This study carried out a bibliometric analysis to critically review the evolution of the agri-food supply chain (AFSC) research field over the period of 2008–2019. A set of 1236 articles was analyzed from the Web of Science database. Besides using different analytical scientometric tools (topic mapping, co-citation, co-authorship and overlay visualization networks), this study identified frequently-used keywords, new and hot research topics and frequently-studied supply chain management (SCM) practices. Frequently used keywords are food supply chain, food waste, sustainability, food safety, SCM, food industry, and food security. New research themes include contract, blockchain, internet of things, resilience, and short food supply chain, a topic that demands further research especially due to the international COVID-19 pandemic and the need of farmers to be closer to the consumers. Hot research topics, that is, subjects that have been studied in highly cited papers were also identified include life cycle assessment, environmental impact, packaging, water use, food waste prevention, food waste generation, blockchain and carbon footprint. Among SCM practices, this study observed that risk and sustainable SCM are frequently used keywords. Procurement and reverse logistics were observed in fewer studies. SCM, food waste, food quality, GHG emissions and risk management are sustainable SCM practices frequently observed.
Keywords: Agri-food supply chain | Bibliometric analysis | Co-authorship | Co-citation analysis | Scientometrics | Supply chain management practices

With the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chains are today confronted with more uncertainties than ever before. In the face of unanticipated disruptions, being resilient and sustainable has been rewarding for supply chains in terms of competitive advantage. However, literature is still far from possessing an en compassing sustainable supply chain framework (SSCF). As a contribution to the extant literature, the present study expounds a prominent concept termed negative entropy and explores its role in the SSCF. To accomplish this goal, the effect of negative entropy on supply chain sustainability is tested. Following the open systems theory and drawing from the collaboration and information management aspects of the negative entropy, co-creation, open innovation and network governance concepts which are considered to be relevant in this context are selected to be the antecedents of negative entropy. The empirical research is conducted on prominent logistics service providers and firms from various sectors with approved research and development departments in Turkey. The obtained data were subjected to covariance-based structural equation modeling analysis via Lisrel program. According to results, negative entropy is found to be a robust element in explaining supply chain sustainability. Furthermore, whereas co-creation and network governance reflected significant effects on negative entropy, surprisingly, open innovation demonstrated no substantial impact. This paper opens up a new front in sustainable supply chain management studies with a notable empirical study introducing negative entropy in the context of open systems theory.© 2021 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Supply chain sustainability | Resilience | Negative entropy | Co-creation | Open innovation | Network governance

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation measures have disrupted global systems that support the health, food and nutrition security, and livelihoods of billions of people. These disruptions have likewise affected the small-scale fishery (SSF) sector, disrupting SSF supply chains and exposing weaknesses in the global seafood distribution system. To inform future development of adaptive capacity and resilience in the sector, it is important to understand how supply chain actors are responding in the face of a macroeconomic shock. Comparing across seven SSF case studies in four countries, we explore how actors are responding to COVID-19 disruptions, identify constraints to adaptive responses, and describe patterns of disruption and response across cases. In all cases examined, actors shifted focus to local and regional distribution channels and particularly drew on flexibility, organization, and learning to re-purpose pre-existing networks and use technology to their advantage. Key constraints to reaching domestic consumers included domestic restrictions on movement and labor, reduced spending power amongst domestic consumers, and lack of existing distribution channels. In addition, the lack of recogni- tion of SSFs as essential food-producers and inequities in access to technology hampered efforts to continue local seafood supply. We suggest that the initial impacts from COVID-19 highlight the risks in of over-reliance on global trade networks. The SSFs that were able to change strategies most success- fully had local organizations and connections in place that they leveraged in innovative ways. As such, supporting local and domestic networks and flexible organizations within the supply chain may help build resilience in the face of future macroeconomic shocks. Importantly, bolstering financial wellbeing and security within the domestic market both before and during such large-scale disruptions is crucial for supporting ongoing supply chain operations and continued food provision during macroeconomic crises.
Keywords: Small-scale fisheries | COVID-19 | Adaptive capacity | Supply chain | Resilience | Global seafood distribution system

Context: Resilience represents the ability of systems to anticipate, withstand, or adapt to challenges. Times of great stress and disturbance offer opportunity to identify and confirm key contributors to agri-food system resilience. The COVID-19 pandemic and its related consequences constituted major shock, challenging the resilience of many agri-food systems worldwide.
Objective: This paper aimed to report the immediate effects of the COVID-19 crisis on various key actors from Flemish food supply chains. By analysing and assessing the observed impacts of and reactions to this crisis from a resilience perspective, it also aimed to gain empirical evidence on resilience-enhancing characteristics of agri-food systems to sudden shocks.
Methods: A first, quantitative step of our mixed method approach measured 718 farmers’ experienced impacts and applied strategies following the crisis through an online survey. A second, qualitative step captured impacts and responses from other key actors downstream the food supply chain through 22 in-depth interviews and 18 on-line questionnaires. Data gathering and interpretation followed a conceptual framework for analysing resilience of agri-food systems to external challenges, that we developed based on the literature. The framework states that resilience actions stem from three types of resilience capacities: anticipatory, coping and responsive capacities. These are determined by both resources allocated by system actors, as well as by resilience attributes from the system.
Results and conclusions: The COVID-19 crisis induced a simultaneous dropped demand for food products in the hospitality industry and risen demand in retail. This shifted demand significantly disturbed food production, processing and marketing processes in terms of labour organization, planning, operation, logistics, and economic returns. Perceived impacts varied extensively across actors from the agri-food system, mostly depending on their marketing strategy, customer base, and flexibility and diversity of their practices. Reported reactions to this crisis revealed that resilience capacities varied according to actors’ abilities to negotiate prices, adjust production processes, and maintain or reorient sales. Some agri-food sectors showed higher responsive capacity because of a higher connectivity and self-organization within the system.
Significance: Our findings suggest that flexibility and diversity, despite their tendency to diminish price optimums, increase resilience capacities, which may be more beneficial to systems for thriving in turbulent and uncertain environments. A more tangible, operationalized understanding of resilience is necessary to effectively improve agri-food system resilience. Our conceptual framework proved a valuable tool for operationalizing resilience assessments to major shocks.
Keywords: COVID-19 | Farmers | Resilience | Shocks | Agri-food system | Food supply chain