Deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve a circular economy in agri-food supply chains: A thorough analysis of enablers

With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, pressure on global natural resources will increase by 50-90%, exceeding planetary boundaries. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies are widely considered feasible for resolving the conflict between population growth and natural resources. However, their adoption by the agri-food industry has been slower than in manufacturing and automotives. Their fragmented, non-comprehensive, and atheoretical nature of scholarly research relating to I4.0 and the circular economy (CE) impede practitioners' deeper understanding. Grounded in grand theory, we analyze enablers of I4.0 deployment to achieve CE in agri-food supply chains (AFSCs). We thematically analyze data collected from 32 Chinese AFSC practitioners through semi-structured interviews to identify 27 enablers. We then implement a group-based fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (GFAHP) to prioritize these enablers based on the opinions of 10 decision makers. Our results differ from most existing studies. First, we find that AFSCs' successful deployment of I4.0-enabled CE depends on the collective efforts of environmental factors, supply chains, organizations, and individuals. China's hierarchical cultural value orientation is the "lubricant" linking these factors to achieve synergies. Second, our prioritization results show that success depends heavily on environmental factors and organizations, and relatively little on supply chains and individuals. Enablers such as willingness to learn new knowledge, knowledge of I4.0 and CE, rural revitalization policy, new infrastructure construction policy, and enhanced digital skills are prioritized amongst the 27 identified enablers. This study has limitations, such as generalizability, that should be addressed in future research.