Prospects, Challenges and Sustainability of the Agri-Food Supply Chain in the New Global Economy II

In the new global era, the process “from farm to fork” as a holistic approach to the production and consumption of food will become a key factor for the sustainability and progress of the food industry. The subject of the agri-food supply chain (AFSC) is becoming more and more important not only from a scientific but also from a business point of view since it provides the means for a regular food supply worldwide. We initiated the series of special editions of AFSC a year ago with the first edition entitled “Innovative Agrifood Supply Chain in the Post-COVID 19 Era” [1]. This Special Issue [2] is focused on 11 selected topics from different parts of the A.S.C. in view of the post-COVID-19 era, expanding from innovative scientific insights and technological advances of natural resources, the identification of organic pollutants, new food product development, traceability, and packaging, chain management, to consumer’s attitudes and eating motivations, aiming to tackle the foreseen changes of global economy and society.

The topic of AFSC is extremely interesting; therefore, major reviews publications were published both during and after the pandemic within the years 2001–2023 presented here:

Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a key role in the future of AFCS; therefore, scientific developments on the subject are critical challenges. Monteiro and Barata evaluated 18 papers highlighting mature areas for AI adoption, identifying opportunities for future research in the extended AFSC [3] The bibliometric analysis revealed that the AI in traditional stages of production need to be expanded using intelligent planning for demand uncertainty and personalized needs of end-customers, storage optimization, waste reduction in the post-production phase, and boundary-spanning analytics. For practice, the findings of the AI inspired startups dealing with AFSC ecosystems and incumbents in their projects for the intelligent and sustainable digital transformation of agri-food, with AI techniques contributing to closing the loop of sustainable agri-food supply chains.

Circular economy (CE) is a topic with potential solutions for social, economic, and environmental challenges, but with limited engagements yet to explore its initiatives in the AFSC. Mehmood et al. addressed the gap by critically reviewing the existing literature and identifying the drivers and barriers for implanting the CE in the AFSC [4]. They found that environmental (67%), policy and economic (47%), and financial benefits (43%) are the top three drivers. However, institutional (64%), financial (48%), and technological risks (40%) are the top three barriers in implementing CE practices in the AFSC. Indeed, there is the utmost need for international communities to introduce internationally accepted standards and framework for CE practices to be used globally to eliminate waste, particularly in the agriculture sector, and for government intervention to stimulate CE initiatives playing a critical role in the transition process.

Harvest and production planning for food crops is another key factor for AFSC sustainability and prospect. Tugce and Bilgen reviewed the optimization models used extensively in providing insights to decision makers on related issues [5]. Based on the reviews evaluated, a new classification scheme has been developed and analyzed via three sections: the problem scope, model characteristics, and modeling approach. These clearly show the gaps in the literature and determine research opportunities and future directions. The main conclusion of this review is the need for more studies on integrated decisions in AFSC and the need for a closer relationship between academia and stakeholders in order to generate more applied research.

Blockchain technology (BKCT) is a major parameter generating prospects in the future for AFSC. Srivastava and Dashora explored and analyzed the recent applications published on the subject matter, with a systematic in-depth literature analysis of papers from 2016 to 2021 [6]. The findings highlight the issue of food safety, traceability, transparency, eliminating intermediaries, and integrating the Internet of things with BKCT as prominent applications in the agrifood sector. The challenges of BKCT as identified in the review study are scalability, privacy, security, lack of regulations, and a lack of skills and training.

Industry 4.0 (I 4.0) is a paradigm adopted increasingly often by companies belonging to different industries, including the AFSC industry, thus providing challenges and prospects for the future. Bigliardi et al. explored the various applications of 4.0 technologies in the agri-food sector, reviewing the recent publications between 2018 and 2022, with the aim of understanding what are the new trends and changes in the sector [7]. The analysis led to the identification of three marco-areas, namely: (a) agribusiness technology transition, (b) supply chain management 4.0, and (c) sustainability and other trends. The incorporation of I 4.0 elements can help tackle many challenges facing the AFCS industry. These can help increase productivity and offer consumers more customized products. Concerning the challenge of sustainability, a deep focus on digital skills can favor the achievement of sustainable development goals, among which is the urgency to solve the problem of world hunger.

Ecodesign concepts for sustainable food product development across the supply chain reducing the environmental impact of AFCS products are reviewed by Silva et al. [8]. Based on their evaluation of the existing literature, they suggest that the relevant ecodesign principles fall into three main categories depending on the supply chain stage: “design for sustainable sourcing (DFSS)”, “design for optimized resource use (DFORU)”, and “design for end-of-life optimization (DFEO)”. Applying this framework across the supply chain could significantly reduce the environmental impact of food production and indirectly contribute to dietary change.

A number of papers on various subjects of AFSC have already been published in 2023. Imran et al. investigated the deployment of specific knowledge management practices in the AFSC and found that firms’ knowledge management practices work sequentially (knowledge acquisition, assimilation, and application) and develop a risk management culture in order to achieve supply chain resilience and minimize supply chain risks [9]. Zhao et al. showed that power and national culture are critical knowledge mobilization factors with the greatest ability to elicit other factors for focal companies of AFSCs and government [10]. Sharma et al. revealed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence facilitating conditions, interfirm trust and transparency are the drivers of blockchain adoption and have a significant impact on the behavioral intention of stakeholders of the AFSC companies [11]. Yontar investigated critical success factor analysis of blockchain technology in AFSC management and found that the “ability to prevent food waste”; “increased food security”; and “product life-cycle tracking” are factors that take priority in their ranking among the 12 factors studied [12]. Stevens and Teal developed revenue-based measures of firms’ vertical (across the supply chain segment) and horizontal (within the supply chain segment) diversification, and found that diversification increases firms’ resilience within the AFSC [13]. Fornes et al. studied the management of quality, supplier selection, and cold-storage contracts in AFSC and found that based on different scenarios, the value of the stochastic solutions shows that modeling and solving the proposed stochastic model minimizes costs by an average of around 6.4%, and the expected value of perfect information demonstrates that using a proactive strategy could cost up to 9% [14]. Pardaev et al. assessed the impact of risk on economic integration between entities in AFSC and found that applying “written contract” and “insurance” to collaborative relationships to reduce risk levels has been shown to reduce risks to coefficients of 0.6 [15]. Esteso et al. proposed a tool based on a system dynamics model to determine the robustness of an already designed five-stage fresh AFSC and its planting planning to disruption in demand, supply, transport, and the operability of its nodes [16].

In this second special edition, selected subjects on the prospects, challenges, and sustainability of the AFCS in the new global economy which are emerging are presented. The driving force of the chain is no doubt the end users of the food namely the consumers and their preferences, characteristics, etc. Five papers cover topics relevant to this subject:

Skalkos and Kalyva reviewed recent findings on food choice motives by consumers based on 10 main key food motives, namely, health, convenience, sensory appeal, nutritional quality, moral concerns, weight control, mood and anxiety, familiarity, price, and shopping frequency behaviour. These motives continue to be significant in the post-pandemic era, and their findings indicate that it is too premature to give definite answers as to what food choice motives in the post-COVID-19 era will be like.

Guine et al. investigated the level of knowledge about edible insects (EIs) in a sample of people in thirteen countries. The questionnaire survey concluded that the level of knowledge about EIs is highly variable according to the individual characteristics, namely that the social and cultural influences of the different countries lead to distinct levels of knowledge and interpretation of information, thus producing divergent approaches to the consumption of insects.

Crawshaw and Piazza explored the views of the livestock farmers’ attitudes, compared with no farmers population, regarding emerging protein alternatives in UK using four products (plant-based burgers; plant-based milk alternatives; cultured beef; animal-free dairy milk). Overall farmers rated the four products less appealing and less beneficial to the industry compared to non-farmers. Both groups tended to agree that the alternatives offered advantages, particularly for the environment, resource use, food security, and animal treatment, though agreement rates were lower for farmers. Farmers tended to perceive more barriers to acceptance than non-farmers, with ‘threat to farmers’ and ‘lack of support to local farmers’ being of paramount concern to both groups.

Ranga et al. explored the acceptance amongst consumers and farmers in Ireland of insect-based feed (IBF). The research proved showed that information on the benefits of using IBF increased its acceptance, which means that IBF acceptance might depend on dedicated educational interventions which include addressing the safety aspect of the feed even among those with higher level of education.

Skalkos et al. explored consumers’ perception of semi-hard and hard cheeses in Greece in the new global era. Using a self-response questionnaire survey through Google, they found that there is no significant change in consumers’ motives today for these types of cheese except for a significant decline in consumption, reaching up to 8.4%, and concluded that in order to maintain sustainability and growth, one should stick to the good practices of production, promotion, and sales developed before the pandemic, exploring. However, new avenues and practices to increase consumption have been explored, which are currently declining.

New, innovative product development is also a key challenging factor for both future prospects and sustainability of the AFSC. Two papers are presented on this subject:

Slabu et al. synthesized renewable products with potentially interesting properties and application by functionalizing linseed oil via epoxidation and epoxy ring opening with carboxylic acids and anhydrides. LDHs (Layered Double Hydroxides), a well-known class of materials, were used for a wide range of reactions; these are the catalysts used in this study, with the overall advantages of facile separation and reusability.

Matran et al. produced a sustainable food product for the special purpose of nutrivigilance, as an adjuvant in the repair of the gastric mucosa. Through the development of forestry for the cultivation of white or black mulberry (Morus alba and Morus nigra), the raising of silkworms (Bombyx mori), the processing of fibroin to obtain natural silk, and the processing of sericin as a residue in the textile industry, the new food product was developed in order to actively contribute to the global economy.

Two papers from this Special Issue explore selected issues related to the chain process and relationship between the key players:

Hsieh and Luh explored contract farming for the agriculture sector dominated by smallholder farms partnered with modern distributors for higher returns in Taiwan. The findings suggest that the marginal treatment effects are generally in an increasing trend as the quantile increases, implying that the economic effects of contract farming or partnership with modern distributors are more pronounced for higher returns among rice farmers.

Guine et al. investigated the gaps in the updated knowledge of beekeepers and how these can be filled through lifelong learning via a survey conducted in seven European countries. This work revealed valuable information that should be used to design professional training actions to help the professionals in the beekeeping sector enhance their competencies and be better prepared to manage their activities successfully.

Three more papers have been presented, each considering various subjects:

Piglowski and Niewczas–Dobrowolska examined rapid alert systems for food and feed (RASFF) notifications for products of plant origin with respect to hazard, year, product, notifying country, origin country, notification type, notification basis, distribution status, and actions taken in 1998–2020 in selected countries. The study proved that to ensure the safety of food of plant origin, it is necessary to adhere to good agricultural and manufacturing practices, involve producers in the control of farmers, ensure proper transport conditions (especially from Asian countries), ensure that legislative bodies set and update hazard limits, and ensure their subsequent control by the authorities of EU countries.

Michalaki et al. examined the bioactivity of grape skin from extracts of small-berried muscat and Augustiatis from the island of Samos, Greece. The total phenolic content, antiradical activity, the inhibition of plasma oxidation and platelet aggregation, and the phenolic profile were examined. The specialized bioactivities found in both wine grape skin extracts from Samos were significant, giving them added value for further use as bioactive food ingredients in other food products.

Tsoumani et al. investigated the potential interconnection between the place of cultivation of Greek oregano samples and the composition and properties of their essential oils (EOs), identifying characteristic chemical features that could differentiate between geographical origins with the use of chemometric tools. The application of the cross-validation method resulted in high correct classification rates in both geographical groups studied (93.3% and 82.7%, respectively), attesting to a strong correlation between location and oregano EO composition.

List of Contributions

• Skalkos, D.; Kalyva, Z.C. Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Choice Motives: A Systematic Review. Sustainability 2023, 15, 1606. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021606.
• Guiné, R.P.F.; Florença, S.G.; Costa, C.A.; Correia, P.M.R.; Ferreira, M.; Cardoso, A.P.; Campos, S.; Anjos, O.; Chuck-Hernández, C.; Sarić, M.M.; et al. Investigation of the Level of Knowledge in Different Countries about Edible Insects: Cluster Segmentation. Sustainability 2022, 15, 450. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010450.
• Crawshaw, C.; Piazza, J. Livestock Farmers’ Attitudes towards Alternative Proteins. Sustainability 2023, 15, 9253. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129253.
• Ranga, L.; Noci, F.; Vale, A.P.; Dermiki, M. Insect-Based Feed Acceptance amongst Consumers and Farmers in Ireland: A Pilot Study. Sustainability 2023, 15, 11006. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411006.
• Skalkos, D.; Bamicha, K.; Kosma, I.S.; Samara, E. Greek Semi-Hard and Hard Cheese Consumers’ Perception in the New Global Era. Sustainability 2023, 15, 5825, https://doi:10.3390/su15075825.
• Slabu, A.I.; Banu, I.; Pavel, O.D.; Teodorescu, F.; Stan, R. Sustainable Ring-Opening Reactions of Epoxidized Linseed Oil in Heterogeneous Catalysis. Sustainability 2023, 15, 4197. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054197.
• Matran, I.M.; Tarcea, M.; Rus, D.C.; Voda, R.; Muntean, D.-L.; Cirnatu, D. Research and Development of a New Sustainable Functional Food under the Scope of Nutrivigilance. Sustainability 2023, 15, 7634. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097634.
• Hsieh, M.-F.; Luh, Y.-H. Is Contract Farming with Modern Distributors Partnership for Higher Returns? Analysis of Rice Farm Households in Taiwan. Sustainability 2022, 14, 15188. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215188.
• Guiné, R.P.F.; Oliveira, J.; Coelho, C.; Costa, D.T.; Correia, P.; Correia, H.E.; Dahle, B.; Oddie, M.; Raimets, R.; Karise, R.; et al. Professional Training in Beekeeping: A Cross-Country Survey to Identify Learning Opportunities. Sustainability 2023, 15, 8953. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118953.
• Pigłowski, M.; Niewczas-Dobrowolska, M. Hazards in Products of Plant Origin Reported in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) from 1998 to 2020. Sustainability 2023, 15, 8091. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108091.
• Michalaki, A.; Iliopoulou, E.N.; Douvika, A.; Nasopoulou, C.; Skalkos, D.; Karantonis, H.C. Bioactivity of Grape Skin from Small-Berry Muscat and Augustiatis of Samos: A Circular Economy Perspective for Sustainability. Sustainability 2022, 14, 14576. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114576.
• Tsoumani, E.S.; Kosma, I.S.; Badeka, A.V. Chemometric Screening of Oregano Essential Oil Composition and Properties for the Identification of Specific Markers for Geographical Differentiation of Cultivated Greek Oregano. Sustainability 2022, 14, 14762. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214762.