Production
http://www.production.periodikos.com.br/article/doi/10.1590/0103-6513.20250045
Production
Systematic Review

Risks in food supply chains and strategies to mitigate them: a systematic literature review

Eveliny Dias de Medeiros; Caroline Rodrigues Vaz; Gisele de Lorena Diniz Chaves

Downloads: 0
Views: 49

Abstract

Paper aims: This study aimed to identify the main risks present in Food Supply Chains (FSCs) and the strategies employed to mitigate them through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR).

Originality: The originality of this research lies in the systematization of risks and mitigation strategies from an extensive international body of literature, providing an integrated and updated perspective on the challenges facing FSCs.

Research method: The review used PRISMA and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) protocols. Sources included the Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, along with grey literature.

Main findings: The study identified fourteen key risks, including disruptions, forecasting failures, and operational, environmental, logistical, and intellectual property risks. Mitigation strategies were grouped into proactive, reactive, and concurrent approaches, and involved technologies such as IoT, blockchain, and big data, as well as practices like supplier diversification, traceability, and sustainability.

Implications for theory and practice: Findings support managerial and policy decision-making and contribute to building more resilient, efficient, and secure FSCs. They also highlight the need for further research tailored to the Brazilian context and reinforce the importance of digital and sustainable strategies in supply chain risk management.


Supplementary material accompanies this paper.

Supplementary Material – Search Strategy and List of Articles Included.

Keywords

Resilience, Disruptions, Proactive, Reactive, PRISMA

References

Adeseun, M. A., Anosike, A. I., Garza Reyes, J. A., & Al-Talib, M. (2018). Supply chain risk perception: understanding the gap between theory and practice. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 51(11), 1701-1706. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2018.08.211.

Afifa, Y. N., & Santoso, I. (2022). Proactive risk mitigation strategies and building strategic resilience in the food supply chain: a review. Food Research, 6(2), 9-17. http://doi.org/10.26656/fr.2017.6(2).257.

Ali, I., & Govindan, K. (2023). Extenuating operational risks through digital transformation of agri-food supply chains. Production Planning and Control, 34(12), 1165-1177. http://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2021.1988177.

Ali, I., & Gurd, B. (2020). Managing operational risks through knowledge sharing in food supply chains. Knowledge and Process Management, 27(4), 322-331. http://doi.org/10.1002/kpm.1645.

Ali, I., Arslan, A., Khan, Z., & Tarba, S. Y. (2024). The Role of Industry 4.0 Technologies in Mitigating Supply Chain Disruption: Empirical Evidence From the Australian Food Processing Industry. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 71, 10600-10610. http://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2021.3088518.

Ali, I., Sadiddin, A., & Cattaneo, A. (2023). Risk and resilience in agri-food supply chain SMEs in the pandemic era: a cross-country study. International Journal of Logistics, 26(11), 1602-1620. http://doi.org/10.1080/13675567.2022.2102159.

Ali, M. H., Suleiman, N., Khalid, N., Tan, K. H., Tseng, M. L., & Kumar, M. (2021). Supply chain resilience reactive strategies for food SMEs in coping to COVID-19 crisis. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 109, 94-102. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2021.01.021. PMid:34728899.

Ali, S. M., Moktadir, M. A., Kabir, G., Chakma, J., Rumi, M. J. U., & Islam, M. T. (2019). Framework for evaluating risks in food supply chain: Implications in food wastage reduction. Journal of Cleaner Production, 228, 786-800. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.322.

Alkhudary, R., Queiroz, M. M., & Féniès, P. (2024). Mitigating the risk of specific supply chain disruptions through blockchain technology. Supply Chain Forum: An International Journal, 25(1), 1-11.

Astuti, R., Marimin, M., Machfud, M., & Arkeman, Y. (2014). Risks and risks mitigations in the supply chain of mangosteen: a case study. Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 6(1), 11-25. http://doi.org/10.31387/oscm0130083.

Azmi, F. R., Musa, H., Chew, B. C., & Jagiripu, I. P. (2021a). Supply risk management: A case study of halal food industry in Malaysia. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 9(2), 501-512. http://doi.org/10.5267/j.uscm.2021.1.001.

Azmi, F. R., Musa, H., Zailani, S. H. M., & Fam, S. F. (2021b). Analysis of mitigation strategy for operational supply risk: An empirical study of halal food manufacturers in malaysia. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 9(4), 797-810. http://doi.org/10.5267/j.uscm.2021.8.009.

Banco Central do Brasil - BCB. (2025). Financial Stability Report – April 2025. Brasília: BCB. Retrieved in 2025, August 25, from https://www.bcb.gov.br

Bassett, H. R., Lau, J., Giordano, C., Suri, S. K., Advani, S., & Sharan, S. (2021). Preliminary lessons from COVID-19 disruptions of small-scale fishery supply chains. World Development, 143, 105473. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105473. PMid:36567900.

Bogadi, N. P., Banović, M., & Babić, I. (2016). Food defence system in food industry: perspective of the EU countries. Journal für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit, 11(3), 217-226. http://doi.org/10.1007/s00003-016-1022-8.

Brasil. Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária - MAPA. (2023). Official note: Atypical BSE case in Pará [classification, measures]. Brasília: MAPA. Retrieved in 2025, August 25, from https://www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/nota-oficial-mapa-confirma-que-caso-de-encefalopatia-espongiforme-bovina-e-atipico

Brasil. Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária - MAPA. (2025). Official note: confirmation of avian influenza outbreak in captive birds at Bioparque do Rio de Janeiro. Brasília: MAPA. Retrieved in 2025, August 25, from https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/economia/noticia/2025-07/mapa-confirma-gripe-aviaria-em-aves-mortas-no-bioparque-do-rio

Chaudhuri, A., Srivastava, S. K., Srivastava, R. K., & Parveen, Z. (2016). Risk propagation and its impact on performance in food processing supply chain: a fuzzy interpretive structural modeling based approach. Journal of Modelling in Management, 11(2), 660-693. http://doi.org/10.1108/JM2-08-2014-0065.

Chen, J., Sohal, A. S., & Prajogo, D. I. (2013). Supply chain operational risk mitigation: a collaborative approach. International Journal of Production Research, 51(7), 2186-2199. http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2012.727490.

Choirun, A., Santoso, I., & Astuti, R. (2020). Sustainability risk management in the agri-food supply chain: Literature review. IOP Conference Series. Earth and Environmental Science, 475(1), 012050. http://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/475/1/012050.

Chopra, S., Reinhardt, G., & Mohan, U. (2007). The importance of decoupling recurrent and disruption risks in a supply chain. Naval Research Logistics (NRL), 54(5), 544-555.

Cui, Y., & Basnet, C. (2015). An exploratory study of supply chain risk management in the New Zealand fast food industry. International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 20(2), 199-215. http://doi.org/10.1504/IJLSM.2015.067256.

Davis, K. F., Downs, S., & Gephart, J. A. (2021). Towards food supply chain resilience to environmental shocks. Nature Food, 2(1), 54-65. http://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-020-00196-3. PMid:37117650.

Diabat, A., Govindan, K., & Panicker, V. V. (2012). Supply chain risk management and its mitigation in a food industry. International Journal of Production Research, 50(11), 3039-3050. http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2011.588619.

Dolgui, A., Ivanov, D., & Sokolov, B. (2018). Ripple effect in the supply chain: an analysis and recent literature. International Journal of Production Research, 56(1–2), 414-430. http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2017.1387680.

El Ayoubi, M. S., & Radmehr, M. (2023). Green food supply chain management as a solution for the mitigation of food supply chain management risk for improving the environmental health level. Heliyon, 9(2), e13264. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13264. PMid:36865450.

Elmsalmi, M., Hachicha, W., & Aljuaid, A. M. (2021). Modeling sustainable risks mitigation strategies using a morphological analysis-based approach: A real case study. Sustainability (Basel), 13(21), 12210. http://doi.org/10.3390/su132112210.

Fan, S., Cho, E. E., Meng, T., & Rue, C. (2021). How to prevent and cope with coincidence of risks to the global food system. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 46(1), 601-623. http://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-012220-020844.

Ghadge, A., Wurtmann, H., & Seuring, S. (2020). Managing climate change risks in global supply chains: a review and research agenda. International Journal of Production Research, 58(1), 44-64. http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2019.1629670.

Gouda, S. K., & Saranga, H. (2018). Sustainable supply chains for supply chain sustainability: impact of sustainability efforts on supply chain risk. International Journal of Production Research, 56(17), 5820-5835. http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2018.1456695.

Gruzauskas, V., Burinskiene, A., & Krisciunas, A. (2023). Application of Information-Sharing for Resilient and Sustainable Food Delivery in Last-Mile Logistics. Mathematics, 11(2), 1-21. http://doi.org/10.3390/math11020303.

Guerin, T. F. (2022). Roles of company directors and the implications for governing for the emerging impacts of climate risks in the fresh food sector: a review. Food Control, 133, 108600. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108600.

Hachicha, W., & Elmsalmi, M. (2014). An integrated approach based-structural modeling for risk prioritization in supply network management. Journal of Risk Research, 17(10), 1301-1324. http://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2013.841734.

Hetzenauer, C., Dobler, M., & Simma, A. (2023). Information Security Challenges in the Digitalisation of the Austrian Food Industry: Assessment of Food Suppliers and Implications. In Proceedings of the 29th International Conference on Engineering, Technology, and Innovation: Shaping the Future, ICE 2023 (pp. 1-7). USA: IEEE. http://doi.org/10.1109/ICE/ITMC58018.2023.10332338.

Ho, W., Zheng, T., Yildiz, H., & Talluri, S. (2015). Supply chain risk management: a literature review. International Journal of Production Research, 53(16), 5031-5069. http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2015.1030467.

Hoang, T. T., Bell, J. E., & Goldsby, T. J. (2023). Making supply chain traceability strategic: insights from the food industry. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 53(9), 913-945. http://doi.org/10.1108/IJPDLM-03-2022-0064.

Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística - IBGE. (2025). Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA) and production indicators, 2024-2025. IBGE News Agency. Retrieved in 2025, August 21, from https://agenciadenoticias.ibge.gov.br

Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada – IPEA. (2024). Foreign trade in agribusiness: first semester of 2024. Carta de Conjuntura. Retrieved in 2025, September 20, from https://www.ipea.gov.br/cartadeconjuntura/index.php/2024/08/comercio-exterior-do-agronegocio-primeiro-semestre-de-2024/

Ivanov, D., Sokolov, B., & Dolgui, A. (2014). The Ripple effect in supply chains: trade-off ‘efficiency-flexibility-resilience’ in disruption management. International Journal of Production Research, 52(7), 2154-2172. http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2013.858836.

Jacobi, J., Mukhovi, S., Llanque, A., Toledo, D., Speranza, C. I., Käser, F., Augstburger, H., Delgado, J. M. F., Kiteme, B. P., & Rist, S. (2019). Actor-specific risk perceptions and strategies for resilience building in different food systems in Kenya and Bolivia. Regional Environmental Change, 19(3), 879-892. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-018-1448-x.

Julien-Javaux, F., Gérard, C., Campagnoli, M., & Zuber, S. (2019). Strategies for the safety management of fresh produce from farm to fork. Current Opinion in Food Science, 27, 145-152. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2019.01.004.

Jurica, K., Brčić Karačonji, I., Lasić, D., Bursać Kovačević, D., & Putnik, P. (2021). Unauthorized food manipulation as a criminal offense: food authenticity, legal frameworks, analytical tools and cases. Foods, 10(11), 1-37. http://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112570. PMid:34828851.

Jurica, K., Vrdoljak, J., & Karačonji, I. B. (2019). Food defence systems as an answer to food terrorism. Arhiv za Higijenu Rada i Toksikologiju, 70(4), 232-255. http://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2019-70-3357. PMid:32623862.

Kamble, S. S., Gunasekaran, A., Parekh, H., Mani, V., Belhadi, A., & Sharma, R. (2022). Digital twin for sustainable manufacturing supply chains: current trends, future perspectives, and an implementation framework. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 176, 121448. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121448.

Keramydas, C., Papapanagiotou, K., Vlachos, D., & Iakovou, E. (2015). Risk management for agri-food supply chains. In E. Iakovou, D. Bochtis, D. Vlachos, & D. Aidonis (Eds.), Supply chain management for sustainable food networks (pp. 255-292). Hoboken: Wiley. http://doi.org/10.1002/9781118937495.ch10.

Khan, S. A. R., Razzaq, A., Yu, Z., Shah, A., Sharif, A., & Janjua, L. (2022a). Disruption in food supply chain and undernourishment challenges: an empirical study in the context of Asian countries. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 82, 101033. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.seps.2021.101033.

Khan, S., Khan, M. I., Haleem, A., & Jami, A. R. (2022b). Prioritising the risks in Halal food supply chain: an MCDM approach. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 13(1), 45-65. http://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-10-2018-0206.

Kuizinaitė, J., Morkūnas, M., & Volkov, A. (2023). Assessment of the Most Appropriate Measures for Mitigation of Risks in the Agri-Food Supply Chain. Sustainability (Basel), 15(12), 9378. http://doi.org/10.3390/su15129378.

Kumar, A., Mangla, S. K., Kumar, P., & Song, M. (2021). Mitigate risks in perishable food supply chains: Learning from COVID-19. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 166, 120643. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120643.

Kurniawan, R., Zailani, S. H., Iranmanesh, M., & Rajagopal, P. (2017). The effects of vulnerability mitigation strategies on supply chain effectiveness: risk culture as moderator. Supply Chain Management, 22(1), 1-15. http://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-12-2015-0482.

Lambert, D. M., Cooper, M. C., & Pagh, J. D. (1998). Lambert- SCM - implementation issues & research opportunities.pdf. International Journal of Logistics Management, 9(2), 1-19. http://doi.org/10.1108/09574099810805807.

Leat, P., & Revoredo‐Giha, C. (2013). Risk and resilience in agri‐food supply chains: the case of the ASDA PorkLink supply chain in Scotland. Supply Chain Management, 18(2), 219-231. http://doi.org/10.1108/13598541311318845.

Li, D., Wang, X., Chan, H. K., & Manzini, R. (2014). Sustainable food supply chain management. International Journal of Production Economics, 152, 1-8. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2014.04.003.

Luo, N., Olsen, T., Liu, Y., & Zhang, A. (2022). Reducing food loss and waste in supply chain operations. Transportation Research Part E, Logistics and Transportation Review, 162, 102730. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2022.102730.

Magalhães, V. S. M., Ferreira, L. M. D. F., & Silva, C. (2022). Prioritising food loss and waste mitigation strategies in the fruit and vegetable supply chain: a multi-criteria approach. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 31, 569-581. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2022.03.022.

Manning, L., & Soon, J. M. (2016). Building strategic resilience in the food supply chain. British Food Journal, 118(6), 1477-1493. http://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-10-2015-0350.

Maritano, V., Barge, P., Biglia, A., Comba, L., Ricauda Aimonino, D., Tortia, C., & Gay, P. (2024). Anticounterfeiting and fraud mitigation solutions for high-value food products. Journal of Food Protection, 87(4), 100251. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100251. PMid:38403269.

Mohezar, S., Mohamad, M. N., & Mohd Nor, M. N. (2023). Supply chain risk and SME business continuity strategies in the food industry during COVID-19 pandemic. Continuity & Resilience Review, 5(2), 116-134.

Munn, Z., Barker, T. H., Moola, S., Tufanaru, C., Stern, C., McArthur, A., Stephenson, M., & Aromataris, E. (2019). Methodological quality of case series studies: an introduction to the JBI critical appraisal tool. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 18(10), 2127-2133. http://doi.org/10.11124/JBISRIR-D-19-00099.

Nakai, J. (2018). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Sustainable Development Goals (e-Bulletin, Vol. 22, pp. 3-11). Natural Resources Management Officer, FAO From the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Nikou, S., & Selamat, H. B. (2013). Risk management capability within Malaysia food supply chain. International Journal of Agriculture and Economic Development, 1(1), 37-54.

Onyeaka, H., Jalata, D. D., & Mekonnen, S. A. (2023). Mitigating physical hazards in food processing: risk assessment and preventive strategies. Food Science & Nutrition, 11(12), 7515-7522. http://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3727.

Pardaev, K., Hasanov, S., Muratov, S., & Saydullaeva, F. (2023). Mitigating impact of risks on economic integration between entities in agrifood supply chain. E3S Web of Conferences, 365, 04002. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202336504002.

Pereira, S. C. F., Scarpin, M. R. S., & Neto, J. F. (2020). Agri-food risks and mitigations: a case study of the Brazilian mango. Production Planning and Control, 32(14), 1-11. http://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2020.1796134.

Ramos, E., Pettit, T. J., Habib, M., & Chavez, M. (2021). A model ISM-MICMAC for managing risk in agri-food supply chain: an investigation from the Andean region of Peru. International Journal of Value Chain Management, 12(1), 62-85. http://doi.org/10.1504/IJVCM.2021.112845.

Rathore, R., Thakkar, J. J., & Jha, J. K. (2017). A quantitative risk assessment methodology & evaluation of food supply chain. International Journal of Logistics Management, 28(4), 1272-1293. http://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-08-2016-0198.

Rathore, R., Thakkar, J. J., & Jha, J. K. (2021). Evaluation of risks in foodgrains supply chain using failure mode effect analysis and fuzzy VIKOR. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 38(2), 551-580.

Reddy, V. R., Singh, S. K., & Anbumozhi, V. (2016). Food supply chain disruption due to natural disasters: entities, risks, and strategies for resilience. ERIA Discussion Paper, 18, 1-37.

Santeramo, F. G., Bevilacqua, A., Caroprese, M., Speranza, B., Ciliberti, M. G., Tappi, M., & Lamonaca, E. (2021). Assessed versus perceived risks: innovative communications in agri-food supply chains. Foods, 10(5), 1001. http://doi.org/10.3390/foods10051001. PMid:34063573.

Sharma, M., Joshi, S., Luthra, S., & Kumar, A. (2022). Managing disruptions and risks amidst COVID-19 outbreaks: role of blockchain technology in developing resilient food supply chains. Operations Management Research : Advancing Practice Through Research, 15(1-2), 268-281. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12063-021-00198-9.

Sharma, R., Shishodia, A., Kamble, S., Gunasekaran, A., & Belhadi, A. (2020). Agriculture supply chain risks and COVID-19: mitigation strategies and implications for the practitioners. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 1-27.

Sid, S., Mor, R., Panghal, A., Kumar, D., & Gahlawat, V. K. (2021). Agri-food supply chain and disruptions due to COVID-19: effects and strategies. Brazilian Journal of Operations & Production Management, 18(2), 1-14.

Silva, U. S. K., Paul, A., Hasan, K. W., Paul, S. K., Ali, S. M., & Chakrabortty, R. K. (2023). Examining risks and strategies for the spice processing supply chain in the context of an emerging economy. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 18(5), 1124-1146. http://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-07-2020-0776.

Soon-Sinclair, J. M., Nyarugwe, S., & Jack, L. (2023). Food fraud and mitigating strategies of UK food supply chain during COVID-19. Food Control, 148, 109670. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2023.109670. PMid:36748095.

Speier, C., Whipple, J. M., Closs, D. J., & Voss, M. D. (2011). Global supply chain design considerations: Mitigating product safety and security risks. Journal of Operations Management, 29(7–8), 721-736. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2011.06.003.

Srivastava, S. K., Chaudhuri, A., & Srivastava, R. K. (2015). Propagation of risks and their impact on performance in fresh food retail. International Journal of Logistics Management, 26(3), 568-602. http://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-02-2014-0032.

Sun, D., Qi, P. P., Zhong, C. M., & Xu, C. (2023). Achieving resilience through knowledge management practices and risk management culture in agri-food supply chains. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 30(56), 118647-118661. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-30519-3. PMid:37917270.

Tavakoli Haji Abadi, Y., & Avakh Darestani, S. (2023). Evaluation of sustainable supply chain risk: evidence from the Iranian food industry. Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, 14(1), 127-156. http://doi.org/10.1108/JSTPM-08-2020-0121.

The Joanna Briggs Institute - JBI. (2017). The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools for use in JBI Systematic Reviews: checklist for qualitative research. JBI. Retrieved in 2025, August 21, from https://jbi.global/sites/default/files/2019-05/JBI_Critical_Appraisal-Checklist_for_Qualitative_Research2017_0.pdf

Trmčić, A., Demmings, E., Kniel, K., Wiedmann, M., & Alcaine, S. (2021). Food safety and employee health implications of COVID-19: a review. Journal of Food Protection, 84(11), 1973-1989. http://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-21-201. PMid:34265068.

Wahyuni, H. C., Putra, B. I., Handayani, P., & Maulidah, W. U. (2021). Risk assessment and mitigation strategy in the halal food supply chain in the Covid-19 pandemic. Jurnal Ilmiah Teknik Industri, 20(1), 1-8.

Zavala-Alcívar, A., Verdecho, M. J., & (2020). Resilient strategies and sustainability in agri-food supply chains in the face of high-risk events. In Proceedings of the 21th Working Conference on Virtual Enterprises (PRO-VE) (pp. 560-570). Valencia, Spain.

Zhao, G., Liu, S., Lopez, C., Chen, H., Lu, H., Mangla, S. K., & Elgueta, S. (2020). Risk analysis of the agri-food supply chain: a multi-method approach. International Journal of Production Research, 58(16), 4851-4876. http://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2020.1725684.
 


Submitted date:
04/23/2025

Accepted date:
08/12/2025

68fa84efa953955fa0083453 production Articles
Links & Downloads

Production

Share this page
Page Sections