Tackling post-harvest waste: mapping barriers to sustainable agri-food supply chains in developing economies

Abstract

Post harvest waste (PHW) is a significant threat to the sustainable agri food supply chains. It can be occurred in different stages but in developing countries food waste is basically occurred early stages of the supply chain. The purpose of this study is to identify the barriers for sustainable logistics network of vegetable supply chains (VSC) in developing economy perspective by examine the Sri Lankan VSC and develop the interrelationship between them. 12 barriers were identified and derived the connections among barriers under 6 levels using the Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) method. Barriers are clustered into four categories according to their driving and dependent power through the MICMAC analysis. Both analyses are verified that technological issues, lack of communication platform and lack of trained personnel in VSC are root causes for the unsustainability of the logistics network in VSC in developing economies.