Understanding transferable supply chain lessons and practices to a "high-tech" industry using guidelines from a primary sector industry: a case study in the food industry supply chain.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Coronado Mondragon AE
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4363611 | biostudies-other | 2015
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:The recent COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted most businesses and their supply chains. Due to the negative impacts of COVID-19, businesses have been facing numerous challenges. Among them, sustainability challenges are critical for any supply chain. In the literature, several studies have discussed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains; however, there is a significant research gap in analysing supply chain sustainability challenges amid the COVID-19 outbreak in a particular context. To fill this research gap, this study aims to develop a systematic approach to identifying and analysing COVID-19 outbreak-related supply chain sustainability challenges in the context of the Australian food processing sector. To achieve the aims, this paper develops a mixed-method approach consisting of both qualitative and quantitative techniques, namely online survey and the Best-Worst method. From the online survey among experts from the Australian food processing sector, 22 sustainability challenges were finalised and categorised into four categories, namely, economic, environmental, social and ethical, and operational challenges. The empirical findings from the exploratory investigation reveal that increased food processing cost, lack of transparency and traceability, increase in price of raw materials, lack of capital and physical resources, and spread of fake information are the top five sustainability challenges to the Australian food processing sector due to the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. The findings of this study will help decision-makers, practitioners, and policymakers by developing the policies, guidelines, and strategies to overcome the most impactful sustainability challenges to ensure sustainable recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.
| S-EPMC9899701 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Tanzania’s supply chain system is a complicated web of integrated and vertical systems, covering essential and vertical programs health commodities, laboratory and diagnostics, equipment, and supplies. Despite significant improvement in the supply chain over the decades, the availability of medicines has remained uneven. Therefore, identifying the cost of operating the supply chain is vital to facilitate allocation of adequate finances to run the supply chain. We adopted a three-step approach to costing, which included i) identification, ii) measurement, and (iii) valuation of the resource use. Two levels of the Tanzanian supply chain system were examined to determine the cost of running the supply chain by function. These included first the Medical Stores Department (MSD) central and zonal level, secondly the health service delivery level that include National, Zonal and regional hospitals and the Primary Health Care (District Hospital, health center and Dispensary). The review adopted the health system perspective, whereby all resources consumed in delivering health commodities were considered, resource use was then classified as financial and economic costs. The costing period was an average of two financial years, 2015/16 and 2016/17. The cost data were exchanged from Tanzania Shillings to 2017 US$ and then adjusted for inflation to 2020 US$. The study used the total sales reported in audited financial accounts for throughput value. The average annual costs of running the supply chain at the central MSD was estimated at USD$ 15.5 million and US$ 4.1 million at the four sampled MSD Zonal branches. There is a wide variation in annual running costs among MSD zonal branches; the supply chain’s unit cost was highest in the Dodoma zone and lowest in the Mwanza zone at 26% and 8%, respectively. When examined on a cost-per-unit basis, supply chain systems operate at sub-optimal levels at health facilities at a unit cost of 37% per unit of commodity throughput value. There are inefficiencies in supply chain financing in Tanzania. Storage costs are higher than distribution costs, this may imply some efficiency gains. MSD should employ a "just in time" inventory model, reducing the inventory holding costs, including the high-expired commodities holding charge, this could be improved by increasing the order fill rate.
| S-EPMC10022133 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionWe found no comprehensive studies on the location of transnational tobacco and leaf company (TTLC) subsidiaries (business entities they control) or the consequences of their presence on health policy.Aims and methodsHere we assess (1) the global reach of TTLCs by mapping their tobacco growing and manufacturing subsidiaries and (2) the relationship between in-country presence of the tobacco industry and their power and interference. Data on subsidiaries were collated through systematic searching for countries' supply chain activities in documents and web pages. Cross-sectional multiple regression analysis was used to assess the association between the number of agricultural and manufacturing TTLCs and the Tobacco Industry Interference score, and the degree to which these were mediated by tobacco control, good governance, and economic importance of tobacco.ResultsTTLC supply chain activity had global reach. As the number of TTLCs with tobacco growing and manufacturing activities rose, interference increased significantly. Interference was associated with poorer tobacco control. The association with more TTLCs undertaking final product manufacturing was related to higher-value tobacco exports but was not related to tobacco making a bigger contribution to the economy.ConclusionsTTLCs continue to control the global tobacco supply chain through their globe-spanning subsidiaries. The presence of TTLCs in a country is associated with political interference. Countries should consider their participation in the tobacco supply chain alongside the understanding that they are likely to cede political power to TTLCs, potentially undermining the health of their populations.ImplicationsTobacco control research has traditionally concentrated on the demand side of tobacco. Our results lend support to calls for more research on the supply of tobacco. Governments should require tobacco companies to provide detailed, up-to-date information in an easily accessible format on in-country supply chain activities. Policymakers should take the likelihood of political interference in health and environmental policy into account when making decisions about foreign direct investment offered by the tobacco industry.
| S-EPMC10664082 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Purpose: This review assessed the methodological quality of relevant food safety studies, investigated the available evidences for factors associated with safe food handling practices (SFHPs) and suggested required improvements.Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out in five databases. A pre-designed criteria was used for data extraction and quality assessment. Evidence synthesis was performed, based on specified criteria.Results: Out of a total of 1768 published research articles, 28 met the inclusion criteria. Strong evidence suggests that food handlers' knowledge and attitudes on food safety contribute to SFHPs. Moderate evidence exists about the association between a food handler's food safety training and SFHPs. Limited evidence is available about the influence of the educational level and work experience of a food handler, to SFHPs. Insufficient evidence exists about the association between socio-demographic characteristics and SFHPs. A conceptual framework is presented to illustrate the associations.Conclusions: Available evidence supports that in order to promote SFHPs, responsible authorities should focus on improving on the food safety knowledge and attitudes of food handlers. Future food safety studies may richly benefit from overcoming the methodological shortcomings presented in this review.
| S-EPMC6985409 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeIn the context of the food industry, this research investigates the impact of green supply chain management (GSCM) on environmental health. This helps the practitioners and policy makers in mitigation of the supply chain (SC) risks and enhance the environmental health level.Design/methodology/approachThe study's model was structured using GSC risk factors of green purchasing, environmental cooperation, reverse logistics, eco design, internal environmental management, and investment recovery. A questionnaire-based survey was used to examine the proposed model; 102 data from the senior managers of food firms in Lebanon were collected. Using SPSS and AMOS statistical software, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and multiple regressions have been applied.FindingsThe outcome of structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that four of six GSC risk factors were significantly related to environmental health. The study findings can be applied to the external level through many green practices in cooperation with suppliers and customers like the collaboration with them on environmentally friendly design, purchasing, production, packaging and using less energy. This can increase the level of environmental health by decreasing the impact of SCM risks. Regarding the internal level, many procedures and decisions may lead to an environmentally friendly ambience in the firms like the commitment of GSCM practices from the management and the implementation of internal eco-performance evaluation system. This may enhance the environmental health provisions by setting up an action plan to mitigate the GSC risk and address the sustainable health objectives.OriginalityThe paper's distinctiveness comes from the fact that it fills a gap in the literature regarding the few numbers of studies that treat the green supply chain management GSCM as mitigation solution for the risks of SCM. In addition, there were no studies explain the relationship between GSCM and environmental health; this will be the first time the assess the impacts of GSCM practices on environmental health in the food industry.
| S-EPMC9970908 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global health supply chains including manufacturing, storage, and delivery of essential medicines, testing kits, personal protective equipment, and laboratory reagents. We sought to document how pandemic impacted the procurement, prices, and supply chain of medical products in Zimbabwe.MethodsWe conducted semistructured in-depth key informant interviews with 36 health system stakeholders in Zimbabwe involved in medicine procurement. Respondents included pharmacists, regulatory officers, and procurement and supply chain management professionals from public and private sectors.ResultsBefore the COVID-19 pandemic, respondents described experiencing long-standing resource constraints, medicine shortages, foreign currency shortages, and supply chain inefficiencies. The pandemic exacerbated this situation due to supply constraints, export restrictions, medicine shortages, and movement restrictions that disrupted logistical and stock management systems. Competitive bidding and tendering processes experienced reduced participation by international suppliers. Significant price increases were initially observed among internationally shipped medicines and for personal protective equipment to cover additional freight costs. COVID-19 pandemic impacts were moderated by reduced patient demand and lower health services utilization, resulting in fewer supply shocks and less price volatility. Further, health system adaptations such as switching treatment regimens, modifying dispensing schedules based on stock availability, redistributing stock of medicines among facilities, and new service delivery models such as integrated outreach services helped ensure continued patient access to medicines.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the need for policies that ensure continuity in access to health services and medical products, even during a pandemic, by avoiding blanket restrictions on medical product exports and imports. Pooled procurement, especially at regional and global levels, with long-term service agreements may help achieve greater resiliency to supply and price shocks from supply chain disruptions. Interventions across manufacturing, trade, and regulatory policy and service delivery models are also needed for supply chain resiliency.
| S-EPMC10615236 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The primary vector of the dengue fever virus, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is distributed across the tropical and sub-tropical latitudes; however, the area at risk of infection has been expanding steadily. This study aimed to identify the industries most vulnerable to the effects of dengue fever by 2030. The assessment was done by considering the international supply chain, with aspects such as the labor intensity, and the relevant geographical and socioeconomic aspects being taken into account. In addition, multi-regional input-output tables were employed to analyze the ripple effects of productivity losses resulting from workers contracting the disease. The results indicate that more than 10% of the workers involved in the supply chain of all the major industries in the United States (USA), China, Japan, and Germany could be considered at risk of contracting dengue fever by 2030. Moreover, the risk was even higher in India and Brazil, namely, more than 70%. The effect of widespread dengue fever infection could influence industrial activities severely, not only in the regions most at risk (India and Brazil) but also in the other regions (USA, Japan, and Germany). Labor-intensive industries, such as agriculture, fisheries, and the distribution sector are particularly at risk and will have to consider appropriate contingency measures. It is recommended that the downstream side of the supply chain, the industries in the USA, Japan, and Germany, supports the introduction of worker's health management system against the infectious disease into their business partners. This study employed limited data and only estimated the possible effects of the disease by 2030. Further comprehensive analysis is required with more data modeled for the future to verify and enhance the reliability of the present results.
| S-EPMC7089289 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Covid-19 had shown the vulnerability of the food supply chain and fraudsters may take advantage of the pandemic whilst the population needed a continuous supply of safe and quality food. The lack of monitoring and policing in the food supply chain may encourage fraudsters to upscale their operations. Previous studies had warned of a surge in fraudulent products due to COVID-19. This raised the question on whether food fraud had increased during the pandemic? This study aims to investigate food fraud during COVID-19 and how the food supply chain develops mitigating strategies against fraudulent activities. A mixed-method approach including survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted among UK food businesses. Two hundred and two agri-food businesses responded to the survey and 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The majority of the food businesses did not experience an increase of food fraud activities during COVID-19. Two thematic domains and ten sub-themes were identified from the data set. There was a heightened sense of anticipation and preparation for increased fraudulent activities during the pandemic. The main risk mitigating strategies included horizon scanning; developing and maintaining supplier relationship and assurance; understanding product characteristics, testing capabilities, conducting vulnerability assessments and training. Practical and cost-effective strategies for small and medium food businesses were recommended. This is the first empirical study on food fraud and mitigating strategies of the UK food supply chain during the pandemic. Our findings provide evidence for informing the policies and practices of the food regulatory authorities as well as best practices to protect the UK food supply chain against food fraud during exogenous shocks like COVID-19.
| S-EPMC9894533 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundFAO/WHO have encouraged national governments to create food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) to support healthy diets. However, little is known about the extent to which food supply composition aligns with FBDGs, thereby structurally supporting or undermining population-level adherence. It is also unclear how this alignment has evolved over time. The aim of this study was to determine to what extent the global food supply aligns with FBDGs, and to examine historical trends.MethodsDescriptive time series analysis of food supply alignment (FSA), 1961-2013. FSA was characterised as a ratio dividing country-level food supply data by FBDG across four food groups: fruit and vegetables (FV); sugar (SU); fish and seafood (FS); and red and processed meat (RP). FBDG data was collected from guidance produced by international bodies, and from countries with published FBDGs. The food supply was estimated using yearly FAOSTAT data. A population-weighted average of this ratio was created for all countries included in the analysis, and stratified by region and country income.FindingsFBDGs from 89 countries were included. Of those, 80% had country guidelines for FV, 34% for SU, 44% for FS, and 21% for RP. FSA (1.0 = perfect alignment) based on global guidelines showed a higher supply than recommended for FV (1.2), SU (1.2) and RP (1.1). FSA based on country guidelines showed a lower supply than recommended for FV (0.9) and a higher supply than recommended for SU (2.3), RP (2.3) and FS (1.4). FSA also showed substantial differences in levels and trends across region and country income.InterpretationAs of 2013, food supplies were not aligned with national and international FBDGs and misalignment persisted across five decades with subtantial variation in trends based on geography and country income. The long running nature of these trends suggest that the transition toward sustainable and healthful food systems represent a signifiant global challange. Additionally, acknowledging the degree of misalignment between macro-level structural factors, such as the composition of the food supply, in relation to national or global food policy aims may further aid efforts for population level adherence.
| S-EPMC8283034 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Reducing food loss and waste (FLW) is widely recognized as an important lever for lowering the environmental impacts of food systems. The United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda includes a goal to reduce FLW by 50% by 2030. Given differences in resource inputs along the food supply chain (FSC), the environmental benefits of FLW reduction will vary by stage of the FSC. Here, we identify the points along the supply chain where a 50% FLW reduction could yield the largest potential environmental benefits, assuming that decreases in consumption propagate back up the supply chain to reduce production. We use an environmentally extended input-output (EEIO) model combined with data on rates of FLW to calculate the scale of the total environmental impacts of the U.S. food system resulting from lost or wasted food. We evaluate the maximum potential environmental benefit resulting from 50% FLW reduction at all possible combinations of six supply chain stages (agricultural production, food processing, distribution/retail, restaurant foodservice, institutional foodservice, and households). We find that FLW reduction efforts should target the foodservice (restaurant) sector, food processing sector, and household consumption. Halving FLW in the foodservice sector has the highest potential to reduce greenhouse gas output and energy use. Halving FLW in the food processing sector could reduce the most land use and eutrophication potential, and reducing household consumption waste could avert the most water consumption. In contrast, FLW reduction at the retail, institutional foodservice, and farm level averts less environmental impact. Our findings may help determine optimal investment in FLW reduction strategies.
| S-EPMC7295203 | biostudies-literature