Date of Conferral
3-12-2024
Date of Award
March 2024
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Janet Booker
Abstract
The price of organic foods makes consumers unable to reduce risks of specific health issues, including pesticide-related diseases and allergies. Supply chain managers are concerned that the financial barrier to accessing organic foods can exacerbate nutritional inequalities, particularly affecting communities facing food insecurity. Grounded in the resource dependency theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the processes supply chain leaders at four organizations use to supply organic foods to local grocery stores in South Carolina. The data collected from four semistructured interviews were thematically analyzed, resulting in six primary themes: organic certification, food appearance, expensive freight costs, speed of food distribution, labor, and relationships with farmers. A primary recommendation for organic food suppliers is to develop relationships with transit organizations and be creative in the strategies used to transport produce. The implications for positive social change include the potential to reduce organic food production costs to make organic produce less expensive and more attainable to all consumers.
Recommended Citation
Adair, Tonya Keller, "Organic Food Supply Chain Efficiency Strategies to Reduce Costs for Local Food Businesses" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 15406.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/15406
