No Cover Image

Journal article 9 views

Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers

Guoqing Zhao Orcid Logo, Chenhui Ye, Nasiru Zubairu Orcid Logo, Kaliyan Mathiyazhagan, Xiongyong Zhou

Journal of Environmental Management, Volume: 373, Start page: 123856

Swansea University Author: Guoqing Zhao Orcid Logo

Full text not available from this repository: check for access using links below.

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123856

Abstract

With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, pressure on global natural resources will increase by 50–90%, exceeding planetary boundaries. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies are widely considered feasible for resolving the conflict between population growth and natural resources....

Full description

Published in: Journal of Environmental Management
ISSN: 0301-4797 1095-8630
Published: Elsevier BV 2025
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68626
first_indexed 2025-01-09T20:34:00Z
last_indexed 2025-01-09T20:34:00Z
id cronfa68626
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2025-01-08T13:36:31.0464499</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>68626</id><entry>2024-12-30</entry><title>Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>2ff29aa347835abe2af6d98fa89064b4</sid><ORCID>0009-0003-9537-9016</ORCID><firstname>Guoqing</firstname><surname>Zhao</surname><name>Guoqing Zhao</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2024-12-30</date><deptcode>CBAE</deptcode><abstract>With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, pressure on global natural resources will increase by 50&#x2013;90%, exceeding planetary boundaries. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies are widely considered feasible for resolving the conflict between population growth and natural resources. However, their adoption by the agri-food industry has been slower than in manufacturing and automotives. Their fragmented, non-comprehensive, and atheoretical nature of scholarly research relating to I4.0 and the circular economy (CE) impede practitioners' deeper understanding. Grounded in grand theory, we analyze enablers of I4.0 deployment to achieve CE in agri-food supply chains (AFSCs). We thematically analyze data collected from 32 Chinese AFSC practitioners through semi-structured interviews to identify 27 enablers. We then implement a group-based fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (GFAHP) to prioritize these enablers based on the opinions of 10 decision makers. Our results differ from most existing studies. First, we find that AFSCs' successful deployment of I4.0-enabled CE depends on the collective efforts of environmental factors, supply chains, organizations, and individuals. China's hierarchical cultural value orientation is the &#x201C;lubricant&#x201D; linking these factors to achieve synergies. Second, our prioritization results show that success depends heavily on environmental factors and organizations, and relatively little on supply chains and individuals. Enablers such as willingness to learn new knowledge, knowledge of I4.0 and CE, rural revitalization policy, new infrastructure construction policy, and enhanced digital skills are prioritized amongst the 27 identified enablers. This study has limitations, such as generalizability, that should be addressed in future research.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Journal of Environmental Management</journal><volume>373</volume><journalNumber/><paginationStart>123856</paginationStart><paginationEnd/><publisher>Elsevier BV</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>0301-4797</issnPrint><issnElectronic>1095-8630</issnElectronic><keywords>Circular economy; Industry 4.0 adoption; Agri-food supply chains; Grand theory; Group-based fuzzy analytic hierarchy process; China</keywords><publishedDay>1</publishedDay><publishedMonth>1</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2025</publishedYear><publishedDate>2025-01-01</publishedDate><doi>10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123856</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Management School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>CBAE</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal)</apcterm><funders>The authors acknowledge that this research received funding from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI) of the Sultanate of Oman under the Block Funding Program. MoHERI Block Funding Agreement No MoHERI/BFP/RGP/EI/23/234.</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-01-08T13:36:31.0464499</lastEdited><Created>2024-12-30T23:07:15.5675256</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Management - Business Management</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Guoqing</firstname><surname>Zhao</surname><orcid>0009-0003-9537-9016</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Chenhui</firstname><surname>Ye</surname><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Nasiru</firstname><surname>Zubairu</surname><orcid>0000-0003-0142-4211</orcid><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Kaliyan</firstname><surname>Mathiyazhagan</surname><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Xiongyong</firstname><surname>Zhou</surname><order>5</order></author></authors><documents/><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2025-01-08T13:36:31.0464499 v2 68626 2024-12-30 Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers 2ff29aa347835abe2af6d98fa89064b4 0009-0003-9537-9016 Guoqing Zhao Guoqing Zhao true false 2024-12-30 CBAE With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, pressure on global natural resources will increase by 50–90%, exceeding planetary boundaries. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies are widely considered feasible for resolving the conflict between population growth and natural resources. However, their adoption by the agri-food industry has been slower than in manufacturing and automotives. Their fragmented, non-comprehensive, and atheoretical nature of scholarly research relating to I4.0 and the circular economy (CE) impede practitioners' deeper understanding. Grounded in grand theory, we analyze enablers of I4.0 deployment to achieve CE in agri-food supply chains (AFSCs). We thematically analyze data collected from 32 Chinese AFSC practitioners through semi-structured interviews to identify 27 enablers. We then implement a group-based fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (GFAHP) to prioritize these enablers based on the opinions of 10 decision makers. Our results differ from most existing studies. First, we find that AFSCs' successful deployment of I4.0-enabled CE depends on the collective efforts of environmental factors, supply chains, organizations, and individuals. China's hierarchical cultural value orientation is the “lubricant” linking these factors to achieve synergies. Second, our prioritization results show that success depends heavily on environmental factors and organizations, and relatively little on supply chains and individuals. Enablers such as willingness to learn new knowledge, knowledge of I4.0 and CE, rural revitalization policy, new infrastructure construction policy, and enhanced digital skills are prioritized amongst the 27 identified enablers. This study has limitations, such as generalizability, that should be addressed in future research. Journal Article Journal of Environmental Management 373 123856 Elsevier BV 0301-4797 1095-8630 Circular economy; Industry 4.0 adoption; Agri-food supply chains; Grand theory; Group-based fuzzy analytic hierarchy process; China 1 1 2025 2025-01-01 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123856 COLLEGE NANME Management School COLLEGE CODE CBAE Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) The authors acknowledge that this research received funding from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI) of the Sultanate of Oman under the Block Funding Program. MoHERI Block Funding Agreement No MoHERI/BFP/RGP/EI/23/234. 2025-01-08T13:36:31.0464499 2024-12-30T23:07:15.5675256 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Management - Business Management Guoqing Zhao 0009-0003-9537-9016 1 Chenhui Ye 2 Nasiru Zubairu 0000-0003-0142-4211 3 Kaliyan Mathiyazhagan 4 Xiongyong Zhou 5
title Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers
spellingShingle Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers
Guoqing Zhao
title_short Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers
title_full Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers
title_fullStr Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers
title_full_unstemmed Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers
title_sort Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers
author_id_str_mv 2ff29aa347835abe2af6d98fa89064b4
author_id_fullname_str_mv 2ff29aa347835abe2af6d98fa89064b4_***_Guoqing Zhao
author Guoqing Zhao
author2 Guoqing Zhao
Chenhui Ye
Nasiru Zubairu
Kaliyan Mathiyazhagan
Xiongyong Zhou
format Journal article
container_title Journal of Environmental Management
container_volume 373
container_start_page 123856
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
issn 0301-4797
1095-8630
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123856
publisher Elsevier BV
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Management - Business Management{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Management - Business Management
document_store_str 0
active_str 0
description With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, pressure on global natural resources will increase by 50–90%, exceeding planetary boundaries. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies are widely considered feasible for resolving the conflict between population growth and natural resources. However, their adoption by the agri-food industry has been slower than in manufacturing and automotives. Their fragmented, non-comprehensive, and atheoretical nature of scholarly research relating to I4.0 and the circular economy (CE) impede practitioners' deeper understanding. Grounded in grand theory, we analyze enablers of I4.0 deployment to achieve CE in agri-food supply chains (AFSCs). We thematically analyze data collected from 32 Chinese AFSC practitioners through semi-structured interviews to identify 27 enablers. We then implement a group-based fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (GFAHP) to prioritize these enablers based on the opinions of 10 decision makers. Our results differ from most existing studies. First, we find that AFSCs' successful deployment of I4.0-enabled CE depends on the collective efforts of environmental factors, supply chains, organizations, and individuals. China's hierarchical cultural value orientation is the “lubricant” linking these factors to achieve synergies. Second, our prioritization results show that success depends heavily on environmental factors and organizations, and relatively little on supply chains and individuals. Enablers such as willingness to learn new knowledge, knowledge of I4.0 and CE, rural revitalization policy, new infrastructure construction policy, and enhanced digital skills are prioritized amongst the 27 identified enablers. This study has limitations, such as generalizability, that should be addressed in future research.
published_date 2025-01-01T08:31:25Z
_version_ 1821302992064741376
score 11.342048

Similar Items