Purpose: Agri-food firms face many challenges when assessing and managing their performance. The purpose of this research is to determine important factors for an integrated agri-food supply chain performance measurement system. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses the Peruvian kiwicha supply chain as a meaningful context to examine critical factors affecting agri-food supply chain performance. The research uses interpretative structural modelling (ISM) with fuzzy MICMAC methods to suggest a hierarchical performance measurement model. Findings: The resulting kiwicha supply chain performance management model provides insights for managers and academic theory regarding managing competing priorities within the agri-food supply chain. Originality/value: The model developed in this research has been validated by cooperative kiwicha associations based in Puno, Peru, and further refined by experts. Moreover, the results obtained through ISM and fuzzy MICMAC methods could help decision-makers from any agri-food supply chain focus on achieving high operational performance by integrating key performance measurement factors.

Background: Challenges with food loss in perishable food supply chains (PFSCs) indeveloping countries, such as Colombia, is an increasing problem. The PFSCs in developingcountries are characterized by high uncertainty and a dynamic environment. Furthermore, thehighest amount of food loss in these countries occurs in the early stages of the supply chainsuch as post-harvest and transport stages. Moreover, food loss in PFSCs in developingcountries has not been given sufficient amount of attention previously and needs to be givenattention in research, for these countries to be able to mitigate the problem with food loss. Research problem: To mitigate food loss in developing countries, knowledge is required ofwhy this occurs and how to solve it. This is why this research will focus on finding out themain different factors that lead to food loss in Colombian PFSCs and what solutions there areto mitigate food loss. Research purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to analyze PFSCs and the factors leading tofood loss, specifically the management of vital stages of PFSCs to target inefficiencies andreduce food loss in the context of Colombia. Research questions: RQ1: What factors can impact food loss in perishable food supply chains? RQ2: What factors in the vital stages of the perishable food supply chains in the Colombianmarket can help mitigate food loss? Conclusion: Our findings show different factors that were found to be contributing to foodloss in the PFSCs in Colombia. These were the lack of resources such as monetary,technology and knowledge, logistics factors such as cold storage, handling, infrastructure andtransportation and lastly, poor collaboration and communication. Furthermore, solutions tomitigate food loss were also found, these were technology (forecasting, cold chaintechnology), governmental policies and support, education, sufficient selling price, andfinally improved collaboration and communication. This shows that the factors leading tofood loss were many times the factors that would be solutions to food loss if improved. Ourmain conclusion was that food loss can be mitigated by collaboration and communicationwhich can be facilitated by technology.

Food waste has become a disaster of global proportion that the world can no longer turn a blind eye to. This paper aims to reduce food waste at the retail level of the food supply chain by recommending and quantifying the effects of current technology that can be implemented in traditional supermarkets. This research recommends that retailers implement electronic shelf labels in stores and employ dynamic pricing of perishable products, leading to reduction of food waste. No prior research had considered the primary goal of reducing food waste while preserving retailer profit through technological implementation. This paper quantifies the effects of implementing this technology and provides economic justification of the required investment through the calculation of profitability metrics and discussion of environmental regulations retailers will soon have to abide by. Our results indicate, even in the most conservative of scenarios, that the payback period for full implementation of electronic shelf labels will be less than or slightly over one year and the return on investment is high in all situations discussed. Sensitivity analyses of labor costs, revenue, and profitability ratios are illustrated to provide a full breadth of these results.

Contemporary supply chain management (SCM) issues are multiplex and continually evolving catalysed by complexities and dynamism. The perishable food industry exemplifies this phenomenon, driven by globalisation, technological advancements and a highly competitive business environment. Inescapably, food supply chains are increasingly operating as supply chain networks (SCN). SCNs are typified by a higher level of interdependence and connectivity amongst firms, consequently evolving from dyad and triad relationships, which have dominated SCM research. These changes generate divergent risks and vulnerabilities that perturb perishable food supply chains in unconventional ways. Thus, the purpose of this empirical study is to investigate how firms within a perishable food supply chain network can build resilience and sustainability. The research focuses on advancing the management of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Methodologically, an empirical qualitative study is undertaken within a food manufacturer (focal firm) and 18 independent firms operating across all tiers of its SCN. Applying a pragmatic philosophical positioning, the study draws concepts from key supply chain theories to investigate the phenomena. The investigation uses Nicolini’s Zooming in and Zooming out as an analytical lens. The zooming in and out is established by shifting analytical lenses and re-positioning actors’ praxis, to ensure certain facets of their actions are fore-grounded while others are put in a background position and contrariwise moving the background to the foreground. The purpose of this technique is to draw meaning from everyday practices and trace the actions of actors across the entire SCN. The results uncover four distinct but intertwined main categories; whose subtle and often ignored interplay is crucial in attaining SCN resilience and sustainability. These main categories are Collaboration, Power Dynamics, SCN Culture and Information Systems. Current supply chain literature argues that collaboration is an essential enabler of resilience and sustainability. Building on this, the findings make a significant contribution by teasing out the intangible and predominately unacknowledged antecedents and salient sustaining factors of effective SCN collaboration. Furthermore, the study develops a resilience and sustainability (RS) matrix, which renders different impacts and outcomes of varying levels of SCN collaboration between firms operating in a perishable food SCN. Therefore, this thesis contributes knowledge towards constructing resilient and sustainable perishable food SCNs by proffering pragmatic propositions. These aim to address challenges facing industry stakeholders and ignite pertinent future research avenues for scholars.

Farmers markets play an important role within the local food system and the short food supply chain (SFSC); they promote economic development by connecting vendors, people, and community. While the number of farmers markets has increased dramatically since 1994, many markets fail, and it is unclear why. Little is known about the influence of leadership practices on the success and decline of farmers markets. This qualitative case study explored the influences of farmers market leadership and asked the question: How does leadership influence factors contributing to success and failure of farmers markets? The first objective explored patterns and trends contributing to the success and failure of farmers markets. The second objective analyzed farmers markets through the lens of leadership. The study explored findings through application of Jackson et al.'s (2018) Leadership Hexad, developed to help examine leadership within social enterprises. Adaptive leadership (Heifetz et al., 2009) and good-to-great leadership principles (Collins, 2011) provided additional depth and connections to multiple leadership perspectives. The study may be of interest to people involved in leading and working with social enterprises, such as farmers markets. Findings revealed surging operational changes, strong support of the short food supply chain (SFSC), and the need for stabilizing forces, such as a stable location and municipal support. The six lenses of Jackson et al.'s Leadership Hexad—person, position, process, performance, place, and purpose—generated additional findings. Topics include the influences of vendors, champions, and partnerships; the role of managers in supporting the community and entrepreneurship; the ambiguity of ownership when referring to farmers markets; planning for succession; surviving the startup phase; professionalizing farmers market management; co-constructing leadership with the community and vendors; evolving the purpose; and leveraging the purpose of farmers markets within the local food system. The recommendations for future practice include a professional development leadership pipeline oriented to actors in social enterprises, especially farmers markets. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / Farmers markets play an important role within the local food system and the short food supply chain (SFSC); they promote economic development by connecting vendors, people, and community. While the number of farmers markets has increased dramatically since 1994, many markets fail, and it is unclear why. Little is known about the influence of leadership practices on the success and decline of farmers markets. This qualitative case study explored the influences of farmers market leadership and asked the question: How does leadership influence factors contributing to success and failure of farmers markets? The study used three leadership theories or frameworks for exploring farmers market leadership. The study may be of interest to people involved in working with social enterprises, such as farmers markets. Findings revealed surging operational changes, strong support of the SFSC, and the need for stabilizing forces, such as a stable location and municipal support. Additional topics include the influences of vendors, champions, and partnerships; the role of managers in supporting the community and entrepreneurship; the ambiguity of ownership when referring to farmers markets; planning for succession; surviving the startup phase; professionalizing farmers market management; co- constructing leadership with the community and vendors; evolving the purpose; and leveraging the purpose of farmers markets within the local food system. The recommendations for future practice include a professional development leadership pipeline oriented to actors in social enterprises, especially farmers markets.

Yes / Due to rapid agricultural industrialization, increased global food demand, and, increasing concerns related to food quality and safety, the concepts of sustainability and supply chain transparency are becoming critically important to the agriculture and agri-food sector. The new focus on sustainability performance objectives emphasizes the effective utilization and consumption of natural resources to balance ecological, economic and societal aspects of agri-food businesses. The management of sustainability adds a new demand on business managers who often have small profits and receive stringent requirements from large powerful customers and retailers. In this paper, we recognize and analyze the key enablers in implementing sustainable initiatives for Agri-Food Supply Chains (A-FSCs). Ten important sustainability driven enablers were considered from a rigorous literature review and phase of expert consultation. The identified enablers were then analyzed using a combined Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) - fuzzy Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) based framework. The ISM approach enabled an appreciation of the contextual relationships among the enablers and to classify the enablers based on their driving and dependence potential. The fuzzy DEMATEL technique supported the determination of the influential and influenced enablers and also to categorize them into cause and effect groups. An empirical case study, drawn from a vegetable and fruit retail supply chain in India, is used to focus and test the applicability of the proposed research framework. The paper facilitates professional management practice and researchers to uncover and explore the enablers for the real execution of sustainability oriented initiatives in the agri-food business sector.

Yes / Purpose: this paper presents notable themes regarding the relationship between sustainability development and the food loss issue. In doing so, it provides coherent knowledge concerning this global problem and highlights the key research areas in this context. Design/methodology/approach: this paper is a viewpoint piece; normative literature and supposition are used to orientate the views of the authors. Findings: this paper has identified the main causes of food loss at each stage of the food supply chain. It has then classified the causes into three groups based on organisational environment: internal causes, micro-environmental causes and macro-environmental causes. In addition, the authors suggest a need to adopt a holistic view of the performance measurement system in the food industry through incorporating sustainability pillars with traditional performance perspectives in the context of food loss. Practical implications: food loss generating from various causes along the supply chain means that more food should flow across the supply chains to reach consumers’ homes. This paper provides reassuring insights that will help the decision-makers in food companies to revise the performance measurement system in the context of food loss reduction. Social implications: reducing food loss will contribute to increasing food availability and decreasing food prices, which leads to strengthening economic and physical access for those people who are not able to get food. Consequently, it considers a mandatory step to enhance food security. Originality/value: to raise the significance of food loss reduction along the supply chain and to stress an urgent need to adopt a holistic view of the sustainability performance measurement system with a particular focus on the food loss issue.

Yes / Purpose: The COVID-19 outbreak has imposed extensive shocks embracing all stages of the food supply chain (FSC). Although the magnitude is still unfolding, the FSC responds with remarkable speed, to mitigate the disruptive consequences and sustain operations. This motivates us to investigate how operationalising supply chain agility (SCA) practices has occurred amid the COVID-19 crisis and expectations for how those practices could transform the supply chain in the post-COVID-19 era. Design: Following an exploratory case-based design, we examine the various agile responses that three supply chains (meat, fresh vegetables and bread) adopted and elaborate using the dynamic capability (DC) theoretical lens. Findings: First, the findings demonstrate how, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, each affected case pursued various agile responses through sensing and seizing capabilities. Sensing includes identifying and assessing the relevant opportunities and threats associated with the specific supply chain context. Seizing involves acquiring, combining and modifying the tangible and intangible resources at the firm and supply chain levels. Second, supply chain transformation is likely if firms and their supply chain develop the sustaining capability to ensure that the desirable changes outlast the crisis. Originality: This study provides a novel and unique perspective on the role of SCA in crisis—in this case, the pandemic. We synthesise the empirical stories of the agile responses in the FSC and elaborate on the DC framework, to identify theoretical and practical implications. We establish the sustaining capability as the missing DC capability for enabling transformation in the post-COVID-19 era. Practical contribution: This study provides an actionable guide for practitioners to develop agile responses to systemic changes in times of crisis and to sustain favourable changes so as to enable their outlasting the crisis. / Project 777742: EC H2020-MSCA-RISE-2017

Yes / Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the use, applicability and relevance of strategic planning as a process and tool when applied to exploring food security challenges, in the context of existing research on food security and food waste in the food supply chain. The issues associated with robust and resilient food supply chains within a circular economy are increasingly being seen as supportive of creating enhanced levels of food security but the authors argue that this is only sustainable when strategically planned as part of a cross-enterprise, information-rich and complex supply chain. The relevance of the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental (PESTLE) strategic planning tool is explored to establish whether it can play a role tacking the complexity of food insecurity (i.e. a lack of food security). Design/methodology/approach – This is a viewpoint piece therefore as a result, thought, normative literature and supposition are used as a means to ground and orientate the views of the authors. Findings – The authors identify and conclude that strategic planning tools like PESTLE across enterprises may not be relevant in supporting the reduction of food insecurity. This conclusion is predicated on the heightened level of complexity surrounding the pursuit of food security and the simplistic categorisation of PESTLE factors in a linear fashion that underpin this tool. Rather, the authors’ call for the use of strategic planning tools that are able to capture a large number of inter-related factors holistically. Practical implications – This insight to the inter-related factors that contribute to food insecurity will allow policy developers, decision makers and others to develop their understanding of how strategic planning can support increased levels of food security within a circular economy and across cross-enterprises. Originality/value – The authors contribute to the literature through a new insight of how normative strategic planning tools need to evolve in a complex, inter-connected world of international business and geo-politics. In doing so, it is expected that this research will motivate others to develop their line of enquiry around uncovering and exploring those inter-relationships connecting PESTLE factors.

Every year, several scandals occur in the food sector where approximately 600 millionpeople become ill with food related diseases. To counteract the problem and increasetransparency between producers and consumers, Blockchain technology can be usedto increase food security. A literature study of Blockchain provides a basis forpresenting advantages and disadvantages that an implementation may bring. Theliterature study shows that the implementation of Blockchain adds increasedtransparency but also adds an initial increased cost. The areas for improvement intransparency were that the traceability of the food becomes more controlled, whichleads to improved food safety. The increase in transparency leads to improvedtraceability and a better overview of production costs of food, which in turn facilitatestroubleshooting and identification of problems along the supply chain. Theconsequence of the increase in transparency is a reduction in costs in several areas.The disadvantage is that implementation costs are still very high and this is due to thefact that the level of experience in the area is still low, which leads to higher salaries.The work shows with the help of a SWOT analysis that Blockchain adds many positiveaspects that can have an effect on the food sector in a positive way, whiledisadvantages are more linked to costs, lack of knowledge and that the method is notsufficiently proven. / Årligen uppstår det flera skandaler inom livsmedelssektorn där ungefär 600miljoner människor blir sjuka med matrelaterade sjukdomar. För att motverkaproblemet och öka transparensen mellan producent och konsument kanBlockchainteknologin användas för att undersöka om matsäkerheten ändras.En litteraturstudie av Blockchain ger underlag för att framställa fördelar ochnackdelar som en implementering kan komma att tillföra. Litteraturstudienvisar att implementeringen av Blockchain tillför en ökad transparens men tillfören initialt ökad kostnad. Transparensens förbättringsområden var attspårbarheten på matvarorna blir mer kontrollerade som leder till attmatsäkerheten blir förbättrad. Transparensens ökning tillför en förbättradspårbarhet och bättre översyn över produktionskostnader av matvaror som isin tur underlättar felsökning och identifiering av problem längsförsörjningskedjan. Påföljden av transparens ökning är en kostnadsminskning iflera områden. Nackdelen är att implementeringskostnaden fortfarande ärväldigt hög och detta beror på att erfarenhetsnivån inom området är låg vilketleder till högre löner. Arbetet visar med hjälp av en SWOT-analys attBlockchain tillför många positiva aspekter som kan påverka livsmedelssektornpå ett positivt sätt medans nackdelar är mer kopplad till kostnader, brist påkunskap och att metoden inte är tillräckligt beprövad.