Food supply chain resilience and the COVID‐19 pandemic: What have we learned?

Investigating food retail workers' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case of effort-reward imbalance

Food retail businesses experienced a pronounced increase in sales when food hospitality outlets closed in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. This study investigates how pandemic-related modifications to food retail businesses in Ontario, Canada affected the well-being of workers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 food retail employees between June 2020 and May 2021 as part of the Food Retail Environment Study for Health and Economic Resiliency (FRESHER). Transcripts were analyzed inductively, and themes were refined using the Effort Reward Imbalance Model. Themes were connected to the main components of this model: extrinsic effort, intrinsic effort, money, esteem, status control, and burnout. Results indicate that, for food retail employees, the presence of an imbalance between efforts and rewards threatens well-being via symptoms of burnout. Further study is needed to examine how this inequality and burnout among this population might be measured and addressed.

Assessing concordance between Campylobacter prevalence in broilers and human cases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lower Saxony, Germany, considering fresh chicken meat consumption patterns

As the most common foodborne disease, number of campylobacteriosis decreased in Germany with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As the consumption of fresh chicken meat is a major risk factor for human infection, this study investigated the relationship between Campylobacter contamination levels on chicken carcasses and human cases in Lower Saxony, Germany and observed fresh chicken meat consumption patterns between 2018 and 2021 including the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Campylobacter levels in broilers and human cases were classified based on the median and descriptively analysed per week using contingency tables. Before the COVID-19 pandemic (2018 and 2019), high Campylobacter contamination levels on neck samples and many human cases were more present, whereas with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 and 2021), low contamination levels on chicken carcasses and few human cases were more present. Lowest concordance between both parameters was shown in 2018 (Cohen's cappa coefficient: 0.37) and 2020 (0.38). The highest concordance was examined in 2021 (0.69). The private consumption of fresh chicken meat in Lower Saxony increased significantly with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 by 63.9 tonnes compared to 2019 to an average of 453.5 tonnes per week. Public health measures and a reduced number of medical treatments have undoubtedly had an impact on less reported human cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, number of human cases remained at a low level in Germany in 2023 while chicken meat consumption increased. Thus, further risk assessments regarding the risk of campyloabcteriosis due to chicken meat consumption should include the country of origin, as the level of contamination of chicken carcasses varies between European countries.

Has food security in the EU countries worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic? Analysis of physical and economic access to food

The aim of the paper is to provide an ex-post assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity in the EU-27 countries expressed by physical and economic food access. We analysed trade and price effects, together with food insecurity and malnutrition indicators. Actual levels of the indicators were compared with their pre-pandemic magnitudes and/or with counterfactual levels derived from predictive models. We also aimed to compare the objective statistics with the subjective consumers' perception of their households' food security. Our research indicates that the EU food trade was more resilient to COVID-19 impacts than the trade in non-food products, while food trade decreases were of a temporary nature. This did not affect the trade balance significantly; however, the import reduction threatened the physical food access in most EU countries. Regarding economic food access, the results indicate that the increase in food prices was offset by the increase in disposable income. It may suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly affect the deterioration of economic access to food in the EU countries. However, the prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population or the proportion of households reporting inability to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish, or a vegetarian equivalent increased in 2020-2021 compared to 2019. This means that the comparative analysis of the real data on prices and households' income, as well as consumer financial situation and food consumption affordability, does not offer a clear answer concerning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food security of EU households.

E-commerce readiness and training needs of small-scale dairy processors in Serbia: Understanding barriers and knowledge gaps

The objective of this study was to identify the requirements needed for selling dairy products through e-commerce, as well as current gaps and challenges that exist for small scale dairy processors (SSDPs), and need to be addressed in order to comply with those requirements. A mixed method research design was used for training needs assessment. Qualitative (in-depth interview with 7 online platform representatives (OPRs)) and quantitative approach (survey questionnaire with 58 SSDPs) were conducted. Interview transcripts were coded and codes were grouped into seven themes. Hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to 146 answers from 58 SSDPs. They were divided into 4 clusters. Mean sums of responses between clusters were compared by Mann-Whitney U test. OPRs suggested that SSDPs should be provided with tools and resources to help them achieve food safety and quality targets, as well as practical knowledge and skills. They reported that it is crucial to find a solution for the cold chain transportation, for maintaining consistent product quality. Survey results showed that SSDPs use kitchen equipment (79.3%) and kitchen cleaning products (81.0%) for dairy processing. In total, 43.1% process raw milk and only 24.1% have product label on the package. Only members of cluster 3 and 4 sell their products online (73.7% and 90.0%, respectively), mostly using their own social media platforms (57.9% and 60.0%, respectively), transporting products to end buyers by themselves in hand refrigerators (47.4% and 70.0%, respectively). By analyzing the differences among clusters of SSDPs, trainings can be tailored to the characteristics and knowledge gaps of each group.

How did COVID-19 affect logistics and supply chain processes? Immediate, short and medium-term evidence from some industrial fields of Italy

This paper provides empirical evidence on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on logistics and supply chain processes of five industrial sectors of Italy, namely food & beverage, machine manufacturing, metal mechanical industry, logistics & transport, and textile & fashion. A questionnaire survey, with 82 useful responses, was conducted to investigate various effects of Covid-19 on these businesses, such as the volumes handled and the service performance in the immediate-, short- and medium-term, the countermeasures implemented by companies and the future decision-making strategies. The period of analysis spans from January 2020 to June 2021. Results show that the impact of Covid-19 on volumes and service performance varied across the sectors: the food & beverage and logistics & transport were poorly affected by the pandemic and experienced a general increase in the demand and volumes, while mechanical or textile & fashion industries were mostly affected by a decrease in demand. The positive/negative impacts were particularly evident at the beginning of the pandemics, but, depending on the sector, the effects could cease quite quickly or last in the short-term. The countermeasures adopted against the Covid-19 emergency differ again across sectors; in general, industry fields that were particularly impacted by the pandemic emergency have applied more countermeasures. Typical strategies for risk management (e.g., the diversification in transport modes or the stock increase) turned out to be applied as immediate countermeasures or in plan for the future in few industries only. Differences across sectors were also observed about the sourcing strategies already in use, implemented to counteract the pandemics or expected to be maintained in time. Empirical outcomes offered are expected to help researchers gain a deep understanding of Covid-19 related phenomena, thus inspiring further research activities.

Assessing last-mile distribution resilience under demand disruptions

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant breakdown of the traditional retail sector resulting in an unprecedented surge in e-commerce demand for the delivery of essential goods. Consequently, the pandemic raised concerns pertaining to e-retailers' ability to maintain and efficiently restore level of service in the event of such low-probability high-severity market disruptions. Thus, considering e-retailers' role in the supply of essential goods, this study assesses the resilience of last-mile distribution operations under disruptions by integrating a Continuous Approximation (CA) based last-mile distribution model, the resilience triangle concept, and the Robustness, Redundancy, Resourcefulness, and Rapidity (R4) resilience framework. The proposed R4 Last Mile Distribution Resilience Triangle Framework is a novel performance-based qualitative-cum-quantitative domain-agnostic framework. Through a set of empirical analyses, this study highlights the opportunities and challenges of different distribution/outsourcing strategies to cope with disruption. In particular, the authors analyzed the use of an independent crowdsourced fleet (flexible service contingent on driver availability); the use of collection-point pickup (unconstrained downstream capacity contingent on customer willingness to self-collect); and integration with a logistics service provider (reliable service with high distribution costs). Overall, this work recommends the e-retailers to create a suitable platform to ensure reliable crowdsourced deliveries, position sufficient collection-points to ensure customer willingness to self-collect, and negotiate contracts with several logistics service providers to ensure adequate backup distribution.

Exploring the relationship between digitalization, resilient agri-food supply chain management practices and firm performance

Purpose

This study aims to explore the mediating role of digital technologies-based supply chain integrating (SCI) strategies on the agri-supply chain performance (SCP) and firm performance (FP). This research has introduced recently emerged digital technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT). Further, based on theoretical support and an extensive literature review, this research has proposed some hypotheses, which have been quantitatively validated for their significance.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model was formulated based on an extensive literature review. Data for this research were gathered from a survey completed by 119 respondents from different departments of agri-firms. Further, partial least square (PLS)-based structured equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypothetical model.

Findings

The results confirm that IoT-based digital technologies and supply chain processes (organization integration [OI], information sharing and customer integration [CI]) have a significant positive correlation. Furthermore, supply chain practices are positively associated with SCP. Finally, it has been found that FP is positively impacted by SCP.

Research limitations/implications

This research is used to analyse the mediating impacts of digital supply chain processes as a linking strategy for SCP and FP. For practical purposes, this research provides investment decisions for implementing digital technologies in SC strategies. The findings have proposed implications for managers and practitioners in agri-firms based on existing theories: contingency theory (CT) and relational view theory. Also, this study suggests the deployment of smarter electronically based tags and readers, which improve the data analytics capabilities based on auto-captured data. Thus, the availability of quality information improves the data-driven decisional capabilities of managers at company level.

Originality/value

This is a unique and original study exploring the relationship between digitalization, resilient agri-food supply chain (AFSC) management practices and firm performance. This research may be extended to other industries in view of the results from SCP and impact of digitalization.

Impacts of COVID-19 on US agri-food supply chain businesses: Regional survey results

Visible disruptions of appropriate food distribution for end consumers during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted calls for an urgent, renewed look at how the U.S. agri-food system is impacted by and responds to pandemics, natural disasters, and human-made crises. Previous studies suggest the COVID-19 pandemic yielded uneven impacts across agri-food supply chain segments and regions. For a rigorously comparable assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on agri-food businesses, a survey was administered from February to April 2021 to five segments of the agri-food supply chain in three study regions (California, Florida, and the two-state region of Minnesota-Wisconsin). Results (N = 870) measuring the self-reported changes in quarterly business revenue in 2020 compared to businesses' typical experience pre-COVID-19 suggest significant differences across supply chain segments and regions. In the Minnesota-Wisconsin region, restaurants took the largest hit and the upstream supply chains were relatively unaffected. In California, however, the negative impacts were felt throughout the supply chain. Two factors likely contributed to regional differences: (1) regional disparities in pandemic evolution and governance and (2) structural differences in regional agri-food systems. Regionalized and localized planning and the development of best-practices will be necessary for the U.S. agri-food system to enhance preparedness for and resilience to future pandemics, natural disasters, and human-made crises.

Green, resilient, agile, and sustainable fresh food supply chain enablers: evidence from India

The existing research on fresh food supply chains (FFSC) sustainability consisting of fur fundamental pillars, namely green (G), resilient (R), agile (A), and sustainability (S) (hereafter GRAS), is explored sparsely and needs thorough investigation. Further, conceptualization and mutual interactions among GRAS enablers that can help perpetuate sustainable supply chains (SSC) still need to be addressed. This study proposes a methodological framework to evaluate the SCS from the perspective of GRAS enablers with an application for the Indian FFSC. A mixed-method sequential approach was used with interviews followed by integrated fuzzy interpretive structural modelling-decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (FISM-DEMATEL) techniques. The study recognizes twenty supply chain sustainability (SCS) enablers through an extensive literature review and discussions with the expert group. The research discloses that the firms' 'organization culture' acts as the most powerful driver in achieving sustainability in FFSC, followed by the firms' 'environmental certification program' and 'financial strength.' This investigation helps the managers/policymakers of the Indian FFSC to ascertain and comprehend the most significant SCS enablers to achieve sustainability in the supply chain (SC). The causation of SCS enablers supports the managers in systematically focusing on the most significant enablers and working towards their successful implementation. According to our knowledge, this is the first scholarly work that establishes hierarchies and interrelationships among GRAS enablers, thereby providing a holistic picture to decision-makers while adapting such practices.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10479-023-05176-x.

The COVID-19 pandemic and trade in agricultural products

In this study, we develop a structural gravity model to analyse the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on international trade in food and agriculture. Using detailed data on trade flows, we estimate the trade impacts of the pandemic for major sectors in food and agriculture. Supply-side impacts on trade caused by reductions in labour tend to be largest in labour-intensive sectors such as meat processing and processed fruit and vegetables. The supply-side export effects are dwarfed by the demand-side import effects, as the recessionary impact of the pandemic drives significant decreases in imports, largely in processed goods and labour-intensive commodities.

System dynamics model for improving the robustness of a fresh agri-food supply chain to disruptions

The agri-food sector is subject to various sources of uncertainty and risk that can have a negative impact on its supply chain performance if not properly managed. In order to determine what actions the supply chain (SC) should take to protect itself against risks, it is necessary to analyze whether the supply chain is robust to them. This paper proposes a tool based on a system dynamics model to determine the robustness of an already designed five-stage fresh agri-food supply chain (AFSC) and its planting planning to disruptions in demand, supply, transport, and the operability of its nodes. The model is validated using the known behavior replication test and the extreme conditions test. In order to guide decision-makers in the different uses of the above system dynamic model, a methodology for the improvement of the AFSC robustness is presented and applied to a case study. As a result, the SC robustness to the defined disruptions is provided. For critical disruptions, protective actions are defined. Finally, the model is re-run to evaluate the impact of these proactive strategies on the AFSC in order to finally select the most beneficial for improving its robustness.

Impact of fake news on firm performance during COVID-19: an assessment of moderated serial mediation using PLS-SEM

Purpose

Fake news on social media about COVID-19 pandemic and its associated issues (e.g. lockdown) caused public panic that lead to supply chain (SC) disruptions, which eventually affect firm performance. The purpose of this study is to understand how social media fake news effects firm performance, and how to mitigate such effects.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded on dynamic capability view (DCV), this study suggests that social media fake news effects firm performance via SC disruption (SCD) and SC resilience (SCR). Moreover, the relation between SCD and SCR is contingent upon SC learning (SCL) – a moderated mediation effect. To validate this complex model, the authors suggest effectiveness of using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Using an online survey, the results support the authors’ hypotheses.

Findings

The results suggest that social media fake news does not affect firm performance directly. However, the authors’ serial mediation test confirms that SCD and SCR sequentially mediate the relationship between social media fake news and firm performance. In addition, a moderated serial mediation test confirms that a higher level of SCL strengthens the SCD–SCR relationship.

Research limitations/implications

This work offers a new theoretical and managerial perspective to understand the effect of fake news on firm performance, in the context of crises, e.g. COVID-19. In addition, this study offers the advancement of PLS as more robust for real-world applications and more advantageous when models are complex.

Originality/value

Prior studies in the SC and marketing domain suggest different effects of social media fake news on consumer behavior (e.g. panic buying) and SCD, respectively. This current study is a unique effort that investigates the ultimate effect of fake news on firm performance with complex causal relationships via SCD, SCR and SCL.

Fake news on Facebook and their impact on supply chain disruption during COVID-19

Social media (SM) fake news has become a serious concern especially during COVID-19. In this study, we develop a research model to investigate to what extent SM fake news contributes to supply chain disruption (SCD), and what are the different SM affordances that contribute to SM fake news. To test the derived hypotheses with survey data, we have applied partial least square based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. Further, to identify how different configurations of SC resilience (SCR) capabilities reduce SCD, we have used fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results show that SM affordances lead to fake news, which increases consumer panic buying (CPB); CPB in turn increases SCD. In addition, SM fake news directly increases SCD. The moderation test suggests that, SCR capability, as a higher-order construct, decreases the effect of CPB on SCD; however, neither of the capabilities individually moderates. Complimentarily, the fsQCA results suggest that no single capability but their three specific configurations reduce SCD. This work offers a new theoretical perspective to study SCD through SM fake news. Our research advances the knowledge of SCR from a configurational lens by adopting an equifinal means towards mitigating disruption. This research will also assist the operations and SC managers to strategize and understand which combination of resilience capabilities is the most effective in tackling disruptions during a crisis e.g., COVID-19. In addition, by identifying the relative role of different SM affordances, this study provides pragmatic insights into SM affordance measures that combat fake news on SM.

Two years of COVID-19 pandemic: Understanding the role of knowledge-based supply chains towards resilience through bibliometric and network analyses

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) catastrophically disrupted most of the global supply chains (SC). Knowledge-based SC can cope with the pandemic disruptions by the efficient use of data, information, knowledge, human intelligence and emerging technologies. This article aims to critically analyse the SC research during the two years of COVID-19 pandemic to understand the role of knowledge-based supply chain towards SC resilience. A review of the 281 shortlisted articles is presented, along with bibliometric and network analyses in order to create an intellectual map of the domain and to identify the emerging knowledge themes. Bibliometric analysis reveals that the knowledge focus during this short span has migrated from COVID-19 pandemic to SC risk management and finally to risk mitigation strategies. The network analysis identifies five emerging knowledge themes, namely impact of COVID-19 on SC; SC risk mitigation and resilience; supply chain viability; sustainable SC strategies; and food SC. This review also elucidates the strategies to mitigate COVID-19 disruptions for incorporating resilience in SC. Future research directions for a knowledge-based sustainable-leagile-resilient (S-leagilient) supply chain have also been propounded.

The role of forecasting in preventing supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a distributor-retailer perspective

Strengthen the resilience of supply chains was observed to be critical issue by firms to confront disruptions triggered by unprecedented demand and severe disasters. However, the extraordinarily challenging disruptions of COVID-19 pandemic, unlike any disasters seen in recent times. This study aims to provide a practical solution to supply chain (SC) disruptions by estimating the best forecasting models for demand fluctuations in the context of food and beverages. A method is proposed to predict SC disruptions and enhance SC resilience. Double exponential smoothing (DES) and the ARIMA model are adopted as forecasting approaches to estimate demand and optimum inventory quantities during three different periods of disruption associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. A downstream SC involving 2 distributors and 56 retailers is considered to elaborate inventory measurements (optimal inventory levels and total costs). The results demonstrate that distributors can reduce costs by dispensing with some retailers, particularly those who order low quantities and thus incur unjustified expenses. Furthermore, high accuracy is obtained, with minimal differences between the real data and the model’s forecast. Existing research has largely ignored supply disruptions in the distributor-retailer relationship. This study provides distributors and SC managers important knowledge on SC disruptions and identifies appropriate forecasting methods to increase SC resilience. It also provides distributors and other SC managers unprecedented insights on tackling crises of stability like COVID-19.

Consumer Perceptions about the Value of Short Food Supply Chains during COVID-19: Atlantic Canada Perspective

The recent global COVID-19 pandemic has revealed weaknesses in the global food system, with short food supply chains (SFSCs) and long food supply chains (LFSC) being impacted differently. This raises the question as to whether the pandemic has contributed to a greater interest in and demand for locally produced foods. To answer this question, a study was undertaken to explore how consumers perceive SFSCs in delivering social, economic, and environmental benefits and whether these perceptions have been enhanced during the pandemic. A survey was carried out among consumers in Atlantic Canada who purchase food from SFSCs. Based on 80 valid responses, the findings revealed that consumers perceive SFSCs to deliver more social benefits post-pandemic than they thought SFSCs did before the pandemic. Supporting the local economy, food safety, freshness, and product quality are key motivators of shopping from SFSCs. Consumer perceptions about the sustainability of SFSCs did not vary much based on sociodemographic factors. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly alter consumer spending and frequency of shopping from SFSCs. This may affect the SFSCs’ ability to expand operations beyond current levels and suggest the complementarity between SFSCs and LFSCs for more sustainable consumption patterns. The study provides valuable insights into the attractiveness of the local food businesses and the effect of unexpected events such as COVID-19 on consumer behaviors.

Recycling nutrients in the beef supply chain through circular manuresheds: Data to assess tradeoffs

Nutrient circularity can help supply chain participants meet sustainability targets. Across the segmented beef supply chain, opportunity exists to reinforce and introduce nutrient circularity by recycling surplus manure nutrients from cattle feedlots to lands where cattle feed is produced. We describe four datasets developed to evaluate options in U.S. and Canadian beef systems. The datasets delineate three "circular manuresheds," each encompassing a hay-grazing landscape where beef cattle are raised on grazingland and supplemented with hay grown nearby, and the distant feedlots where those cattle produce manure nutrients for potential import back to the hayfields. We selected the hay-grazing landscapes of New Mexico, USA; Florida, USA; and western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia) because of their significant grazingland production and potential to substitute feedlot manure for commercial fertilizer on hayfields. In each circular manureshed, the manure nutrients from major feedlot destinations could supply a considerable proportion of the P used by hay for grazing cattle: 34% of the P requirements in New Mexico, 36% in Florida, and 6% in western Canada. The average distance to return the resource was 647 km for New Mexico, 1,884 km for Florida, and 1,587 km for western Canada. These magnitudes and distances suggest that the New Mexico circular manureshed may be the most economically viable in the current agri-food system, but this reflects only part of a greater, multi-factor assessment of tradeoffs. The circular manureshed concept provides a platform for simultaneous consideration of competing factors for sustainability via circularity.

Treating Workers as Essential Too: An Ethical Framework for Public Health Interventions to Prevent and Control COVID-19 Infections among Meat-processing Facility Workers and Their Communities in the United States

Meat is a multi-billion-dollar industry that relies on people performing risky physical work inside meat-processing facilities over long shifts in close proximity. These workers are socially disempowered, and many are members of groups beset by historic and ongoing structural discrimination. The combination of working conditions and worker characteristics facilitate the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Workers have been expected to put their health and lives at risk during the pandemic because of government and industry pressures to keep this "essential industry" producing. Numerous interventions can significantly reduce the risks to workers and their communities; however, the industry's implementation has been sporadic and inconsistent. With a focus on the U.S. context, this paper offers an ethical framework for infection prevention and control recommendations grounded in public health values of health and safety, interdependence and solidarity, and health equity and justice, with particular attention to considerations of reciprocity, equitable burden sharing, harm reduction, and health promotion. Meat-processing workers are owed an approach that protects their health relative to the risks of harms to them, their families, and their communities. Sacrifices from businesses benefitting financially from essential industry status are ethically warranted and should acknowledge the risks assumed by workers in the context of existing structural inequities.

Should I Pay or Should I Grow? Factors Which Influenced the Preferences of US Consumers for Fruit, Vegetables, Wine and Beer during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examines the key factors that determine the preferences of US consumers towards the growing and processing used for horticultural products such as fruit, vegetables, wine and beer over their preferences for buying them both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings obtained using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) show that engagement with horticulture prior to and after the occurrence of COVID-19 influenced preferences for the growing and processing of fruit, vegetables, wine and beer over buying them in both the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 contexts. Engagement with horticulture before and after the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly impacted by attitudes towards US growers. Attitudes towards COVID-19 and human values such as self-enhancement, conservation and self-transcendence were also found to be significant factors, while openness to change was not found to be significant. Best practice recommendations are included on the basis of these findings for managers of community gardens, horticultural properties and specialized food stores.

Big Data Applications in Food Supply Chain Management: A Conceptual Framework

The paper provides a systematic review and analysis of the current literature on big data (BD) applications in the context of food supply chain management (FSCM) in order to categorize the state-of-the-art research trends exploring the adoption and implementation of big data analytics (BDA) across different segments of food supply chain (FSC). The use of BDA brings the digital transformation of FSCs closer providing sustainable implications and added value to their operation. Harnessing BD’s potential is becoming more and more relevant in addressing the constantly evolving complexities in food systems. However, the field of BD applications in the FSCM domain is severely fragmented and relatively “primitive”. The present research is one of the earliest attempts to recognize and present a comprehensive analysis for the BD applications across different segments of FSC proposing a conceptual framework that illustrates the role of BD in a data-driven FSCM environment. For the purposes of our research, we adopted the systematic literature review (SLR) method aiming at the identification of the dominant categories and themes within the research area. Based on the SLR findings, we propose a conceptual framework that captures the interconnection between FSC performance and BD applications by using the input-process-output (IPO) model within a data-driven FSCM context. The main research contribution lies on the thematic classification of relevant research, the conceptualization of this fragmented field, the development of a conceptual framework, and the presentation of a future research agenda pertaining to BD applications in a data-driven FSCM context.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Rural Food Security in High Income Countries: A Systematic Literature Review

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, rural-dwelling people in high-income countries were known to have greater challenges accessing healthy food than their urban counterparts. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted food supplies across the world, and public health restrictions have changed the way people shop for food, potentially exacerbating food insecurity. This systematic literature review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aspects of food insecurity in rural populations residing in high-income countries. Five electronic databases were searched, identifying 22 articles that assessed food insecurity prevalence or data on food availability, access, utilization and the stability of the food supply in rural populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten studies examined the prevalence of food insecurity in rural populations, with the reported prevalence ranging from 15% to 95%. Where rural/urban comparisons were presented, most studies (n = 5; 71%) reported that food insecurity was significantly higher in rural regions. Five studies examined the availability of food and eight studies examined access to food, identifying that rural populations often had lower food availability and access to food during the pandemic. In contrast, two studies identified positive effects such as more gardening and increased online access to food. Rural populations experienced multiple changes to food utilization, such as reduced diet quality and food safety observed in eight studies, but this was not shown to be different from urban populations. Additionally, the food supply in rural regions was perceived to be affected in two studies. The results of this review may be used to inform region-specific mitigation strategies to decrease the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic and future global events on food security. However, the lack of consistency in study outcomes in research on rural populations limits the identification of priority areas for intervention at a global-scale.

Changes in the Innovation- and Marketing-Habits of Family SMEs in the Foodstuffs Industry, Caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic in Hungary

The economic specialties caused by the global coronavirus pandemic completely changed everyday life regarding certain sectors. For the small and medium enterprises, processing during the pandemic held several significant challenges, such as: cost-efficient operations, hardship of keeping employees, efficient management of innovation and various corporate activities, keeping the customers, etc. Many enterprises saw severe damages indirectly from the coronavirus pandemic, as society itself had its habits significantly changed, thereby necessitating changes in strategy for small and medium enterprises, most notably for local service providers and producers that have no delivery service. In order to solve the issue at hand, several governments tried applying a variety of solutions—mostly by financing the enterprises in question. The goal of the authors is to understand the current operation of innovation initiatives that small and medium enterprises have post-COVID-19, and to obtain a clear view on changes in marketing habits. Furthermore, the analysis concentrates on the following: the state of family SMEs dealing in foodstuffs, and how to create a future view for such members of the sector by identifying best practices. Using data collected during 2020 and 2021, and employing descriptive statistics and a conjoint analysis, the authors wished to see how the coronavirus pandemic affected SMEs, detect the changes in their marketing and innovation policy due to the pandemic, and help them create core business strategy via consumer feedback. Authors found that SMEs had to innovate by 2021 beyond their 2019 expectations, and that customers had partially validated their endeavors through their answers.

Telecommuting and food E-commerce: Socially sustainable practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada

Telecommuting has become a dominant professional experience for many Canadian business and workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Telecommuting has several benefits that are separate from COVID-19. Two prevalent changes have been in regard to telecommuting and online food buying habits, both of which impact social wellbeing as a dimension of social sustainability. We discuss two exploratory surveys on the perception of telecommuting and food e-commerce. We found that while telecommuting has the potential to increase social wellbeing and the social sustainability of both urban and rural Canadian communities through a variety of mechanisms, food e-commerce does not offer similar returns. Instead, the prevalence of food e-commerce merely adds convenience to the lives of those who already have adequate food access while maintaining the status quo, or even worsening access for disadvantaged Canadians.

Reimagining global food value chains through effective resilience to COVID-19 shocks and similar future events: A dynamic capability perspective

The restructuring of global value/supply chains gained increasing attention as the unprecedented COVID-19 echoed around the world. Yet, the COVID-19 related theory-driven, large scale quantitative, and empirical studies are relatively scarce. This study advances the extant literature by empirically investigating how do firms in the global food value chains (GFVCs) re-imagine their businesses structure in response to the COVID-19-becoming more resilient and competitive to the current pandemic and similar future events. We leverage a unique data of 231 senior managers of the Australian GFVCs and examine their firms' response strategies. Drawing upon key insights from the dynamic capability view, we find that GFVCs' competitiveness is achieved when exposure to COVID-19 shocks elicits dynamic capabilities-readiness, response, recovery-and these capabilities work jointly and sequentially to cultivate resilience. A key finding of this study is that firms with domestic plus global value chain partners are more resilient than those having only global business partners. This finding implies that excessive reliance on offshoring sometimes becomes lethal, especially amid unexpected and prolonged global shocks and, therefore, companies should strike a balance between domestic and global business partners to remain competitive. These findings offer important contributions to theory, practice, and UN sustainable development goals.

Overstocked Agricultural Produce and Emergency Supply System in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Responses from China

The spread of COVID-19 has affected not only public health but also agriculture, raising global concerns regarding the food system. As an immediate impact of COVID-19, farmers around the globe have had difficulties with sales, resulting in large amounts of overstocked agricultural products and food loss. This further threatens the livelihood of rural, poor farmers and impacts sustainable production. To provide a better understanding of the overstocking situation after the outbreak of the pandemic, this study depicts the distribution characteristics of overstocked agricultural products in China. After analyzing a nationwide data set collected from 3482 individuals/organizations by the Chinese Agri-products Marketing Association after the outbreak of the pandemic, we found that some of the initial prevention and control measures disrupted sales channels, and in turn, caused the farmers to suffer losses. The impact was more severe in perishable products and their production areas, as well as in poverty-stricken regions. Then, we identified China's quick and effective actions to match the supply and demand. These findings suggest that emergency responses should coordinate the relationship between emergency actions and the necessary logistics of agricultural production. To prepare for the possibility of such shock in the future, the government should take actions to clear logistics obstacles for necessary transportation, keep enhancing the fundamental infrastructure and effective mechanism of the food supply chain, and actively include innovative techniques to build a more resilient food system.

Disruptive Technologies for Achieving Supply Chain Resilience in COVID-19 Era: An Implementation Case Study of Satellite Imagery and Blockchain Technologies in Fish Supply Chain

In supply chains where stakeholders belong to the economically disadvantaged segment and form an important part of the supply chain distribution, the complexities grow manifold. Fisheries in developing nations are one such sector where the complexity is not only due to the produce being perishable but also due to the livelihood dependence of others in the coastal regions that belong to the section of economically disadvantaged. This paper explains the contextual challenges of fish supply chain in a developing country and describes how integrating disruptive technologies can address those challenges. Through a positive deviance approach, we show how firms can help unorganized supply chains with economically disadvantaged suppliers by carefully redesigning the supply chain through the integration of satellite imagery and blockchain technology. With COVID-19 in the backdrop, we highlight how such technologies significantly improves the supply chain resilience and at the same time contributes to the income generating opportunities of poor fisherfolks in developing nations. Our study has important implications to both developing markets and food supply chain practitioners as this paper tackles issues such as perishability, demand-supply mismatch, unfair prices, and quality related data transparency in the entire value chain.

COVID-19 and the Change in Lifestyle: Bodyweight, Time Allocation, and Food Choices

We analyze the dynamic changes in individuals' lifestyle during the COVID-19 outbreak and recovery period through a survey of 1061 Chinese households. Specifically, we are interested in individuals' bodyweight, time allocation and food choices. We find that COVID-19 is associated with weight gain, less time spent on exercise and more time on entertainment. The proportion of online food purchase and snack purchases also shows an upward trend. This study provides useful implications on the impact of COVID-19 and its associated lockdowns on individuals' lifestyle and offers foresights for countries in different stages of the pandemic. It explains how encouraging exercise, managing new food purchase venues, and reducing the intake of unhealthy food such as snacks may also need to be considered in dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19.

The implications of Industry 4.0 on supply chains amid the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review

Background: COVID-19 has caused significant disruptions in supply chains. It has increased the demand for products and decreased the supply of raw materials. This has interrupted many production processes. The emerging technologies of Industry 4.0 have the potential to streamline supply chains by improving time-sensitive customized solutions during this emergency. Purpose: This research examines the effects of the epidemic on supply chains and how these effects are reduced through Industry 4.0 technology. Design/methodology/approach: An extensive literature review using the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" method was carried out on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains and Industry 4.0 technologies. The study was undertaken by selecting keywords validated by experts and a search was conducted in the Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar databases. Publications from the leading journals on these topics were selected. The bibliographical search resulted in 1484 articles followed by multiple layers of filtering. Finally, the most pertinent articles were selected for reviewing, and a total of 53 articles were analysed. Findings: This study discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the supply chain and how the emerging technologies of Industry 4.0 can help manufacturers to ease the impact. These technologies will enhance the production system through the automation and optimization of production flow convergence, enabling efficiencies and improvements among the suppliers, manufacturers, and consumers in the COVID-19 situation. Originality/value: The study summarizes the impact of the COVID-19 on supply chains and shows the potential of Industry 4.0 technologies to lessen the impact on manufacturing supply chains. This is valuable information for policymakers and practitioners so that they can get insights and take necessary actions.

Reopening International Borders without Quarantine: Contact Tracing Integrated Policy against COVID-19

With the COVID-19 vaccination widely implemented in most countries, propelled by the need to revive the tourism economy, there is a growing prospect for relieving the social distancing regulation and reopening borders in tourism-oriented countries and regions. This need incentivizes stakeholders to develop border control strategies that fully evaluate health risks if mandatory quarantines are lifted. In this study, we have employed a computational approach to investigate the contact tracing integrated policy in different border-reopening scenarios in Hong Kong, China. Explicitly, by reconstructing the COVID-19 transmission from historical data, specific scenarios with joint effects of digital contact tracing and other concurrent measures (i.e., controlling arrival population and community nonpharmacological interventions) are applied to forecast the future development of the pandemic. Built on a modified SEIR epidemic model with a 30% vaccination coverage, the results suggest that scenarios with digital contact tracing and quick isolation intervention can reduce the infectious population by 92.11% compared to those without contact tracing. By further restricting the inbound population with a 10,000 daily quota and applying moderate-to-strong community nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs), the average daily confirmed cases in the forecast period of 60 days can be well controlled at around 9 per day (95% CI: 7–12). Two main policy recommendations are drawn from the study. First, digital contact tracing would be an effective countermeasure for reducing local virus spread, especially when it is applied along with a moderate level of vaccination coverage. Second, implementing a daily quota on inbound travelers and restrictive community NPIs would further keep the local infection under control. This study offers scientific evidence and prospective guidance for developing and instituting plans to lift mandatory border control policies in preparing for the global economic recovery.