Exploring the Factor that Determine Digital Transformation in Supply Chain of Perishable Agricultural Products: A Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55544/ijrah.5.4.15Keywords:
Perishable agriculture, Digital transformation, Supply chain, Technology adoption, Food traceabilityAbstract
The digital transformation of supply chains has become increasingly significant, particularly in the context of perishable agricultural products. These goods are time-sensitive and highly vulnerable to post-harvest losses, making efficient supply chain management crucial. This study explores the key factors that determine the adoption and implementation of digital technologies such as blockchain, IoT, AI, and cloud computing within the supply chains of perishable agricultural commodities. While digital tools offer potential to enhance transparency, reduce wastage, and improve coordination among stakeholders, the actual implementation remains uneven, especially in developing regions. This research investigates the technological, organizational, and environmental determinants influencing digital transformation by employing the Technology-Organization-Environment framework and the Resource-Based View. It further examines the roles and perspectives of various stakeholders, including farmers, distributors, logistics providers, and retailers, in adopting digital innovations. The study highlights both enablers and barriers such as infrastructure readiness, investment capability, stakeholder collaboration, and policy environment. Through this analysis, the research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics shaping digital transformation in the perishable agricultural sector. The findings aim to guide policymakers, agribusiness leaders, and technology developers in designing strategies that facilitate sustainable and inclusive digital adoption, ensuring enhanced food security, traceability, and economic efficiency. The study focuses on supply chains dealing with fruits, vegetables, dairy, and flowers, and acknowledges limitations related to regional diversity and access to digital infrastructure.
Downloads
References
Aung, M. M., & Chang, Y. S. (2014). Traceability in a food supply chain: Safety and quality perspectives. Food Control, 39, 172–184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.11.007
Bhatt, Y., & Zhang, J. (2022). Blockchain for food supply chains: A review of use cases. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 176, 121402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121402
Singh, R., Sharma, S., & Sharma, R. (2022). Horticulture 4.0: Adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in horticulture for sustainable farming. Applied Sciences, 12(24), 12557. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/24/12557
Lezoche, M., Hernandez, J. E., Díaz-Madroñero, M., Panetto, H., &Kacprzyk, J. (2020). Agri-food 4.0: A survey on digital technologies in agriculture. Computers in Industry, 117, 103187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2020.103187
Kumar, R., & Prakash, A. (2021). Adoption of IoT and blockchain for digital transformation in agri-food supply chains. Journal of Cleaner Production, 278, 123212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123212
Modgil, S., Gupta, S., &Stekelorum, R. (2021). AI and blockchain for sustainable food supply chains: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Production Research, 59(19), 5863–5889. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2020.1824088
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2021). Digital agriculture: Report for G20. https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/CB6638EN/
Dey, B. L., & Slade, E. L. (2020). Smart technologies in the agri-food sector: A systematic literature review. Agricultural Systems, 187, 102979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102979
Büyüközkan, G., & Göçer, F. (2018). Digital supply chain: Literature review and a proposed framework for future research. Computers in Industry, 97, 157–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2018.02.010
Caro, M. P., Ali, M. S., Vecchio, M., &Giaffreda, R. (2018). Blockchain-based traceability in Agri-Food supply chain management: A practical implementation. IoT Vertical and Topical Summit on Agriculture – Tuscany. https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.03107
Dabbene, F., Gay, P., &Tortia, C. (2014). Traceability issues in food supply chain management: A review. Biosystems Engineering, 120, 65–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2013.09.006
Hobbs, J. E. (2021). Food supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 68(2), 171–176. https://doi.org/10.1111/cjag.12237
Klerkx, L., Jakku, E., & Labarthe, P. (2019). A review of responsible digitalization in agriculture. Agricultural Systems, 176, 102653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2019.102653
Kamble, S. S., Gunasekaran, A., & Arha, H. (2019). Understanding the blockchain technology adoption in supply chains. International Journal of Production Research, 57(7), 2009–2033. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2018.1518610
Mangla, S. K., Luthra, S., & Jakhar, S. K. (2021). Sustainability in agri-food supply chain: Exploring the role of digital technologies. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 168, 105439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105439
Kumar, D., & Goyal, P. (2021). A review on Internet of Things (IoT) for smart agriculture. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing, 12, 8435–8455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652-020-02682-5
Béné, C. (2020). Resilience of local food systems and links to food security – A review. Food Security, 12, 805–822. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-020-01076-1
Liu, C., Xu, X., & Sun, J. (2021). Enhancing supply chain resilience through digital technologies: A systematic review. Journal of Business Logistics, 42(1), 57–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbl.12252
Patel, P., & Modi, S. (2020). Adoption of ICT tools in perishable agri-supply chain: A case study. Agricultural Economics Research Review, 33(1), 115–124. https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-0279.2020.00010.0
Avtar, R., et al. (2021). Digital agriculture for sustainable food systems. Sustainability, 13(10), 5471. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105471
Baryannis, G., Dani, S., & Antoniou, G. (2019). Predictive analytics and AI in supply chain management. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 137, 106024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2019.106024
Ghosh, S. K. (2020). The role of blockchain in the agri-food supply chain: A review. International Journal of Supply Chain Management, 9(3), 1–11. https://ojs.excelingtech.co.uk/index.php/IJSCM/article/view/5689
Jagtap, S., et al. (2023). Blockchain for agri-food supply chains: A literature review and future research agenda. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 179, 108073. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2022.108073
Mishra, P., & Malhotra, S. (2021). Digital platforms in agriculture: Drivers and barriers. Agricultural Economics Research Review, 34(2), 203–211. https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-0279.2021.00024.0
Iftekhar, A., Cui, X., & Truong, H. L. (2020). Application of Blockchain and IoT to Ensure Tamper-Proof Data for Food Safety. arXiv preprint. https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.01307
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). (2020). Digital opportunities in agricultural transformation. https://www.ifpri.org/publication/digital-opportunities-agricultural-transformation
H. Y., & Tang, V. (2023). Digital transformation for cold chain management in freight forwarding industry. The International Journal of Logistics Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-06-2022-0272
Gondal, M. U. A., et al. (2023). A secure food supply chain solution: Blockchain and IoT-enabled container for strawberry supply chain. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1294829
Mor, R. S., Singh, S., & Bhardwaj, A. (2018). Benchmarking the performance of Indian tomato supply chain: A system dynamics approach. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 25(6), 1821–1839. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-11-2017-0312
Büyüközkan, G., & Göçer, F. (2018). Digital supply chain: Literature review and a proposed framework for future research. Computers in Industry, 97, 157–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2018.02.010
Sharma, A., & Mahendru, M. (2021). Perishable product supply chain and digital intervention. Journal of Supply Chain Management Systems, 10(2), 14–28. https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/api/file/viewByFileId/1401887.pdf
Jagtap, S., et al. (2021). Opportunities of blockchain integration with digital technology in agri-food supply chains. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 166, 120643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120643
Queiroz, M. M., Telles, R., & Bonilla, S. H. (2019). Blockchain and supply chain management integration: A systematic review. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 25(2), 241–254. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-03-2018-0143
Raj, A., Dwivedi, G., & Srivastava, S. (2023). Role of artificial intelligence in transforming agri-food supply chains. Journal of Cleaner Production, 382, 135142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135142
Raut, R. D., Narwane, V. S., Gardas, B. B., & Narkhede, B. (2019). To evaluate barriers in adopting sustainable agriculture supply chain: A TISM approach. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 150, 104489. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104489
World Bank. (2019). The future of food: Digital technologies for food systems transformation. https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/481581548241784662/the-future-of-food-digital-technologies-for-food-systems-transformation
Bag, S., Pretorius, J.-H., & Gupta, S. (2021). Role of institutional pressures and resources in the adoption of big data analytics in agriculture supply chain: A case study approach. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 165, 120516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120516
Büyüközkan, G., & Göçer, F. (2018). Digital supply chain: Literature review and a proposed framework for future research. Computers in Industry, 97, 157–177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compind.2018.02.010
FAO. (2023). The State of Food and Agriculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org
Kamble, S. S., Gunasekaran, A., &Gawankar, S. A. (2020). Achieving sustainable performance in a data-driven agriculture supply chain: A review for research and applications. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 149, 119644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.119644
Tornatzky, L. G., & Fleischer, M. (1990). The Processes of Technological Innovation. Lexington Books.
Tsolakis, N. K., Keramydas, C. A., Toka, A. K., Aidonis, D. A., & Iakovou, E. T. (2014). Agrifood supply chain management: A comprehensive hierarchical decision-making framework and a critical taxonomy. Biosystems Engineering, 120, 47–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2013.10.014
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ms. Shivali Rathore, Dr. Sushil Chauhan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.















