PurposeThis study aims at identifying a set of determinants that affect halal food purchase intention and measures the relative ranks of these determinants in purchasing halal food among Muslim consumers in India.Design/methodology/approachInterpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach has been employed in the research, which is an expert opinion-based approach. The opinions of experienced academicians and marketing professionals have been recorded for reaching to the conclusions. Matrice d' impacts croises multiplication appliqué an classement (MICMAC) analysis has also been applied to examine the driving and dependent power of these determinants.FindingsDriver power–dependence matrix reveals that although knowledge of halal and attitude are weak drivers, yet they are strongly dependent upon other determinants. These two variables are at the top of the ISM digraph hierarchy. Food safety and halal labeling have strong driving power, as well as strong dependence. Three determinants, namely brand origin, religiosity and price, have strong driving powers and weak dependence. These variables lay at the bottom level of the ISM model.Practical implicationsThis study provides a better understanding of the determinants of halal food purchase intention. This will help the marketers for making appropriate and effective product design and other marketing strategies suited to the needs of the consumer.Originality/valueThis is the first study that examines the interrelationships between determinants and relative rank of these determinants in halal food purchase, using ISM approach and MICMAC analysis.

The world is grappling with unexpected and unknown financial crises by a deadly Coronavirus. Everyday news is coming up with a further spread of Coronavirus with more number of deaths and infections, nearly 190 countries and territories have reported Coronavirus cases. Adverse effects of this lethal virus have been experiencing in developed and developing economies equally. Travel and tourism, hospitality, food and beverage sector, and stock market are severely impacted. The article attempts an in-depth analysis of how the disease is affecting transport, hospitality, food and beverage, and the stock market. Governments across the countries have issued an advisory to their citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to stop the further spread of the Coronavirus, many countries have canceled the visa of passengers belonging to Coronavirus prone countries. Due to the fear-mongering environment, people are afraid to travel, due to all these reasons, the transport sector is about to lockdown. According to the International Air Transport Association, the aviation industry may lose between 63 billion dollars and the broad impact can go to 112 billion dollars.

This paper attempts to analyse the impact of COVID‐19 lockdown on wholesale prices of the agricultural commodities particularly fruits and vegetables in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. This study is based on the daily data collected from AGMARKNET of all major agricultural markets under the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC). The difference in weighted wholesale prices has been analysed before and during COVID‐19 and across various phases of the lockdown. The analysis of the difference in the weighted average wholesale prices across markets and commodities has shown a mixed response. The most hydrating perishable fresh fruits and vegetables with high water content have faced a significant decline in wholesale prices during the lockdown. On the contrary, other perishable fruits and vegetables have realized a gain in the average wholesale prices. The weighted average wholesale price has also declined over the phases of the lockdown. This study provides timely feedback for preparing all the stakeholders of the agricultural marketing chain to understand and formulate coping strategies to make the system resilient.

Economists have argued that role of agriculture is pivotal for economic development of the nation. Worldwide studies have shown that agriculture sector is more effective in reducing hunger and poverty than other sectors. This study is an attempt to ascertain the importance of agriculture in the economic growth of West Bengal. Agriculture, being the source of livelihood and supplier of raw material to various industries, triggers economic growth of the nation. This paper exhibits how agriculture has contributed to West Bengal's economic excellence using empirical data and a cointegration analysis. The role of agriculture is examined on four contributions: (a) product contribution (forward linkage), (b) market contribution (backward linkage), (c) factor contribution, and (d) foreign exchange contribution. The composition and growth of the sectors and its association with other sectors is analyzed using time series analysis. Findings of the study revealed that agriculture sector has appeared as an important contributor to drive West Bengal economic growth even after declining share in gross state domestic product over the years. Empirical analysis reveals that agriculture is having long run causal linkages with industry, services, and overall economic growth in West Bengal.

PurposeBlockchain is an evolving technology that has an impact on a variety of industries and related operations including food supply chain. There are several challenges associated in the implementation of blockchain in the food supply chain. As a result, the goal of this research is to identify and analyse the barriers associated with the implementation of blockchain in food supply chains.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive literature review is conducted to identify 16 primary barriers associated with the implementation of blockchain technology in the food supply chain and experts finalise these identified barriers and further categorise them into four groups. Furthermore, the best worst method is used to prioritise the finalised barriers.FindingsThe findings suggest that “technological barriers” and “organisational barriers” are primary barriers among the identified barriers for the implementation of blockchain. These barriers could be mitigated through supply chain collaboration, efficient blockchain technology development through research and development, and increasing technical competence.Research limitations/implicationsIn terms of limitation, there is a possibility that some barriers were overlooked in the literature review process, and expert judgement might be prejudiced. This paper examines the blockchain implementation in the food supply chain, to assist policymakers in overcoming these barriers and ensuring effective adoption.Originality/valueThis study focuses on the effective implementation of blockchain technology in the food supply chain in the context of emerging economies.