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

Rethinking food loss and waste to promote sustainable resource use and climate change mitigation in agri-food systems: A review

The sustainable agri-food system is an important sector recognized for promoting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals on food security, resource conservation and climate change mitigation. However, the increasing food loss and waste (FLW) along the supply chains has continued to hinder these goals. This study evaluates the trend of FLW research from 1975 to 2022 and how it promotes the achievement of resource and environmental sustainability in agri-food systems. The salient research themes and hotspots that are of interest to researchers were identified. Bibliometric and network analyses were carried out on scholarly research articles from the Scopus database using bibliometrix and VOSviewer. Furthermore, the content analysis was conducted on the selected highly influential articles containing relevant data to understand the role of FLW in promoting sustainable agri-food systems. The results showed disaggregate and unbalanced research distribution on the impacts of FLW among the countries, with China and the United States having the highest contributions. The identified major research themes relating to sustainable agri-food systems are food waste and sustainable systems, food waste management and food waste impact assessment. Moreover, the circular economy was found to be a relatively new approach being explored in agri-food systems to promote FLW reduction and ensure sustainability of resource use. This study highlights the critical role of the impact of FLW in addressing the grand challenge of food security, resource use efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Effective food waste management model for the sustainable agricultural food supply chain

The extensive research examines the current state of agricultural food supply chains, with focus on waste management in Bandung Regency, Indonesia. The study reveals that a significant proportion of food within the agricultural supply chain goes to waste and discusses the various challenges and complexities involved in managing food waste. The research presents a conceptual model based on the ADKAR change management paradigm to promote waste utilization, increase awareness and change people's behaviors. The model emphasizes the importance of creating awareness, fostering desire, providing knowledge, implementing changes, and reinforcing and monitoring the transformation process. It also addresses the challenges, barriers, and drivers that influence waste utilization in the agricultural supply chain, highlighting the need for economic incentives and a shift in public awareness to drive meaningful change. Ultimately, this study serves as a comprehensive exploration of food waste management in Bandung Regency, shedding light on the complexities of the issue and offering a systematic approach to transition towards more sustainable waste utilization practices.

Smart and Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Applications for Food Safety

Due to growing concerns about food safety and public health, the contaminants or residues of various harmful substances in food have received much attention in recent years [...].

Designing a sustainable fish closed-loop supply chain network under uncertainty

There is increasing attention to the sustainable development of supply chain (SC) and reverse logistics (RL) in the contemporary competitive economy, notably in the food sector, by scholars and stakeholders. This study investigates a sustainable closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) for fish due to its high value in the family food basket, its perishability, and the importance of waste product recycling. A multi-objective mathematical model is developed under uncertainty and sustainability criteria to optimize production rates with the aim of better distribution among different demand markets, total costs, social issues, and negative environmental effects (e.g., CO2 emissions and unused/waste products). A combination of exact, meta-heuristic, and hybrid meta-heuristic algorithms are used to solve the suggested model. Then, the optimal solutions are found using the Taguchi method by evaluating the best initial replies. The solutions are evaluated based on various performance metrics. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the "filtering/displaced ideal solution" methods determine the best solution approach. Moreover, a case study with a trout CLSC in Northern Iran is examined. In addition, the Lingo software utilizes the ε-constraint method to evaluate and check the performance of the algorithms under different levels of uncertainty. Finally, sensitivity analyses are carried out to confirm the efficacy of the proposed algorithms. The findings demonstrate the proposed network's outstanding consistency with the algorithms used and its application and efficiency.

A Cost-Benefit Analysis Simulation for the Digitalisation of Cold Supply Chains

This paper investigates using simulation to predict the benefits and costs of digitalising cold distribution chains. The study focuses on the distribution of refrigerated beef in the UK, where digitalisation was implemented to re-route cargo carriers. By comparing simulations of both digitalised and non-digitalised supply chains, the study found that digitalisation can reduce beef waste and decrease the number of miles driven per successful delivery, leading to potential cost savings. Note that this work is not attempting to prove that digitalisation is appropriate for the chosen scenario, only to justify a simulation approach as a decision making tool. The proposed modelling approach provides decision-makers with more accurate predictions of the cost-benefit of increased sensorisation in supply chains. By accounting for stochastic and variable parameters, such as weather and demand fluctuations, simulation can be used to identify potential challenges and estimate the economic benefits of digitalisation. Moreover, qualitative assessments of the impact on customer satisfaction and product quality can help decision-makers consider the broader impacts of digitalisation. Overall, the study suggests that simulation can play a crucial role in facilitating informed decisions about the implementation of digital technologies in the food supply chain. By providing a better understanding of the potential costs and benefits of digitalisation, simulation can help organisations make more strategic and effective decisions.

Identifying and ranking key technological capabilities in supply chain sustainability using ISM approach: case of food industry in Iran

The food industry is one of the strategic industries in developing countries, such as Iran and plays a critical role in the economy, food security, and public health. The growing populations can only have food security when the food industry's supply chain is sustainable. Therefore, due to the sustainable food supply chain's great importance, having technological capabilities compared to others is considered a competitive advantage for the companies involved in the food industry, as it can distinguish them as pioneer actors. Although many technologies have been investigated and used in the sustainable supply chain recently, no study has focused on identifying and ranking key technological capabilities related to the food industry in sustainable supply chain management. Also, we have not found any study using the ISM-MICMAC method to identify, rank, and interdependence between key technology capabilities in supply chain sustainability. Accordingly, the present study sought to identify and rank key technological capabilities in the supply chain sustainability of food industry companies. In this study, after reviewing the relevant literature, eleven technological capabilities in supply chain sustainability were identified. Then using experts' opinions and Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM), interdependence among the technological capabilities ranked. Finally, dependent and independent drivers were presented using the MICMAC analysis. The ISM analysis results indicated that communication and information technology infrastructure was the most significant driver for other technological capabilities in companies' supply chain sustainability. Moreover, logistic optimization is imperative for improving supply chain sustainability performance. Therefore, if logistic optimization is appropriately implemented, it can improve supply chain sustainability. The present study results can increase supply chain productivity and effectiveness in Iranian food industry companies.

Assessing the effects of China's Three-North Shelter Forest Program over 40 years

Forests provide vital ecosystem services such as soil and water conservation, climate regulation, and carbon storage. Large-scale afforestation programs are being attempted in many countries to improve environmental conditions in deteriorated or unfavorable locations. China's Three Northern Protected Forest Program (TNSFP), accounting for 42.40 % of China's total land area, is the world's largest afforestation program to date. The TNSFP has continued providing critical ecosystem services to humans over 73 years (1978-2050) with a total investment of CNY 93.3 billion. To facilitate understanding of the TNSFP's contribution, the effects of the TNSFP for last 43 years were comprehensively evaluated by using integrated review of structured literature, bibliometric analysis, and thematic analysis. We incorporated and expanded the direct ecosystem services evidence of the TNSFP from wind and sand control, soil erosion control and carbon sequestration to indirect economic benefits, e.g. increasing crop yield and promoting economic development. We found that over the past 40 years of TNSFP construction, wind and sand hazards and soil erosion in China's Three-North areas have been effectively controlled, and forest carbon sequestration, grain production and economic output have steadily increased. The ecosystem services provided by the TNSFP are highly consistent with the thrust of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the TNSFP has contributed to the realization of SDG2, SDG8, SDG13, and SDG15. Although achieving tremendous ecological, economic, and social benefits, the TNSFP still has knowledge gaps in its scientific basis. And the limited local engagement and insufficient investment highly hinder the TNSFP from playing its multiple functions. We suggest several urgent actions and directions to address these limitations. This review could help researchers gain insight into key areas of ecological restoration in the TNSFP, providing a reference for future research in the TNSFP construction in China and other regions of the world embarking on similar journeys.

Interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy digraph-matrix approach with PERMAN algorithm for measuring COVID-19 impact on perishable food supply chain

The outbreak of COVID-19 has prompted a substantial shrinkage in various businesses worldwide, the perishable food sector being one of the worst hits. Henceforth, this manuscript intends to analyse the impact of COVID-19 on perishable food supply chains (PFSCs) of developed and developing countries. For this, the study presents the analysis in two steps. In the first step, the study illuminates the particular factors that frame unique sorts of supply chain (SC) disturbances in PFSC. Secondly, the study proposes a unique interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set (IVIFS)-based graph theory and matrix approach (GTMA) to analyse the COVID-19 impact index value. In addition to this, the PERMAN algorithm is used to calculate the permanent function. The study has revealed that developing nations should focus more on their technological and infrastructural factors to improve the condition of PFSC during the pandemic. This study's results can be deployed by decision-makers to forestall the operative and long-haul consequences of COVID-19, or any other disruptions to the PFSC, and make plans to overcome the impact. The significance of this manuscript is that the prominent factors degrading the performance of PFSC amidst the pandemic have been highlighted, with their respective impact on developed and developing nations compared. Moreover, a neoteric comprehensive integration of IVIFS-GTMA technique along with the PERMAN algorithm has been utilised in this manuscript. This particular study is inimitable as it supplements existing literature by providing analytical support to the relationship among various factors impacting the PFSC amidst the pandemic.