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Digitalization in Food Supply Chains: A Bibliometric Review and Key-Route Main Path Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Abderahman Rejeb

    (Doctoral School of Regional Sciences and Business Administration‚ Széchenyi István University‚ 9026 Gyor, Hungary)

  • Karim Rejeb

    (Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Zarzouna, Bizerte 7021, Tunisia)

  • Alireza Abdollahi

    (Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management, Kharazmi University, Tehran 1599964511, Iran)

  • Suhaiza Zailani

    (Department of Management, Faculty of Business and Ecocomics, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50203, Malaysia)

  • Mohammad Iranmanesh

    (School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup 6027, Australia)

  • Morteza Ghobakhloo

    (School of Economics and Business, Kaunas University of Technology, 44249 Kaunas, Lithuania
    Graduate School of Business, Universitiy Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Malaysia)

Abstract

Technological advances such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data, social media, and geographic information systems represent a building block of the digital transformation that supports the resilience of the food supply chain (FSC) and increases its efficiency. This paper reviews the literature surrounding digitalization in FSCs. A bibliometric and key-route main path analysis was carried out to objectively and analytically uncover the knowledge development in digitalization within the context of sustainable FSCs. The research began with the selection of 2140 articles published over nearly five decades. Then, the articles were examined according to several bibliometric metrics such as year of publication, countries, institutions, sources, authors, and keywords frequency. A keyword co-occurrence network was generated to cluster the relevant literature. Findings of the review and bibliometric analysis indicate that research at the intersection of technology and the FSC has gained substantial interest from scholars. On the basis of keyword co-occurrence network, the literature is focused on the role of information communication technology for agriculture and food security, food waste and circular economy, and the merge of the Internet of Things and blockchain in the FSC. The analysis of the key-route main path uncovers three critical periods marking the development of technology-enabled FSCs. The study offers scholars a better understanding of digitalization within the agri-food industry and the current knowledge gaps for future research. Practitioners may find the review useful to remain ahead of the latest discussions of technology-enabled FSCs. To the authors’ best knowledge, the current study is one of the few endeavors to explore technology-enabled FSCs using a comprehensive sample of journal articles published during the past five decades.

Suggested Citation

  • Abderahman Rejeb & Karim Rejeb & Alireza Abdollahi & Suhaiza Zailani & Mohammad Iranmanesh & Morteza Ghobakhloo, 2021. "Digitalization in Food Supply Chains: A Bibliometric Review and Key-Route Main Path Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-29, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2021:i:1:p:83-:d:708637
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Agnieszka A. Tubis & Katarzyna Grzybowska & Bartosz Król, 2023. "Supply Chain in the Digital Age: A Scientometric–Thematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-25, July.
    2. Xiangzhen Peng & Xin Zhang & Xiaoyi Wang & Haisheng Li & Jiping Xu & Zhiyao Zhao, 2022. "Multi-Chain Collaboration-Based Information Management and Control for the Rice Supply Chain," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-26, May.
    3. Teng, Yuanyang & Zheng, Jianzhuang & Li, Yicun & Wu, Dong, 2024. "Optimizing digital transformation paths for industrial clusters: Insights from a simulation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).

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