Assessment of Agri‐Food Supply Chain Challenges for Sustainable Production and Consumption

Sustainability in production and consumption lies at the heart of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, serving as the cornerstone for achieving food security and eradicating hunger. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization warns of a worrying deviation from this path, with the agri‐food supply chain poised to evolve into a substantial contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, the COVID‐19 pandemic and the Russia‐Ukraine war have further plunged millions into hunger. Therefore, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure a sustainable future, there is a necessity to mend the gap between the envisioned goals and the current reality. This study evaluates the agri‐food supply chain challenges, focusing on promoting sustainable production and consumption. By addressing the primary challenges within the agri‐food supply chain, this study aims to contribute to the development of a more resilient, sustainable system. These challenges are identified through an extensive literature review and a questionnaire‐based survey. The study employs Extent Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process for evaluating these challenges and prioritizing them based on the views of industry and academia experts. The findings of the study highlight the most significant challenges. Further, sensitivity analysis has been performed to validate the robustness of these findings. This study provides actionable insights to policymakers and stakeholders to help them deal with the most critical challenges of the agri‐food supply chain, paving the way for an efficient and sustainable supply chain in the agri‐food sector that meets the objective of the Sustainable Development Goals.