Review and Research Agenda on Horticulture Supply Chain

The objective and purpose of this research paper are to provide a list of prospective research areas to revamp the supply chain of horticulture products as a relevant research topic and for the same we conducted an extensive review of the available literature in the domain. We performed a detailed review of academic articles, published in reputed peer-reviewed international journals, in the domains of horticulture products (fruits and vegetables, flowers, nuts and seeds, herbs, medicinal plants, sprouts, seaweeds, mushrooms, algae, and non-food crops like grass, ornamental trees, and plants) and its supply chain management. An extensive review has been developed to emphasize the need for alignment among the key aspects of horticulture products and its supply chain, the links between supply chain processes and strategy. We have taken a final sample of 70 articles published from 1994 to 2018 for the knowledge base of this research. A Literature survey in this respect indicates that most of the research has been conducted in the field of products having longer life cycles than the products having shorter life cycles like perishable (horticulture products) products. The scope of the research is to study the various levels and distinct forms of horticulture products’ supply chain. The results provide evidence about the journals, show the publication pattern over time, the research methodology adopted, and the content elements of horticulture products’ supply chain. The research findings apply to a large extent for managerial decisions. There is huge research scope available in the area of the horticulture supply chain as only limited research has been done in this field. This research work and future researches in this field would be helpful for managers, decision-makers, students as well as academicians. After extensive review and synthesis, important findings from the existing literature, critical review, and challenges have been derived to highlight how horticulture products and its supply chain should be best matched to its production and logistics processes.