Circular economy adoption challenges in the food supply chain for sustainable development

Food loss and waste are major issues in the food industry, and they affect all stages of the food supply chain (FSC). Food loss and waste are linked to environmental deterioration, economic loss, and an increase in hunger. Therefore, the food industry requires sustainable consumption and production (SCP) to reduce losses and waste. The circular economy (CE) concept has become a popular strategy for reducing food waste and boosting sustainability. Therefore, with efficient reverse logistics in the FSC, food producers can help achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) like SCP and zero hunger. In literature, minimal research has been available in identifying the CE adoption challenges in FSC. This research identifies 15 critical challenges from the literature and discussion with the panel of experts. The relationship between the challenges has been established through an interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique. The challenges were characterized in cause–effect according to their relational intensity obtained using the grey decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. Grey's relational theory is applied in DEMATEL to minimize uncertainty and vagueness of the expert judgment. The findings of this study suggest that creating policy from the government, providing incentives, and strictly enforcing environmental regulations are the most critical challenge. Hence, by focusing on the above, the effective adoption of the CE principle is achieved. This result also suggests that by addressing the challenges of CE, corporate social responsibility (CSR) can be performed. This study provides some recommendations for the practitioners to adopt CE towards sustainable development targets

Barriers to adoption of industry 4.0 and sustainability: a case study with SMEs

The concepts of sustainable supply chains and Industry 4.0 are progressively getting attention in different domains. Companies have started developing and implementing these practices in their business models. However, several challenges influence the adoption of sustainability and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study aims (i) to identify the adoption barriers of sustainability and I4.0 and (ii) establish the interrelationship among these barriers for SMEs. An extensive literature search supported by interviews with supply chain practitioners from three SMEs identified 12 critical barriers to adoption. The barriers are then ranked using “Interpretive Structural Modeling.” The results suggest that the “lack of resources” and the “lack of employee’s competence/experts” are the most influencing barriers. Changing government regulations on the allocation of capital and financial incentives for SMEs to encourage training and skills development programs could promote sustainable supply chains and practices. The study also reflects short-, medium- and long- term planning strategies for supply chain practitioners for adoption of sustainability and I4.0 in SMEs

Antecedents for blockchain technology-enabled sustainable agriculture supply chain

Blockchain can solve the problems that the agriculture supply chain (ASC) is facing to achieve sustainable growth. In a nation like India, blockchain application in the supply chain is still new; therefore, supply chain players need a better understanding and awareness of blockchain through valuable insights. This article aims to study the mediating role of blockchain technology adoption (BLCT) for sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP). This study investigates the influence of numerous factors such as green and lean practices, supply chain integration, supply chain risk, performance expectancy, top management support, cost, internal and external environmental conditions, regulatory support, and innovation capability on BLCT adoption. A sample of 316 respondents from Indian ASC industries was collected, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used. This study's outcomes show that green and lean practices, supply chain integration, supply chain risks, internal and external conditions, regulatory support, innovation capability, and cost positively influence BLCT adoption. Moreover, BLCT positively influences sustainable agriculture supply chain performance. This article is valuable for policymakers, managers, service providers, researchers, and academicians to understand the role of factors in influencing BLCT and BLCT's role in improving sustainable supply chain performance (SSCP)

Effects of Sorafenib on Intra-Tumoral Interstitial Fluid Pressure and Circulating Biomarkers in Patients with Refractory Sarcomas (NCI Protocol 6948)

Purpose: Jain Sorafenib is a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor with therapeutic efficacy in several malignancies. Sorafenib may exert its anti-neoplastic effect in part by altering vascular permeability and reducing intra-tumoral interstitial hypertension. As correlative science with a phase II study in patients with advanced soft-tissue sarcomas (STS), we evaluated the impact of this agent on intra-tumor interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), serum circulating biomarkers, and vascular density. Patients and Methods: Patients with advanced STS with measurable disease and at least one superficial lesion amenable to biopsy received sorafenib 400 mg twice daily. Intratumoral IFP and plasma and circulating cell biomarkers were measured before and after 1–2 months of sorafenib administration. Results were analyzed in the context of the primary clinical endpoint of time-to-progression (TTP). Results: In 15 patients accrued, the median TTP was 45 days (range 14–228). Intra-tumoral IFP measurements obtained in 6 patients at baseline showed a direct correlation with tumor size. Two patients with stable disease at two months had post-sorafenib IFP evaluations and demonstrated a decline in IFP and vascular density. Sorafenib significantly increased plasma VEGF, PlGF, and SDF1$\alpha$ and decreased sVEGFR-2 levels. Increased plasma SDF1$\alpha$ and decreased sVEGFR-2 levels on day 28 correlated with disease progression. Conclusions: Pretreatment intra-tumoral IFP correlated with tumor size and decreased in two evaluable patients with SD on sorafenib. Sorafenib also induced changes in circulating biomarkers consistent with expected VEGF pathway blockade, despite the lack of more striking clinical activity in this small series

A comprehensive and systematic review of multi-criteria decision-making methods and applications in healthcare

Healthcare decision-making has often been viewed as a complex multi-dimensional problem due to medical, technological, social, ethical, economic, and environmental factors along with multiple and conflicting objectives and the participation of different stakeholders. Several multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques have been successfully deployed to resolve this issue, providing transparent, consistent, accurate, and timely solutions. This paper reviews 140 journal articles published during 2013-2022 (available in the Scopus database) on MCDM applications in healthcare decision-making. Those articles are subsequently categorized into 11 application areas, i.e., (a) supply chain management, (b) medical device and material selection, (c) disease identification and treatment, (d) healthcare information system, (e) logistics, (f) operations management in healthcare, (g) healthcare quality evaluation, (h) risk management, (i) waste management, (J) COVID-19, and (k) miscellaneous. Their contents are also critically analysed​ concerning year-wise, journal-wise, institution-wise, and country-wise publications, authors’ nationality, MCDM techniques employed, other mathematical tools considered for criteria weight measurement and uncertainty modelling, and relation with other keywords. The analysis identifies Waste Management as the most explored area; Computers and Industrial Engineering, Journal of Cleaner Production, and Sustainability as the most popular journals; Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, as the most contributing university; and India as the most productive country in respect of several authors and co-authors; and analytic hierarchy process as the most popular MCDM tool. It would help healthcare professionals understand how other researchers have efficiently explored the benefits of various MCDM tools in solving healthcare-related decision-making problems

Enablers to achieve zero hunger through IoT and blockchain technology and transform the green food supply chain systems

Food security necessitates a multifaceted strategy, ranging from social protection to providing healthy food. Change in existing food systems is needed to create a more equitable and sustainable society. Hunger is one of the significant challenges in the world that arise due to food insecurity, bad quality, food waste, and losses that leads to damage of public health. The implementation of green food supply chain management (GFSCM) practices in the food supply chain helps in lowering food wastage, carbon emissions, food quality, and safety. To strengthen food security/safety and quality, digital transformation of the supply chain is required, and IoT and blockchain can help in achieving this. Digital transformation of GFSCM has helped to improve food security, safety and quality control. This study identifies modern enablers of food security, safety and quality that transform the GFSCM through Internet of things (IoT) and blockchain to reduce hunger. Zero hunger goal is far behind in India as India reported 117th rank in hunger index, indicating an urgent need to study the digital transformation in green food supply chain towards achieving food quality and security. In this study twelve enablers out of 16 suggested in earlier literatures has been selected and reconfirmed with the feedback of seventeen academia and Industrial experts from Indian food supply chain. We used a two-step combined Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and Analytical Network Process (ANP) technique to examine the enablers contextual interrelationships and significance weights. Findings reveal that IoT and blockchain technologies are the main actuators of the contemporary GFSCM enabling system. ISM provides eight core enablers system that can transform the GFSCM digitally to achieve food quality and security along with achieving zero hunger (SDG2). Inventory management is the least ranked enabler, whereas IoT and blockchain are the top two. Towards achieving zero hunger, some management, theoretical, and policy implications have been suggested

Blockchain drivers to achieve sustainable food security in the Indian context

Blockchain has the potential to improve sustainable food security due to its unique features like traceability, decentralized and immutable database, and smart contract mechanisms. However, blockchain technology is still in the early stages of adoption in particular in agricultural applications. In this context, this article aims to identify blockchain drivers to achieve sustainable food security in the Indian context and model them using an integrated MCDM (Multiple Criteria Decision Making) approach. The blockchain adoption drivers are identified through an exhaustive literature review and opinions from domain experts from industry, academia, and Agriculture Supply Chain (ASC) stakeholders. Subsequently, the integrated MCDM approach is developed by combining Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) and Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), which does not only investigate the interrelation between the identified constructs and builds hierarchy but also determines the intensity of the causal interrelationships. At a later stage, Fuzzy Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) is used to cluster the identified drivers to evaluate the importance of each driver. The results reveal that Traceability, Real-time information availability to agro-stakeholder, and Decentralized and immutable database are the most significant drivers. Policymakers, governmental organizations and other relevant stakeholders may utilize the information about the interrelationship between these drivers and their influential power, to frame suitable strategies for enhancing the adoption rate of blockchain in the Indian ASC

Design of multi-objective sustainable food distribution network in the Indian context with multiple delivery channels

The paper addresses the design of a sustainable multiple-channel fresh food distribution network, which serves three purposes. Firstly, it addresses the changing preferences of consumers for online retailing. Secondly, the model investigates the distribution network of Buy Online Pickup in Store (BOPS) in the context of food supply chain. Thirdly, the model formulates new farming laws passed by the Indian government which allows the farmers to sell their produce as per their choice and removes the constraint of selling in the government regulated Mandis. To address the problem, a multiple-channel multi-objective fresh food distribution network model is developed. The model takes sustainability into consideration by formulating economic (total cost minimization), environmental (emission minimization) and social (delivery time minimization) objectives. A combination of an epsilon constraint and linear programming (LP) metrics method is used to solve the model. The applicability of the model is verified through a case study of a fresh tomato supply chain in India. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to evaluate the different distribution strategies. Results show that demand ratio plays an important role in the identification of the optimal design with respect to the three objectives considered