A comprehensive analysis of digitalisation in the agri-food supply chain - with a special focus on food safety issues [védés előtt]

Freund, Anna

2025

Logisztika, termelésszervezés

Élelmiszertudomány, élelmiszervegyészet

Abstract My article-based dissertation deals with a comprehensive analysis of digitalisation in the agri-food supply chain (AFSC) introducing three published papers. The focal research topic is the relationship between food safety issues and the opportunities offered by digitalisation. The relevance of the topic is of key importance, since food safety has been endangered recently (e.g., Kinder scandal), however digital solutions to empower it seem to be emerging. The thesis examines the impact of digitalisation on food safety from a management perspective while applying a three-pillar perspective conducted by me (“decision-maker”, “funder”, and “technology provider”), contributing to the not-isolated analysis of the implementation of technological solutions. There is a mixed methodology applied to answer the three research questions. PhD-RQ-1: How does the relationship between available technological investment in the agri-food industry and the willingness of decision makers look like? is answered by using a two ways of systematic literature analysis (Paper Nr. 1 (Freund, 2022) uses a hybrid method analysing both academic and white paper, meanwhile Paper Nr. 2 (Freund, 2023) applies a bibliometric literature analysis method). PhD-RQ-2: Which digitalisation tools are used by food supply chain actors? is examined in Paper Nr. 2 and also Paper Nr. 3 (Nagy et al., 2020) contributes with its exploratory research methodology to the answer. PhD-RQ-3: How do food industry companies perceive the realisation of digitalisation and ICT based improvements in their operations and organisation? is purely answered in Paper Nr. 3 applying a case study methodology based on semi-structured interviews analysed upon a self-developed analysis framework. The findings of the dissertation aim to contribute to the existing literature with its comprehensive attitude. Its aim is to raise awareness of the importance of this issue among both the academic community, internal (e.g., owners, managers) and external (e.g., customers, government) stakeholders of food production and processing companies. The initial research scope focuses on traceability, which is of paramount importance in quality assurance, especially in the food industry. The first main finding that is derived from both the literature analysis and the case study methodology is that these AFSC members have to cope with the financial burden of these investments. This burden stems not only from financial investments but also from the costs of implementation and maintenance. After having bought the technological solution, a company also needs workforce who can operate them. This challenge concerns not only AFSC member applying the technology, but also the economic policy and the decision makers. Hungary is heavily influenced by the directives coming from the EU regarding the status of the agri-food sector. Developments towards ensuring food safety (and with a special focus, traceability) will be encouraged both at a national and international level. This direction affects all AFSC members, including consumers. The second comprehensive finding derived from the three papers introduced in the dissertation is the lack of innovative atmosphere. The analysed AFSC members seem to adopt digitalisation mainly because of regulatory compliance, and due to the regional and global challenges they can’t really focus on consciously implementing them to be able to compete on the market. There is also a gap between the field of emerging technological solutions (as the introduced papers show, the trend is supported by technology providers) and the AFSC members capabilities to adopt them in a short run. Here comes the importance of the policy-makers into the picture. Policy-makers at a national, and regional level have a key role in supporting the implementation of digital developments to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of AFSCs in their region. They must get to know the gap between the opportunities (emerged technologies) and the current status of AFSCs to be able to help them with legislative tools, while coordinating the digital changeover. The contribution of the thesis to the literature as a whole can be interpreted as perspective modifier. My dissertation provided a theoretical framework in form of the “legislative decision-maker”, “funder” and the “technology provider”, whose perspectives were analysed to examine the role of digitalisation as an enabler for food safety from a managerial perspective in the AFSC scope. The three studies are an important contribution to the literature on digitalisation in the agri-food industry, as they provide a practical perspective on how technological innovation is implemented in companies from different backgrounds. This means an interdisciplinary approach and complements the literature by exploring the technological, organisational, and regulatory context of digitalisation simultaneously.

angol

angol

magyar

angol

Disszertáció

NonPeerReviewed

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https://phd.lib.uni-corvinus.hu/1439/1/Freund_Anna_den.pdf

https://phd.lib.uni-corvinus.hu/1439/3/Freund_Anna_ten.pdf

https://phd.lib.uni-corvinus.hu/1439/4/Freund_Anna_thu.pdf

Freund, Anna (2025) A comprehensive analysis of digitalisation in the agri-food supply chain - with a special focus on food safety issues [védés előtt]. Doktori (PhD) értekezés, Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, Gazdálkodástani Doktori Iskola.

https://phd.lib.uni-corvinus.hu/1439/