the literature on food sustainable supply chain management (FSSCM). Using systematic review methods, relevant studies published from 1997 to early 2021 are explored to reveal the research landscape and the gaps and trends.

Findings

The paper shows the building blocks and the main research directions in FSSCM, particularly considering the opportunities in “neglected” emerging countries. Insights are provided into the various elements of the sustainability supply chain in the food industry, which have previously been analysed separately.

Originality/value

Only a few researchers have systematically reviewed the literature or taken a bibliometric approach in their analyses to provide an overview of the current trends and links between sustainability and food supply chain management.

Ranking of performance indicators in an Internet of Things (IoT)-based traceability system for the agriculture supply chain (ASC)

Purpose

The prime aim of this paper is the identification and prioritization of performance indicators, which motivate the development of an Internet of Things (IoT)-based traceability system for the agriculture supply chain (ASC). Also, this research aims for checking the robustness of obtained results.

Design/methodology/approach

Ten performance indicators have been identified based on the five “criteria in the IoT-based traceable system”. Further, based on five criteria, performance indicators were ranked by using grey-based “Additive Ratio Assessment”.

Findings

Sustainable practices obtained first rank, and certification of agri-products obtained worst ranking. Further, based on sensitivity analysis, tracking of agri-products and stakeholders' behavior have found high sensitivity. Also, information sharing and global distribution networks have found the least sensitive performance indicators.

Research limitations/implications

This research has some limitations of taking only a few criteria and alternatives. This study may also contribute as a practical insight to the practitioners and managers in decision-making in the adoption of an IoT-based traceable system within the ASC.

Originality/value

This research may motivate the implementation of an IoT-based efficient traceability mechanism that improved the sustainability and consumer's trust in the ASC during different types of hazardous activities and other outbreaks (COVID-19). Also, this research has provided a theoretical insight based on the dynamic capability theory (DCT).

Bridging the Gaps in Traceability Systems for Fresh Produce Supply Chains: Overview and Development of an Integrated IoT-Based System

Traceability, namely the ability to access information about a product and its movement across all stages of the supply chain, has been emerged as a key criterion of a product’s quality and safety. Managing fresh products, such as fruits and vegetables, is a particularly complicated task, since they are perishable with short shelf lives and are vulnerable to environmental conditions. This makes traceability of fresh produce very significant. The present study provides a brief overview of the relative literature on fresh produce traceability systems. It was concluded that the commercially available traceability systems usually neither cover the entire length of the supply chain nor rely on open and transparent interoperability standards. Therefore, a user-friendly open access traceability system is proposed for the development of an integrated solution for traceability and agro-logistics of fresh products, focusing on interoperability and data sharing. Various Internet of Things technologies are incorporated and connected to the web, while an android-based platform enables the monitoring of the quality of fruits and vegetables throughout the whole agri-food supply chain, starting from the field level to the consumer and back to the field. The applicability of the system, named AgroTRACE, is further extended to waste management, which constitutes an important aspect of a circular economy.

Opportunities and limitations of public blockchain-based supply chain traceability

Purpose

Blockchain technology is provoking significant disruptions, thereby affecting supply chain management. This study endeavoured to advance research regarding blockchain-based supply chain traceability by identifying the opportunities and limitations that accompany the adoption of public blockchains. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to contribute to contemporary supply chain research by an assessment of blockchain technology and its linkages to traceability.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is conceptual. The authors summarised the relevant literature on the concepts of supply chain traceability, conceptualised key elements exclusive to the public blockchain and highlighted opportunities and limitations in implementing traceability using blockchains.

Findings

Incompatibilities were identified between general traceability and the public blockchain. However, when embracing the blockchain's privacy model, the blockchains can support information exchange in supply chains where vulnerability towards third parties, the confidentiality of information, or the privacy of participants are concerns. Furthermore, the public blockchain can support areas of supply chains where institutional interest is lacking.

Originality/value

This is one of the first papers in an international supply chain management journal to critically analyse the intersection of specific blockchain characteristics and supply chain traceability requirements. The authors thereby add to the discussion of designs for a disintermediated, peer-to-peer models and guide researchers and practitioners alike in exploring the application of disruptive change from blockchain technologies. By setting focus on the privacy model, the paper identifies the potential application and future research approaches to exploit the elementary strength of the blockchain.

The mediating roles of knowledge transfer and supply chain quality management capabilities on organisational performance

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate the relationship between supply chain quality management (SCQM) practices and organisational performance as well as the role of knowledge transfer (KT) and SCQM capabilities in mediating the SCQM practices–organisational performance relationship. Precisely, this study tried to examine how effective are SCQM practices in enhancing SCQM capabilities, KT processes and to illuminate the role both of SCQM capabilities and KT processes in improving a firm’s innovation and operational performance (OP).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applied a quantitative method in which data were collected from a survey with 152 firms functioning in the most pollutant manufacturing sectors (i.e. food, construction, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors) in Palestine. The data analysis was conducted using the partial least squares structural equation modelling.

Findings

This paper provides empirical insights into how to enhance organisational performance via SCQM capabilities and KT. In addition, this study contributes to the conceptualisation of SCQM, involving quality combination capability, supply chain responsiveness capability, quality knowledge sharing capability and provides the managers the ability to train themselves regarding the SCQM with its implication.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications – this paper includes implications for the improvement of SCQM capabilities, the manufacturing organisations should concentrate on establishing modern information technology.

Practical implications

This paper includes implications for the improvement of SCQM capabilities, the manufacturing organisations should concentrate on establishing modern information technology.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a conceptual framework that tests the combined effect of SCQM practices, SCQM capabilities and KT on innovation and OP from a developing country perspective.

Real wine or not? Protecting wine with traceability and authenticity for consumers: chemical and technical basis, technique applications, challenge, and perspectives

Wine is a high-value alcoholic beverage welcomed by consumers because of its flavor and nutritional value. The key information on wine bottle label is the basis of consumers' choice, which also becomes a target for manufacturers to adulterate, including geographical origin, grape variety and vintage. With the improvement of wine adulteration technology, modern technological means are needed to solve the above mentioned problems. The chemical basis of wine determines the type of technique used. Detection technology can be subdivided into four groups: mass spectrometry techniques, spectroscopic techniques, chromatography techniques, and other techniques. Multivariate statistical analysis of the data was performed by means of chemometrics methods. This paper outlines a series of procedures for wine classification and identification, and classified the analytical techniques and data processing methods used in recent years with listing their principles, advantages and disadvantages to help wine researchers choose appropriate methods to meet the challenge and ensure wine traceability and authenticity.

Modelling Internet of things (IoT)-driven global sustainability in multi-tier agri-food supply chain under natural epidemic outbreaks

Epidemic outbreak (COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2) is an exceptional scenario of agri-food supply chain (AFSC) risk at the globalised level which is characterised by logistics' network breakdown (ripple effects), demand mismatch (uncertainty), and sustainable issues. Thus, the aim of this research is the modelling of the sustainable based multi-tier system for AFSC, which is managed through the different emerging application of Internet of things (IoT) technology. Different IoT technologies, viz., Blockchain, robotics, Big data analysis, and cloud computing, have developed a competitive AFSC at the global level. Competitive AFSC needs cautious incorporation of multi-tiers suppliers, specifically during dealing with globalised sustainability issues. Firms have been advancing towards their multi suppliers for driving social, environments and economical practices. This paper also studies the interrelationship of 14 enablers and their cause and effect magnitude as contributing to IoT-based food secure model. The methodology used in the paper is interpretative structural modelling (ISM) for establishing interrelationship among the enablers and Fuzzy-Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (F-DEMATEL) to provide the magnitude of the cause-effect strength of the hierarchical framework. This paper also provides some theoretical contribution supported by information processing theory (IPT) and dynamic capability theory (DCT). This paper may guide the organisation's managers in their strategic planning based on enabler's classification into cause and effect groups. This paper may also encourage the mangers for implementing IoT technologies in AFSC.

Stakeholders conflict and private–public partnership chain (PPPC): supply chain of perishable product

Purpose

This paper aims to address procurement, logistics management, inventory control and distribution of perishable items, i.e. vegetables, fruits, flowers and fishes, during the social isolation period of the Covid-19 era to identify conflicting interests among the channel members; present inventory and information sharing scenario; and reveal organizational dispute and existence of redundant, nonessential and corrupted members in the supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses an exploratory investigation to evaluate the relations among the members of the supply chain of perishable food items. In this context, it is designed to investigate the field, observe the members of the existing supply chain from rural and remote places and capture their interviews to accomplish the objectives.

Findings

This study identified that although the supply chain of perishable food items is controlled truly by private parties, from a realistic view, the private–public partnership is essential where the government should play the coordinating role. In this context, continuous interaction, coordination and information sharing among the members to establish an optimum and scalable network and remove any redundant nodal points is a key success factor for managing an efficient supply chain.

Research limitations/implications

Theoretical and managerial implication of this research is enormous. The existence of functional and dysfunctional conflicts in the same supply network and how it can be detrimental to the performance of the members are exposed in this study, which can be an excellent source to be investigated. Practitioners and researchers can gain a greater understanding to identify the root causes of conflicts in the existing structural dynamics, shedding light on organizational interactions, power and group behavior during the Covid-19 era.

Originality/value

From the light of management and inter-organizational conflicts, this is a pioneer study that has detected the redundant channel members, their source of power and how their removal can present an optimum channel with group coherence and synergistic interest.

Consumers' Intention to Adopt Blockchain Food Traceability Technology towards Organic Food Products

Establishing a blockchain food traceability system (BFTS) is increasingly important and urgent to resolve the contradiction between consumers’ intention regarding safe food selections and the spread of polluted foods. Using the advantages of blockchain, such as immutability, decentralization, openness, and anonymity, we can build trusted food traceability systems based on these important characteristics. With reliable information, traceability from production to sales can effectively improve food safety. In this research, multiple models, namely, the information success model (ISS) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) are formed into a conceptual integrated framework to study the intentions’ influenced factors of BFTS technology for Chinese consumers to help ensure food safety and the quality of Chinese organic food products. A face-to-face questionnaire survey with 300 valid responses was analyzed by Partial Least Square from the Chinese consumers focusing on the organic food products. This study found that the attitude and perceived behavioral control qualities significantly and positively affect the usage intention in adopting BFTS, while the subjective norms are positively but not significantly correlation with the usage intention in using BFTS. The above results will inform suggestions for productors and academics along with implications to promote BFTS’ usage intention.

The role of green logistics management practices, supply chain traceability and logistics ecocentricity in sustainability performance

Purpose

The priority giving to green practices in today's competitive market has made green logistics management practices (GLMPS) a significant driver of organizational performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of GLMPS, logistics ecocentricity and supply chain traceability on sustainability performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses structured questionnaires to gather data from 274 managers of manufacturing firms in Ghana. The partial least square structural equation modeling approach is used to analyze the data to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results obtained from the analysis indicate that GLMPS positively influence social sustainability and environmental sustainability. However, GLMPS negatively influence business performance. The results further reveal that logistics ecocentricity and supply chain traceability augment GLMPS to achieve significant improvement in both business performance and environmental sustainability through the mediation effect approach.

Originality/value

The study proposes a conceptual framework that tests the combined effect of GLMPs, logistics ecocentricity and supply chain traceability on environmental sustainability, social sustainability and business performance from the Ghanaian perspective.