Supply chain integration and resilience in China’s pig sector: case study evidences from emerging institutional arrangements

Abstract

Pig sector in China is faced with high risks, such as price fluctuation and food safety, and environmental regulation uncertainty. The recent African swine fever has caused public panic and drop down of pork consumption in a short term. The "wu-shui-gongzhi" policy is a newly recognized environmental policy risk, and its key content is to shut down directly the pig farms close to water resources. Lots of small-and medium-sized farms have been affected, especially in coastal provinces. Supply chain integration received wide attention in supply chain management. Literature has shown that a well-coordinated food supply chain will bring positive outcomes for chain stakeholders. However, the relationship between food supply chain integration and resilience is not empirically captured. This research aims to explore the relationship between supply chain integration and supply chain resilience, and the mechanism of how supply chain integration works on supply chain resilience. To achieve the research purpose, an in-depth ethnographical case study is performed. Four cases in China's pig sector were selected, with different types of supply chain integration between cooperative and companies. They differ in supply chain resilience levels. We found that supply chain integration has a positive effect on supply chain resilience through agility and robustness. Supply chain agility also has positive relationship with supply chain robustness. It implies that supply chain stakeholders should efficiently exchange information, enhance circulation rate, and jointly make plans to be more resilient to risks. The government needs to make policies to encourage and facilitate supply chain integration among supply chain members to enhance supply chain resilience.

Investigating the relationship between digital technologies, supply chain integration and firm resilience in the context of COVID-19

“…The existing literature has proved the positive effect of supply chain integration on innovation (Wong et al, 2013 ), flexibility (Khanuja & Jain, 2021 ), agility (Shukor et al, 2021 ), robustness (Zhuo et al, 2021 ) and responsiveness (Shukor et al, 2021 ), which are all conducive to improving the resilience capacity of firm operations (Ambulkar et al, 2015 ; Tukamuhabwa et al, 2015 ). Furthermore, Wijaya ( 2020 ) proposed that supplier integration and customer integration promote the consistency of business processes between firms and their supply chain partners and that internal integration promotes the coordination of functions, directly driving the development of resilience capability.…”

Game analysis on the quality and safety control of pork supply chain - The case study of China

“…Secondly, build a pattern of social pluralism and co-governance. It is essential to innovate the supply chain management model, encourage multiple parties to supervise, and have equal sharing of interests and risks (Zhuo et al 2021). Thirdly, improve the construction of an agricultural product traceability system.…”

Willingness and Influencing Factors of Pig Farmers to Adopt Internet of Things Technology in Food Traceability

“…The higher willingness of farmers to adopt IoT traceability technology means higher agility in the agri-food supply chains. Supply chain agility positively contributes to supply chain resilience [33]. In other words, with more transparent information exchanges and better joint collaboration, supply chain members are able to prepare for, adapt to, and recover from the risks better, which means that supply chain agility positively contributes to supply chain resilience.…”