scholarly journals Social Impact and Sustainability in short food supply chains: an experimental assessment tool.

New Medit ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Food Chains ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wide Range

In recent years, as global food chains have expanded, a wide range of terms has been used in the academic, political, technical or social debate to illustrate innovative re-organisation of food supply chains aiming at re-connecting producers and consumers and re-localising agricultural and food production. These include short supply chains, alternative food networks, local farming systems and direct sales. This paper presents a research carried out during the SMARTCHAIN project (Horizon project within the research line “Innovative agro-food chains: unlocking the potential for competitiveness and sustainability”). The research aims at iden-tifying an assessment model for grasping the level of social innovation in Short Food Supply Chain (SFSC) taking into consideration the social and sustainability indicators. A specific tool, the Social Innovation Assess-ment Template (SIAT) was created for this purpose. The SIAT investigates five dimensions of SFSC: economic, environmental, socio-cultural, governance and influence (positive impact on other sectors & stakeholders) dimensions. The assessment has been tested in 9 European countries and 16th case studies. The findings show both managerial implications for the SFSC and policy implications for strengthening the SFSC ecosystem.

Alternative (Shorter) Food Supply Chains and Specialist Livestock Products in the Scottish–English Borders

10.1068/a3717 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 823-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Ilbery ◽  
Damian Maye
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food Chains ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Hybrid Spaces ◽  
Conceptual Distinction ◽  
Livestock Products

In this paper findings are presented from survey work conducted with producers of specialist livestock products in the Scottish–English borders. Using supply-chain diagrams, the paper highlights how specialist livestock businesses operate individual or customised supply chains. The heterogeneity of surveyed producer initiatives throws into question both the simple conceptual distinction drawn between the labels ‘conventional’ and ‘alternative’ and also what is meant by a ‘short’ food supply chain. The starting point of the specialist food chain is clearly not the point of production but rather a series of upstream supply links—as is found in conventional food chains. Likewise, ‘alternative’ producers are regularly obliged, or choose, to ‘dip in and out’ of different conventional nodes downstream of the business, such as abattoirs, processors, and wholesalers. In practice, delimitations between ‘alternative’ and ‘conventional’ food supply chains are often blurred and are better characterised as ‘hybrid spaces’.

Investigating the effects of the outbreak of COVID-19 on perishable food supply chains: an empirical study using PLS-SEM

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Abdul Rehman Khan ◽  
Pablo Ponce
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
First Case

PurposeAt the end of 2019, the first case of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) was reported in Wuhan city of China. The disease was declared a pandemic without imagining the magnitude of damage currently caused in all branches of the economy. One of the most affected sectors was food and mostly perishable food (PF), which are more susceptible to environmental conditions. Thus, the research examines the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on Ecuador's perishable food supply chains (PFSCs) during the pandemic. It contributes to new results on the special issue (SI) PFSC response to event risk and uncertainty, such as those that generated the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe data used are from primary information sources, which were collected through a questionnaire. The questionnaire was applied to 298 companies belonging to the sector, and later the information was processed through partial least squares structural equation model. The convergent validity, discriminate and robustness tests provide arguments for the suitability of the model. Therefore, the findings are reliable and valid for the adequate measures to improve the PFSC due to a COVID-19 outbreak.FindingsThe results show that the perception of personal risk (PPR) produced by COVID-19 has caused the companies of the PFSC to adopt preventive policies (PO) to avoid contagion and guarantee the operation of the companies. In addition, the PPR has been responsible for the alterations in the demand and price (DP) of PF. Next, PO and DP have a significant effect on PFSC, which shows the evidence favouring the malfunction of PFSC operations due to anti-contagion PO, the mismatch of DP. On the contrary, circular economy practices contribute to the excellent performance of the PFSC. Finally, the research suggests some policy implications to consider in improving the PFSC.Originality/valueThis study is the first to be carried out in Ecuador's country on the PFSC; its contribution is unprecedented and makes it a road-map to be considered to guarantee the correct functioning of the PFSCs, and it will provide policymakers with valid elements to design efficient PFSCs that better respond to unforeseen events and uncertainties. Future research will focus on analysing the management of PF consumption in Ecuador during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Farmers’ motivation and perceived effects of participating in short food supply chains: evidence from a North Italian survey  

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (No. 5) ◽  
pp. 204-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
 Demartini Eugenio ◽  
 Gaviglio Anna ◽  
 Pirani Alberto
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Local Production ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Direct Sales ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Perceived Effects ◽  
Marketing Costs ◽  
Short Food Supply Chains

Local production supports the economies of place and increasingly makes sense as the citizen-consumers increase in number and awareness. Nonetheless, despite the value of the short supply chains, some researchers have reacted sceptically to the irrational optimism around this sales structure. A close relationship with consumers does not imply more profit or exchange fairness by definition. In fact, increasing marketing costs must be considered and there is still information asymmetry, and the profiteering farmers could take advantage of the consumer trust. Through data reduction we explored the farmers' motivation and perceived effects of participating in short food supply chains. We also analysed the location of farms along with their size, production, sale channels and the relative market share, as well as whether they adopted quality certifications. We found that the farmers that work within the short food supply chains opt for a sort of co-certification mechanism based on the consumer/producer relationships rather than opting for the quality certification. Furthermore, the multivariate analysis showed different motivations and perceptions of direct sales among farmers: those that were the largest and farthest from the point of sale, were positive toward the social values of short food supply chains, while the rest seemed less competitive and were more motivated by profit and survival. The results reaffirm that the local production may not be good per se, and the presence of profit and surviving-orientation to market should be considered a treat especially for the reputation of the whole system.  

scholarly journals Sustainable Food Supply Chains: Is Shortening the Answer? A Literature Review for a Research and Innovation Agenda

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 9831
Author(s):  
Yuna Chiffoleau ◽  
Tara Dourian
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Wide Range

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are increasingly garnering attention in food systems research, owing to their rising popularity among consumers, producers and policy-makers in the last few decades. Written with the aim to identify research gaps for the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, this literature review provides a state of play of the definition and characterisation of SFSCs, and of their sustainability. Drawing on hypotheses about SFSC sustainability elaborated in an expert network in France, this review summarises a wide range of papers from various disciplines in the SFSC literature, written in English or French, while specifically highlighting the empirical results derived from European projects. Though the literature tends to generally agree on the social benefits of SFSCs, their economic and environmental impacts typically elicit more heterogeneous outcomes, while their health/nutrition and governance dimensions remain under-explored. Based on this review, recommendations for a future research and innovation programme are outlined, addressing the contribution of SFSCs to agrifood system transition and resilience in the current context of the Covid-19 crisis and of the Green New Deal objectives.

scholarly journals Variation of market power across different food supply chains

2021 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 06004
Author(s):  
Mykola Dereva ◽  
Miroslava Rajčániová
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Market Power ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Power Index ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Usa

Research background: The analysis of the competitiveness between producers, processors and retailers in food supply chains has always been drawing a high level of attention. It has become even more topical issue for researchers and policymakers after the global food crisis in 2008. Purpose of the article: The goal of this paper is to analyse empirical studies of market power and to investigate if some supply chains are systematically more prone to excessive market power than others. Methods: For this study, we have collected a wide range of recent studies investigating the processors’ market power index in the food supply chains. In total, in our analysis, we used 472 unique market power index estimates and employed various linear regression models to investigate their determinants. Findings & Value added: Our findings suggest that, on average, the reported degree of market power in the USA is almost twice as high as in other countries. At the same time, market power estimates related to the meat, dairy and horticulture industries are systematically higher than the ones related to other supply chains. Finally, we observed that, on average, supply chains related to highly perishable products tend to have lower market power estimates associated with them, than other supply chains. Our results have important implications for future investigation of the structural source of market power and unfair trade practices.

scholarly journals SHORT FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS AND THEIR IMPACT ON IMPROVING FARM PERFORMANCE AS PERCEIVED BY FARMERS KEEPING NATIVE BREEDS

2020 ◽  
Vol XXII (1) ◽  
pp. 232-240
Author(s):  
Renata Matysik-Pejas
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Food Of Animal Origin ◽  
Short Food Supply Chains

The main aim of the research was to assess the possibility of improving the functioning of farms as a result of using short food supply chains to offer products obtained from native breeds of animals. The study was conducted in 2017 and involved 144 farms selected on purpose, with animals of native breeds such as cattle, sheep and pigs. The territorial scope of the research covered the Lubelskie, Małopolskie and Podkarpackie province. The method of direct interview (PAPI) was used to obtain information. The use of short supply chains for the sale of farm produced food has positive effects. Farmers see the greatest benefits in improving farm functioning in such business areas like profitability, integration with other participants of the local market and image change. As food of animal origin on farms is produced and offered to consumers, a transition from the sale of agricultural raw materials to higher added value food products takes place. For farmers, another important area of farm functioning, which benefit from selling food in short supply chains, is the integration links between the farm and other local market players. The integration of actors involved in the production and distribution of food is one of the success factors of such undertakings and contributes to the relationships between sectors of the local economy. The image of the farm belongs to non-material elements which build trust and links with customers and, consequently, decide about the prosperity of the business.

scholarly journals Control of Halal Food Chains

ICR Journal ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 538-542
Author(s):  
Marco Tieman
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Food Chains ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Muslim Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Halal Food ◽  
The Many

The consumption of halal (lawful) and tayyib (wholesome) food is an obligation for Muslims. Today, the food we eat consists of ingredients and additives that come from all over the world. The result is that even simple food products like bread are the result of complex international halal food supply chains. Next to the many food scares, which also expose halal food chains, fraud with halal labels is rampant in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries.

Esperienze di filiera corta nell'agro-alimentare: un'indagine esplorativa in provincia di Trento

2009 ◽  
pp. 25-42
Author(s):  
Roberta Raffaelli ◽  
Lorena Coser ◽  
Geremia Gios
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Product Diversification ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Food Supply Chain ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Food Supply Chains

- Experiences of short food supply chain: an explorative research in the province of Trento In the recent years there has been an increasing interest in the scientific literature for the so-called "Alternative Food Networks" which try to redefine the relationship between producers and consumers. Particularly interesting is the short food supply chain which allows both producers to get back some added value and consumers to have better food "with the farmers' face on it". Moreover, some part of the literature stressed that a shorter food supply chain promotes the rise of a new and more territorially based rural development. The investigation approach has been mainly sociological or geographical and mostly based on case studies. Little attention has been devoted to quantify the involved farmers' population. Since shorter food supply chains are becoming increasingly present in the Italian market, the aim of the paper is to contribute to deepen the knowledge about these experiences, starting from the specific context of the Autonomous Province of Trento. First of all, a census of the empirical variety of short food supply chains has been made. In addition to three farmer's markets, one box scheme (Biocesta) and other similar initiatives, farmers open their farms to consumers and visitors. The integration of three different databases allowed us to estimate the number of farms involved in the short supply chain. It represents the 12,8% of the full time farms. In order to shed light on structural conditions, economic performance and farmers' perceptions, we surveyed a convenience sample of 36 farms involved in the most innovative forms of short food supply chain. The surveyed farms are of small dimensions; the farmers are well educated and they are fully involved in the short food supply chain. Most part of the farms is highly diversified: the average number of products is 4.4 and the diversification is strengthened trough some processing. Only 28% of the sample sells the whole production through the short supply chain: this confirms that the major part of farms does not abandon the conventional system when opting for a shorter supply chain. Investigating the motivations that draw farmers to move towards a shorter supply chain shows that a better valorisation of their products represents the most important one. Nevertheless, other non-monetary reasons enter into the decision and gain top ranking positions such the direct contact with consumers and the enhancement of professional competences. The option for a shorter supply chain seems to have very interesting consequences. Actually, it pushed the 72% of farms to increase product diversification; it induced some farms to switch to organic production, to recover unusual vegetables and antique fruit cultivars, to pay greater attention to the landscape, to offer new services inside the farm and to strength the relations with other farms and the territory. These results support the idea that the short food supply chain enhances the multifunctional role of farms.JEL Codes: Q12, Q13Key words: short food supply chain, farmers' survey, structural and economic characteristics, Trentino

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