Understanding the Drivers of Industry 4.0 technologies to enhance supply chain sustainability: insights from the agri-food industry

Abstract

The sustainability of agri-food supply chains (AFSC) has been under significant threat from regional and global events (e.g., conflict, natural and human-made disasters, climate crises). In response to these sustained threats, the AFSC industry is seeking digital solutions using Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies to enhance the resilience and efficiency of supply chains. Despite the transformational potential of I4.0, there is limited understanding to why its adoption remains stubbornly low in the agri-food industry. To address this gap, this study draws on middle-range theory (MRT) and builds on nine selected case studies located in China, each of whom have invested in I4.0 technologies to improve the sustainability of their AFSC. Data is examined using thematic analysis, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, total interpretive structural modelling, and fuzzy cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification. This study identifies several new drivers of I4.0 that are unique to the agri-food industry and how I4.0 can contribute to the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of AFSC sustainability. The results have implications for AFSC researchers and practitioners with an interest in supply chain sustainability.

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ORCID for Carmen Lopez: orcid.org/0000-0002-5510-1920

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