Towards spatially disaggregated cocaine supply chain modeling

Cocaine trafficking is starting to get modeled by supply chain theory. Supply chain theories are described in many economical papers. These theories are however not directly usable in analyzing illegal supply chains. In this paper we investigate the difference between legal and illegal supply chains. Where the difference of the supply chain lies in two factors, these are trust and risk. Here we model a cocaine trafficking supply chain based on legal supply chain theory. This model will be copied and adjusted with theoretical concepts that are inherent to an illegal supply chain. Comparison of the results of the two models showed that differences in those factors lead to differences in the supply chain, such as clustering and efficiency.

From forest to pharmacy: Should we be depressed about a sustainable Griffonia simplicifolia (Fabaceae) seed supply chain?

The illicit drug’s trade is a highly profitable business that grasps the interest of millions of people and equally affects millions of others. Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that plagues many countries. It is trafficked through various routes using a variety of methods by traffickers who adapt to the efforts of the authorities. This paper reviews all aspects of the cocaine trade: from how a market came to exist for cocaine to the well-established lucrative market that it is today. A thorough understanding of all aspects of the cocaine market is essential in order to be able to assess the effectiveness of the current methods that are being employed to combat the illicit cocaine trade. To discuss, seeking to reach a conclusion as to whether cocaine trafficking can be completely eradicated when such a lucrative market for cocaine exists.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to systematically review and critically examine food losses and waste quantification in supply chain, especially in studies that tackle all the supply chain activities in a real context.Design/methodology/approachThis work employed a systematic literature review methodology on the extant literature focusing on peer-reviewed journal articles published from 2000 to 2019.FindingsA systematic analysis of 117 articles reveals that downstream supply chains are studied to a greater extent than upstream supply chains, with an emphasis on consumer waste. The findings also highlight more than half of the articles focus on only one supply chain activity. In terms of the methodologies, surveys and modelling methods are the most used to measure food losses and wastes, adopt monetary, carbon emission and calorific metrics. This study highlights that while food losses and waste research remains a relevant field of study, it has yet to been fully explored.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limit is the adoption of a systematic review method for food losses and waste quantification in supply chain.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that supply chain managers should invest in acquiring more knowledge about food losses in the global network. Upstream supply chains should be more studied and integrated with the downstream supply chains. Using combined direct and indirect methods has the potential to deal with the contradictions of quantification, the lack of data and reduce losses over time and space.Originality/valueBased on this review as the first one focusing exclusively on quantification of food losses and waste in supply chain context, the authors develop an aspiring research agenda that proposes opportunities for future research.HeadingsWe analyse 117 studies addressing food losses and waste quantification.Downstream food supply chains are more studied than upstream food supply chains.Case studies of food supply chains in developed countries are more prolific.The main metric to quantify food losses and waste is weight.

Biopharma Is Going Digital … Bit by Bit

Delays of container services seriously affect the lean, extensive global supply chains such as the just-in-time system. A major cause of ship delay is port/terminal congestion, causing offshore waiting, and these delays create a domino effect on other ships through terminals and ships. During the supply chain crisis, started from the second half of 2020, many ships were forced to wait offshore for more than days at major ports, especially in North America, Europe, and China. This study developed the method for identifying offshore waiting ships of terminals, calculating the waiting time of these ships, and estimating the increment of CO2 emissions by utilizing log data sent from ships’ automatic identification systems. The calculated results of major world ports were analyzed to understand the relation between the degree of congestion and offshore waiting time capacity and the relation between the waiting time capacity and CO2 emissions.

Understanding climate risk externalities through the global supply chains: a framework and review of the literature on existing approaches

A multiscale simulation framework for the manufacturing facility and supply chain of autologous cell therapies

Competitive advantage of carbon efficient supply chain in manufacturing industry

Forecasting disruptions in global food value chains to tackle food insecurity: The role of AI and big data analytics – A bibliometric and scientometric analysis

The entry of falsified and substandard medicines into the legitimatepharmaceutical supply chain has negative impacts on healthcare systems, patientsafety, and patient access to medicine. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlightedthe importance of access to safe medicine through legitimate pharmaceuticalsupply chains and the willingness of criminals to target medical products suchas PPE (personal protective equipment) and COVID-19 treatments. In this article,we analyse data from the United Kingdom (UK) national medicine alert and recalldatabase to identify and understand recent cases of substandard and falsifiedmedicine in the UK’s healthcare systems. Using the UK as a case study, wedescribe that national drug alert and recall data are useful in their currentform to record and understand cases of substandard and falsified medicines inthe supply chain. However, if regulatory agencies published further data, thesedrug recall databases may be useful to support longitudinal and internationalcomparative medicine quality studies. We suggest that regulatory agenciespublish the number of affected medicine packs in each recalled batch, as part ofthe recall process. This will help policy makers, practitioners, and researchersto better understand, monitor and compare the quality of medicines withinlegitimate supply chains.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to highlight the significance of advancing research methodologies in logistics, operations and supply chain management. It seeks to expand the scope of research questions and explore areas previously constrained by traditional methodological approaches, thereby enhancing the exploration of complex, real-world business issues.Design/methodology/approachThis commentary introduces and discusses the special issue on “Advances in Research Methodologies for Logistics and Supply Chain Management,” exploring methodological innovations, diversity and their potential to address complex business and disciplinary challenges. The commentary assesses a broad spectrum of methodologies, ranging from traditional qualitative and quantitative approaches to overlooked methods such as qualitative comparative analysis, netnography, design science, Bayesian networks, machine learning and repertory grid technique. This diverse methodological approach enables a comprehensive examination of emerging and ongoing challenges in the supply chain. In the final summary section, we highlight additional areas of research method innovation not covered in this special issue, offering a broader perspective on future directions for methodological advancements in SCM research.FindingsThe findings suggest that integrating less explored methodologies from various disciplines encourages a richer, multi-level analysis of the supply chain management landscape. This integration facilitates a deeper understanding of emerging challenges, such as geopolitical issues, global supply chain disruptions and the integration of new technologies. Additionally, the exploration of ‘white space' in research methodologies indicates significant potential for discovering new insights that bridge practical problems with theoretical contributions.Originality/valueThe value of this methodological diversity extends beyond academic enrichment. It catalyzes the generation of innovative insights crucial for business practitioners, policymakers, consultants and academics. By adopting varied research designs and methodologies, the research note can offer a broader spectrum of analytical perspectives, crucial for uncovering nuanced insights into complex, cross-cultural and relationship-based dynamics in supply chain research.

It is without doubt that there are many overviews of mixed methods research in supply chain management. However, there is relatively little research and representation on the application of robust methodological approaches and techniques that take into account the dynamic nature of a multi‑embedded and specialised medicine supply chain coordination (SCC) problem. In Uganda, the distribution of artemisinin‑based combination therapies (ACTs) involves a multi‑embedded supply chain that runs across the macro, market, and micro levels of stakeholders. The multi‑embedded levels have created a coordination challenge tied to stock‑outs and unavailability of ACTs to the detriment of the patients. This study aimed to: 1) demonstrate how a mixed methods approach facilitated a better understanding of a multi‑embedded and specialised supply chain coordination problem, and 2) reveal the major factors for coordinating a multi‑embedded supply chain that can improve the availability of ACTs in the general hospitals of Uganda. An exploratory sequential mixed method approach was employed to disentangle the problem. In the first phase, focus group discussions were predominantly used to collect qualitative data, the findings of which acted as the foundation for the quantitative survey questionnaire. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to determine and validate the market and macro supply chain dimensions that emerged from the survey results. The results showed that the most influential supply chain market environment dimensions that affect the availability of ACTs include information sharing with external stakeholders and supply chain interdependence. The results from the macro‑environment showed that the socio‑cultural, economic, technological, and legal dimensions influence the availability of ACTs. The contribution of this paper advances the use of mixed methods in deconstructing a complex embedded supply chain problem with implications for supply chain academics and practitioners and government bodies.

Um grande número de pesquisas recentes evidencia que as estratégias de subcontratação de serviços e produtos e a contratação de trabalhadores contingentes, nas chamadas cadeias de fornecedores, afetam os processos de planejamento e tomada de decisão de maneira a solapar seriamente a Segurança e Saúde dos Trabalhadores (SST). Complexas cadeias de fornecedores apresentam um desafio para a ação de regulamentação, pois a responsabilidade legal pela SST está difusa dentre um maior espectro de atores sociais, com mais dificuldades para focalizar os principais tomadores de decisão, e as agências de governo encontram maiores dificuldades logísticas na tentativa de proteger legalmente os trabalhadores contingentes, como os temporários e terceirizados. Em certo número de indústrias, esses problemas têm instigado novas formas de intervenção regulamentadora, incluindo mecanismos para alocar a responsabilidade legal no topo das cadeias de fornecedores, dispositivos de acompanhamento contratual e crescente envolvimento da indústria, dos sindicatos e da comunidade na fiscalização do cumprimento da lei. Depois de descrever os problemas acima referidos, este artigo examina recentes esforços para regulamentar as cadeias de fornecedores para salvaguardar a SST no Reino Unido e na Austrália.

Food fraud is an intentional act for economic gain. It poses a risk to food integrity, the economy, public health and consumers’ ethics. Seafood is one commodity which has endured extensive fraudulent activity owing to its increasing consumer demand, resource limitations, high value and complex supply chains. It is essential that these fraudulent opportunities are revealed, the risk is evaluated and countermeasures for mitigation are assigned. This can be achieved through mapping of the seafood supply chains and identifying the vulnerability analysis critical control points (VACCP), which can be exposed, infiltrated and exploited for fraudulent activity. This research systematically maps the seafood supply chain for three key commodities: finfish, shellfish and crustaceans in the United Kingdom. Each chain is comprised of multiple stakeholders across numerous countries producing a diverse range of products distributed globally. For each supply chain the prospect of fraud, with reference to species substitution, fishery substitution, illegal, unreported and unregulated substitution, species adulteration, chain of custody abuse, catch method fraud, undeclared product extension, modern day slavery and animal welfare, has been identified and evaluated. This mapping of the fraudulent opportunities within the supply chains provides a foundation to rank known and emerging risks and to develop a proactive mitigation plan which assigns control measures and responsibility where vulnerabilities exist. Further intelligence gathering and management of VACCPs of the seafood supply chains may deter currently unknown or unexposed fraudulent opportunities.