Overcoming barriers to sustainable food supply chains: the role of rural organisation

Purpose: This paper is part of an on-going project relating to why and how to increase collaboration between food micro-producers. In this work we look at barriers perceived by independent farmers in Mexico (Sinaloa) during the development of their farming and commercial activities. Such barriers are often linked to the level of organisation among farmers, and we explore if this is a pertinent observation. Research Approach: Secondary data from a Mexican rural census are used. Such data are compared, by means of scatter diagrams, to recognise patterns between barriers perceived by farmers, level of organisation, access to support and training, and access to credit. This comparison is done at the municipality level in order to recognise if there is a geographical propensity to collaborate. Initial insights reflect the need for complementary research approaches, particularly when studying the impact of individual preferences in the sustainability of supply chains involving rural communities. Findings and Originality: Findings suggest (a) strong correlation between level of organisation among producers and additional access to resources (support, training and credit), and (b) not so strong correlation between frequency of perceived barriers and organisation or access to resources. This suggests that external funding is not enough to achieve farmers’ satisfaction in rural communities. Other drivers involve the social dimension of sustainable supply chains, something that has been discussed only tangentially in supply chains literature. Accordingly, the main contribution of this paper is that we shows specific examples were links between barriers’ perception among farmers and their level of organisation cannot be generalised; by doing so, we indicate the need for complementary research approaches when dealing with individuals’ preferences and expectations. Research Impact: Evidences are presented about how organisation between farmers may contribute to improve individual and collective performances. The research approach draws links between supply and value chains literature and the social dimension of sustainable development. The research procedure indicates the need for additional data in the census, but also limitations in this procedure to trigger change. A complementary approach seems also to be in need, as better economic performance does not seem to reduce the perception of barriers among farmers. Practical Impact: This on-going research suggests that in order to support organisation between farmers in rural communities, there is a need for complementary approaches to design public policy making. These approaches shall involve looking at individual actions and their contribution to collective development rather than the traditional approach focused on investing external resources

Exploring producers' motivations and challenges within a farmers' market

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore food producers' motivations and challenges whilst participating in short food supply chains (SFSCs). This paper compares findings with previous literature and investigates the topic in the context of producers' motivations. Design/methodology/approach The paper includes a literature review concerning producers' motivations to engage in SFSCs. A case study was designed to investigate motivations underlying producers' engagement in SFSCs, as well as the challenges that they face. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in a farmers' market located in Mexico. Thematic analysis is used to identify the principal issues for producers'. Propositions based on findings are presented. Findings Findings suggest that small, large, part-time and full-time producers are willing to engage with farmers' markets for diverse primary economic and non-economic motivations. Individual and collective challenges were also identified. Originality/value This research helps to explain producers' motivations and challenges within SFSCs in an under-researched context, namely a focus on producers' and in the Global South

Sustainability in Alternative Food Networks: A Systematic Literature Review

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to individuals’ organizing themselves and managing food systems in an ‘alternative’ and more sustainable way. Such emerging food initiatives are most commonly known as ‘Alternative Food Networks’ (AFNs). However, there is an ongoing debate concerning the extent to which AFNs facilitate social, economic and environmental change. There are criticisms of the overall sustainability promise of AFNs related to sufficiency of impact, possible counter effects and the relevance of impacts. Because empirical studies often only focus on specific sustainability issues or AFNs, it has been difficult to develop more robust theories about the relations between diverse AFNs arrangements and sustainability. Thus, the aim of this paper is to contribute towards reducing this knowledge gap through a systematic literature review on AFNs in relation to sustainability. We summarize main methodological approaches, the types of AFNs studied and sustainability dimensions addressed in literature to date. Findings serve as reference to propose opportunities for future research regarding sustainability in AFNs

Defining alternative food networks: A systematic literature review.

Over the past two decades, extensive research effort has been directed towards examining food initiatives that “somehow” differ from the ‘traditional’ or ‘conventional’. Such newly emerging food initiatives are known as ‘Alternative food networks’ (AFNs) and have been linked to broader concepts such as locality, quality, spatiality, embeddedness, sustainability and short food supply chains (SFSC). Farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture, box schemes, cooperatives, farm shops and other initiatives have been grouped under the AFNs umbrella. However, the literature has recognised that there is a lack of clarity with regards to the concept of AFNs (Hernández, 2009; Wilson, 2013), suggesting that it is indiscriminately used to describe systems that involve anything that the conventional does not. Thus, AFNs tend to be defined by what they are not, instead of what they actually are (Feenstra, 1997). Furthermore, the need to further examine the “alternativeness” of AFNs and the unique characteristics of such initiatives has been identified (Maye and Kirwan, 2010). Thus, the aim of this paper is to contribute towards reducing this knowledge gap through a systematic literature review on AFNs. A systematic literature review can serve as a means to advancing knowledge and facilitating theory and empirical development (Fisch and Block, 2018). In this paper, we will aim to provide some clarification of the concept of AFNs by conducting thematic analysis of the academic definitions given to AFNs in the existing literature

Adding 21st Century Skills through Experiential Learning: Delivering Operations Management to Undergraduate Students

The poster reports the experience of using a Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) approach in Operations Management (OM) education, with a focus on Industry 4.0 technologies, at a UK University. The UoL4.0 Challenge CBL approach is an initiative that implements CBL in an OM module. The OM module was designed to provide the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge to solve challenges concerning digital technologies implementations within real organizations. The Poster explores the effectiveness of the UoL4.0 Challenge in addressing experiential learning and evaluates the appropriateness of CBL to developing 21st Century Skills. Results suggest that the proposed CBL approach is an experiential learning approach that may increase students’ understanding of OM in real-life settings and can be conducive to students’ development of 21st century skills

On defining 'sustainability'. An impossible task?

Since its inception, the Sustainable Development Division (SDD) has run a track in the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering (IISE) Annual Conference. Different topics have been associated to this track. This indicates that a vast variety of ideas have been associated to the effort of developing sustainable Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) practices. These works have been revisited and categorized utilizing the Triple Bottom Line framework by topics and countries of origin, in an effort to recognize potential patterns. Findings suggest that establishing a unique definition for 'sustainability' in the context of IISE seems a futile enterprise. Increasing the variety of responses, rather than reducing it, appears to be a better strategy to disseminate principles, particularly those from the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals among IISE professionals

Integrating Industry 4.0 in Higher Education Using Challenge-Based Learning: An Intervention in Operations Management

Industry 4.0 is predicted to significantly transform the jobs and skill profiles of workers. Implications for higher education may involve dramatic changes in the demand for knowledge and skills. In response to this, a Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) intervention was designed with the aim of developing working skills for the future of work on undergraduate students by embedding the Industry 4.0 theme in the Operations Management curricula. The CBL intervention was implemented in two different academic terms at a UK university, and views from 302 undergraduate business students were captured using document analysis. The benefits are reported in terms of knowledge acquisition and the application and development of key desirable working abilities for the future. The results suggest that CBL increases students’ understanding of Industry 4.0 issues in real-life settings. It also provides an environment for soft-skills training for skills, including collaboration, communication, planning a problem-solving. This study provides a blueprint for the implementation of CBL in the Operations Management curricula. The study validates existing findings obtained from the application of CBL in other disciplines. Whilst the proposed CBL intervention might be easily replicated in business schools in the UK, the findings on students’ experiences might not be directly generalized to other contexts or disciplines

Sustainability in Alternative Food Networks: A Systematic Literature Review

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to individuals’ organizing themselves and managing food systems in an ‘alternative’ and more sustainable way. Such emerging food initiatives are most commonly known as ‘Alternative Food Networks’ (AFNs). However, there is an ongoing debate concerning the extent to which AFNs facilitate social, economic and environmental change. There are criticisms of the overall sustainability promise of AFNs related to sufficiency of impact, possible counter effects and the relevance of impacts. Because empirical studies often only focus on specific sustainability issues or AFNs, it has been difficult to develop more robust theories about the relations between diverse AFNs arrangements and sustainability. Thus, the aim of this paper is to contribute towards reducing this knowledge gap through a systematic literature review on AFNs in relation to sustainability. We summarize main methodological approaches, the types of AFNs studied and sustainability dimensions addressed in literature to date. Findings serve as reference to propose opportunities for future research regarding sustainability in AFNs

UoL4.0 Challenge 2019: Challenge-Based Learning as an approach to develop students' 21st Century digital skills, through UoL and businesses technology-based co-production

UoL4.0 Challenge 2019 is a challenge-based teaching and research project aimed at bringing together University of Lincoln students and Lincolnshire businesses to tackle real-life industry challenges. For the first edition of the project, challenges were related to the impact of Industry 4.0 on Lincolnshire businesses. The main goal was to enable a collaborative learning platform where all participants (students, teachers, businesses) could work together to identify how digital technologies may positively impact Lincolnshire’s economy. The challenge allowed students to solve real-life technology-based challenges, develop 21st century skills and share the experience with academics and members of Lincolnshire industry

Designing experiential learning activities with generative artificial intelligence tools for authentic assessment

Purpose: This article investigates the application of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in experiential learning for authentic assessment in higher education. Recognized for its human-like content generation, GenAI has garnered widespread interest, raising concerns regarding its reliability, ethical considerations and overall impact. The purpose of this study is to explore the transformative capabilities and limitations of GenAI for experiential learning. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses “thing ethnography” and “incremental prompting” to delve into the perspectives of ChatGPT 3.5, a prominent GenAI model. Through semi-structured interviews, the research prompts ChatGPT 3.5 on critical aspects such as conceptual clarity, integration of GenAI in educational settings and practical applications within the context of authentic assessment. The design examines GenAI’s potential contributions to reflective thinking, hands-on learning and genuine assessments, emphasizing the importance of responsible use. Findings: The findings underscore GenAI’s potential to enhance experiential learning in higher education. Specifically, the research highlights GenAI’s capacity to contribute to reflective thinking, hands-on learning experiences and the facilitation of genuine assessments. Notably, the study emphasizes the significance of responsible use in harnessing the capabilities of GenAI for educational purposes. Originality/value: This research showcases the application of GenAI in operations management education, specifically within lean health care. The study offers insights into its capabilities by exploring the practical implications of GenAI in a specific educational domain through thing ethnography and incremental prompting. Additionally, the article proposes future research directions, contributing to the originality of the work and opening avenues for further exploration in the integration of GenAI in education