Agri-food supply chain management (ASCM) research has gained attraction in recent years. This study aims to examine the knowledge structure, trace the evolution of, and propose future research directions for ASCM by a systematic literature review combined with bibliometric and content analyses. A total of 1770 articles were selected from Scopus for bibliometric analyses. We conducted a content analysis based on 188 articles in six clusters selected from the co-citation analysis. This review provides insights into key authors, their affiliations, journal quality, and the prestige of the reviewed articles, aspects that have not been fully captured or evaluated by previous reviews. Using bibliometric tools, we identified six clusters for ASCM, based on which, future research directions are proposed. Content analysis provides additional insights in each cluster. In particular, sustainability runs through all the themes identified except for one.

Since the establishment of one of the early co-operatives in Western Europe in the 1800s, co-operatives in the Western world have developed exponentially and played essential roles in improving agricultural sustainability. Much research has been carried out on this topic; however, to date, there is no systematic review of this body of the literature. To fill this gap, this paper is designed to identify the main research themes regarding agricultural co-operatives in western countries, and subsequently shed light on avenues for future research in this field. Based on a systematic literature review with bibliometric techniques including citation and co-citation analyses, this study identifies six predominant themes (the social and environmental performance of cooperatives, the governance structures and performance of co-operatives, trust and commitment in co-operatives, comparisons between co-operatives and investor-owned firms (IOFs), financing problems in co-operatives, and women co-operatives) of debates on western co-operatives. Recommendations for future research are finally provided.

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The purpose of this study is to explore the application of blockchain technology (BCT) in recycling. This research applies a multiple case study approach with six pioneer organisations, based on secondary data. We found that BCT is an effective approach to promote recycling performance: it can provide tokenisation, waste flow tracking and recycling chain integration. The benefits include 'Eco-friendly', 'Stimulate participation', 'Social inclusion', 'Transparent recycling chains' and 'Extended producer responsibility accountability'. However, the majority of existing BCT-based initiatives are in the pilot stage and face cognitive, technology, internal and external barriers. Our research is one of the first studies on blockchain-based recycling. We applied the network theory of 'Reachability', 'Richness' and 'Receptivity' and 'network formation' barriers to propose a conceptual framework of BCT-based recycling, which serves as a practical reference for the recycling industry.

China’s vegetable supply chain faces challenges, such as the shortage of technologies for vegetable production, storage and preservation, imperfect rural finance services, and uncertainty in terms of vegetable production and sales. Companies and the Chinese government focus on food safety and security, as well as supply stability. The Meiyu Cooperative is a National Top 100 farmers’ cooperative in China that addresses these concerns successfully. It has established ‘a trinity cooperation mechanism’ to coordinate and integrate vegetable production, supply and sale, and financial credit. The cooperative has successfully built close relationships with farmers and companies, thus achieving financial, social, and environment benefits. This cooperation mechanism represents an innovative model for integrating the vegetable supply chain and providing necessary services based on farmers’ demands. This case study is addressed to senior undergraduate students and postgraduate students specialising in agricultural economics and can also be used for training administrators in food companies.