Evaluating the circular economy-based big data analytics capabilities of circular agri-food supply chains: the context of Turkey

Agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) are one of the significant building blocks of agricultural production, and their sustainability aims are advanced by big data analytics (BDA) and the circular economy (CE). As access to safe, healthy, and high-quality food has become increasingly difficult, AFSCs need to leverage their capabilities for CE-based BDA to overcome sustainability challenges. However, a significant gap exists in the relevant literature on how to identify such capabilities to achieve sustainability goals. To build CE-based BDA capabilities, organisations need to orchestrate their resources and competencies and align them well with specific sustainability targets. In consideration of these issues, this study was conducted to identify the aforementioned capabilities and their effects on the performance of circular AFSCs from the perspective of a developing country. To this end, a three-stage multi-criteria decision-making model was developed and used in the examination of circular AFSCs in Turkey. The findings revealed that supply chain management (SCM) was the most important capability, followed by organizational, technical, environmental, economic, and social capabilities. Furthermore, big data infrastructure was the most important sub-capability ahead of financial benefits, top management support, sustainability and resilience, and food waste reduction. Finally, productivity improvement was determined as the most significant impact of CE-based BDA capabilities on circular AFSCs. This study can serve as a reference for managers and policy-makers on what BDA capabilities should be developed for circular AFSCs. It also contributes to addressing the agricultural production issues encountered by developing countries.