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Innovative Financial Approach for Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study of Alibaba

Author

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  • Qi Zhou

    (School of Management, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China)

  • Xiangfeng Chen

    (School of Management, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China)

  • Shuting Li

    (School of Management, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China)

Abstract

Sustainability and agricultural finance are two important issues attracting attention from industry and academia. This research adopts an in-depth case study methodology to investigate the agricultural finance initiatives of Alibaba Group, and explores how the agricultural finance practices of an e-commerce platform facilitate its sustainability goal. A reference framework is proposed to prove the adoption of agricultural finance. The influence of three moderating variables, namely, IT support, financial attractiveness, and cooperation with other entities, is analyzed. We find that advanced IT support and financial attractiveness are two indispensable enablers for agricultural finance initiatives, and collaboration with other entities is necessary in adopting agricultural supply chain finance.

Suggested Citation

  • Qi Zhou & Xiangfeng Chen & Shuting Li, 2018. "Innovative Financial Approach for Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study of Alibaba," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-20, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:3:p:891-:d:137149
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    2. Jingbo Hu & Taohua Ouyang & William X. Wei & Jiawei Cai, 2020. "How Do Manufacturing Enterprises Construct E-Commerce Platforms for Sustainable Development? A Case Study of Resource Orchestration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-18, August.
    3. Marak Zericho R. & Pillai Deepa, 2021. "Supply Chain Finance Factors: An Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 29(1), pages 88-111, March.
    4. Zericho R Marak & Deepa Pillai, 2018. "Factors, Outcome, and the Solutions of Supply Chain Finance: Review and the Future Directions," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-23, December.
    5. Ratri Parida & Manoj Kumar Dash & Anil Kumar & Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas & Sunil Luthra & Eyob Mulat‐weldemeskel, 2022. "Evolution of supply chain finance: A comprehensive review and proposed research directions with network clustering analysis," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 1343-1369, October.
    6. Yuehua Xia & Honggen Long & Zhi Li & Jiasen Wang, 2022. "Farmers’ Credit Risk Assessment Based on Sustainable Supply Chain Finance for Green Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-20, October.
    7. Ali Sher & Saman Mazhar & Azhar Abbas & Muhammad Amjed Iqbal & Xiangmei Li, 2019. "Linking Entrepreneurial Skills and Opportunity Recognition with Improved Food Distribution in the Context of the CPEC: A Case of Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-22, March.
    8. Yiru Wang & Honggang Lu & Yuge Chen & Peiwen Yang & Xiangbo Cheng & Fangting Xie, 2023. "The Impact of Farmland Management Rights Mortgage Loan on the Agri-Food Industrial Agglomeration: Case of Hubei Province," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-17, July.
    9. Yu Gong & Yun Zhang & Mohammed Alharithi, 2022. "Supply Chain Finance and Blockchain in Operations Management: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-21, October.
    10. Endro Gunawan & John K. M. Kuwornu & Avishek Datta & Loc T. Nguyen, 2019. "Farmers’ Perceptions of the Warehouse Receipt System in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-21, March.
    11. Yubin Yang & Xuejian Chu & Ruiqi Pang & Feng Liu & Peifang Yang, 2021. "Identifying and Predicting the Credit Risk of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Sustainable Supply Chain Finance: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-19, May.

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