International Agrifood Chains And Networks

"This book brings together a rich collection of material on management and organization in agri-food chains and networks. Producers, processors, traders and retailers of agricultural and food products operate in an economic and institutional environment that is increasingly dominated by global developments. Therefore, organizing efficient and effective supply chains as well as managing collaboration among participating firms requires an international perspective. This book presents theoretical and practical insights from many different parts of the world. Topics covered include classical supply chain management issues like logistics, information exchange (e.g. tracking and tracing), quality control, safety assurance, and chain performance. Other timely issues covered are joint innovation, and shared responsibility for sustainability in agri-food supply chains. Special attention is given to issues of governance and organization of chains and networks, for example, by focussing on the role of producer organisations (such as farmer cooperatives) in their effort to combine horizontal and vertical collaboration in the international upply chain. This book is relevant for both academics and managers interested in the latest advances in research on management and organization of international agri-food chains and networks."

tracking and tracing), quality control, safety assurance, and chain performance.

Food has a fundamental position in society, ensuring health, happiness and political stability. Consequently, the management of food chains and networks is one of the most important aspects of the modern food industry. Yet food is difficult to handle along long supply chains, with a limited window for storage and handling time, and the risk of spoiling if incorrectly handled or processed. These issues can lead to logistical problems that can severely affect product quality and freshness. Intelligent Agrifood Chains and Networks offers a timely discussion of the current state of food logistics, and indicates the major ICT problems that can occur during production, warehousing, transportation and retailing. Emphasis is given to new technologies and intelligent systems that are able to process time-dependent information, handle emergencies, and support logistics operations in food management. In particular, the authors show how telematics and RFID can be implemented in the supply chain. The book also includes real-life case studies, in which actual food logistics problems and their solutions are presented, demonstrating how systemic and logistics approaches may be combined. The book is directed at academics, researchers, and students seeking the necessary background in terms of the interplay between the food supply chain and ICT. Its comprehensive review of current issues in the food supply chain will be of interest to managers and technicians working in the food industry, while its technological focus will be invaluable to food scientists and technologists working in research and industry environments.

Within the international agri-food community at least four theoretical targets are attracting increasing attention. They are: (1) the established notions of networks and commodity chains that are being revisited by way of critical engagement informed by the insights of in-depth empirical work, (2) the metrics of calculation and institutional embedding that underpin the rise and functionality of governance technologies, (3) the place of regional networking in creating conditions that make possible agri-food producer participation in local provisioning and supply, and (4) the geo-historical dimensions of interconnection and interdependency in the agri-food sphere. This volume brings together an interdisciplinary team of anthropologists, economists, business and management academics and geographers to examine a wide range of case studies illustrating various agri-food commodity chains and networks around the world and to discuss how they link globally.

An interdisciplinary framework for managing sustainable agrifood supply chains Supply Chain Management for Sustainable Food Networks provides an up-to-date and interdisciplinary framework for designing and operating sustainable supply chains for agri-food products. Focus is given to decision-making procedures and methodologies enabling policy-makers, managers and practitioners to design and manage effectively sustainable agrifood supply chain networks. Authored by high profile researchers with global expertise in designing and operating sustainable supply chains in the agri-food industry, this book: Features the entire hierarchical decision-making process for managing sustainable agrifood supply chains. Covers knowledge-based farming, management of agricultural wastes, sustainability, green supply chain network design, safety, security and traceability, IT in agrifood supply chains, carbon footprint management, quality management, risk management and policy- making. Explores green supply chain management, sustainable knowledge-based farming, corporate social responsibility, environmental management and emerging trends in agri-food retail supply chain operations. Examines sustainable practices that are unique for agriculture as well as practices that already have been implemented in other industrial sectors such as green logistics and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Supply Chain Management for Sustainable Food Networks provides a useful resource for researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, regulators and C-level executives that deal with strategic decision-making. Post-graduate students in the field of agriculture sciences, engineering, operations management, logistics and supply chain management will also benefit from this book.

This book offers a coherent view on agri-food supply chains by discussing the possibilities and limitations of quantifying performance, risks and investments in the agri-food chain. A wide variety of approaches was used to analyze the complex systems of agri-food supply chains and develop appropriate models for management decision support. Research gaps and discussion points are identified by an international forum of researchers.

"Companies in food- and agribusiness chains and networks are facing ever-faster changes in the business environment, to which they must respond through continuous innovation. Societal concerns regarding animal welfare and environmental issues have to be met in a very competitive, increasingly global environment. The growing concern of consumers regarding the quality, traceability and environmental friendliness of products and processes call for fundamentally new ways of developing, producing and marketing products. New ways of organizing food supply networks, with new ties between firms and even between formerly separate sectors -such as the health and the food sector- are needed to cope with these new demands. This publication focusses on the dynamic response to these changes in chains and networks. Important topics include among others: critical success factors for design and control of innovative chains and networks, globalization of the business environment, effects of institutional and policy change, governance structures, technologies for managing interaction and design of information architectures for chains and networks."

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) rely primarily on local production and processing practices for the provision of food and are, in principle, more sustainable in social, economic and environmental terms than supply chains where production and consumption are widely separated. This book reviews and assesses recent initiatives on this topic from an interdisciplinary perspective. In theoretical terms it draws on and advances two key concepts, namely, place (particularly embeddedness in local economic networks and communities) and governance (particularly in addressing sustainability concerns in an inclusive and socially just manner). Empirically, the book examines a diverse set of SFSCs such as small-scale entrepreneurship, farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture and grassroots and solidarity networks. The main examples discussed are from Europe and North America, but the issues are applicable in a global context. The book is of interest to advanced students, researchers and professionals in food studies, sociology, geography, planning, politics and environmental studies.