Supply chain challenges and recommendations for international development agriculture projects: an application of the FGD-fuzzy Delphi approach

Abstract

AbstractInternational development (ID) agriculture projects play a crucial role in ensuring the long-term viability of agriculture-based economies in developing countries. While, unlike other development projects, these projects face unique supply chain challenges that agriculture development projects focus primarily on increasing crop production to ensure food security in a country, which is affected not only by social or national context issues but also by natural environments. Since no previous research has investigated the supply chain issues of ID agriculture projects, this study makes a significant contribution to the literature by identifying the key supply chain challenges of ID agriculture projects in a developing country context and proposing specific solutions to these challenges. Initially, the study conducted a literature review to generate a primary list of project supply chain challenges. To identify more significant and relevant challenges, the study conducted focus group discussions and consulted with an expert panel; it identified seventeen critical challenges and provided specific recommendations to address each challenge. The recommendations were then ranked using the fuzzy Delphi method based on their importance. Certain critical challenges, such as political influence, are exacerbated by the unique project and context environments. While others are the result of donors’ incompatible strategies and influences (e.g., donor-incompatible regulations). Some of them are created by both the host nation and the donors (delayed project launch, for example). Moreover, the projects face specific challenges posed by natural environments (such as natural disasters). To ensure value for money within the project’s scope, it is recommended that the professionals adopt the most important strategies to address the challenges. Not only are the findings impressive for industry professionals, but also policymakers, development partners, academics, and future researchers.