Journal articles on the topic 'Pork industry and trade Business logistics'

Since the State Council issued the “Plan for the Adjustment and Revitalization of the Logistics Industry” in 2009, the logistics industry, as the basic and strategic industry in the development of the national economy, has played an increasingly important role in promoting industrial transformation and upgrading and promoting economic development. In order to promote the development of logistics industry, a large number of logistics parks have been built all over the country under the guidance of policies and the promotion of the market. However, after the construction of these logistics parks has been put into operation, There are a series of problems in its development and profit. This paper analyzes the present situation and profit of logistics park in China, and briefly analyzes the main business characteristics of freight hub, production service, port service, trade service and comprehensive service. On this basis, the main problems existing in the existing profit model of logistics park in China are summarized.

This article is devoted to an efficiency measurement of the maritime industry presented through the joint value of industry stakeholders. A list of factors contributing to the efficiency of the state maritime policy and factors in the development of the maritime industry were defined and separated into four groups: group 1 (infrastructural factors): Renewal of port infrastructure; coastal infrastructure of sea stations; ecological and physical safety; and convenience in reaching the port of departure of a cruise ship; group 2 (management factors): The effectiveness of management mechanisms; the level of automatization and effective communications technologies; the coordination of various types of transport; and the efficiency of port services; group 3 (marketing factors): Tariff policies (tariff amounts, number of port fees, flexibility of the price policy); and competition in the ports; group 4 (service factors): Attractiveness of logistics conditions; the development of international tourism; the development of sea leisure; the development of merchant shipping, shipbuilding, ship repair, and instrument making in the port; and the simplification of port entry procedures. The joint value was considered to be a category at both a macroeconomic and microeconomic level, and it was combined with a multivariate regression model performed on the basis of the statistical analysis and data processing system Statistica 8.0. The complex combination of the results of the multifactorial linear model of the joint value created in the maritime industry led to the conclusion that the best alternative to the development of the port industry in Ukraine is the scenario of state modernization and corporatization in the port business model.

Current trends in meat and meat products exports are considered. The dynamics and structural changes in meat exports by types and degree of processing (beef and veal, pork, poultry, finished meat products) are analyzed. The paper proves that in recent years, only meat and edible poultry by-products have taken a competitive position in the world market. Accordingly, the dynamics of exports of this type of meat is positive, and the share of these products in the structure of exported meat is the largest (86.09%). Possible threats to the growth of import dependence on certain types of meat products, in particular, chilled and frozen beef and veal, pork, are indicated. The rating of the largest countries-importers of meat and meat products (by types) from Ukraine is built, their share in the structure of meat exports is determined. Changes in the geographical structure of exports have been studied, which indicate a low level of diversification of the geography of exports of certain types of meat (pork, beef). At the same time, a positive development of the geographical structure of poultry meat exports (exported to more than 100 countries) was revealed. Problems of the export potential development in the meat industry of Ukraine are revealed. In particular, the problems of livestock development (outdated technologies and production techniques that reduce the efficiency and productivity; inefficiency of the organization of purchase and processing of meat, which leads to reduced breeding in small businesses and households; inefficiency of state incentives, etc.) and industrial meat production (lack of raw materials, obsolescence of fixed assets and production technologies, poorly developed logistics, etc.). The solution of these problems requires: a systematic approach, which will encourage the cooperation of agricultural and industrial production, cooperation with importers of meat products and protection of domestic producers in the domestic and international markets, creating a favorable investment and information environment that will promote the meat industry development.

The article highlights the current problems of the transport system of Ukraine, as well as identifies areas for the development of relevant legislation. It is noted that current geopolitical conflicts, the challenges of world trade, the pandemic caused by COVID-19, have affected global supply chains, led to the transformation from traditional approaches for doing business to digital ones. It is highlighted that Ukraine as a logistics hub between the Europe and Asia faces the global economics challenges and needs to realize comprehensively its export and transit potential. However, according to the International Trade Administration data, only 25-30 % of the country's transit potential is currently used. In terms of the Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part, Ukraine's transport system should ensure synergy of all modes. The current trends for smart-port infrastructure development, uberization in the transport industry, new mode of logistics management – 4th generation logistics (4PL) are being discussed. The author emphasizes that the development of domestic legislation on public-private partnership is the priority task concerning transport industry. In addition, the author states that the priority development areas’ model should be applied for developing ports and logistics hubs in Ukraine providing non-fiscal incentives. The researcher concludes that a balanced legal policy is needed, taking into account the interests of the state, private investors, the environment and society. In addition, the appropriate legal basis should be provided for the sustainable development of Ukraine's transport system. It is concluded that the priority tasks are as follows: The proposed steps are as follows: adopting the specific Laws of Ukraine “On Railway Transport”; “On Multimodal Transport”, “On Inland Waterway Transport”, forming an independent regulatory body for natural monopolies in the field of transport, providing fair economic competition in the field of rail freight transportation.

Modern economic priorities, which predetermine the sustainability of the development of international trade are also predetermining the increase in the role of maritime transport in both business activities, ‒ social and environmental spheres. It should be borne in mind that the costs of ensuring these results are concentrated in the system of the sea conveyor industry and are used to be strictly relevant. Their effectiveness is largely displayed in the form of an emergency effect, which highly affects the demand of the consumers, which is, in its turn forms the amount of the provided services within the sea transport industries. At the same time, the subsystems of the maritime transport industry, in contrast to other activities, are governed by the international institutions which are also affecting the total results of their productions or transportation processes. Concerning the other part of the system, the investors of the merchant fleet and seaports should be focused not only on the entrepreneurial purposes, but on the external restrictions on their competitive implementation as well. Thus, one of the main problems is based on the balance of economic security and the system-wide security of the activities of enterprises of the maritime transport. It should be borne it mind that these particulars of the maritime transport, such as its port industry, the transportation system, the logistics operations and other necessary parts and spheres are highly connected and are very dependent on the maritime industry. The mentioned above information requires the choice of the management methods and maintaining the subsystems of the maritime transport industry from the system security. In turn, it is necessary to clarify the essence of this category with the provision of the above, which will subsequently strengthen the stability and reliability of the maritime industry both by the individual components and internationally. As far as known, the maritime transport is built on many different certain parts and organizations most of which cannot exist without each other.

The elaboration of the fourth industrial revolution and the process of globalization of the world economy is sine qua non of the successful operation and transformation of logistics. The formation of Logistics 4.0 relies in particular on cutting-edge technologies and the digitalization of business processes. The complexity of the structure of world trade arouses interest to the complete range of logistics services provided within a single company. This logic of development requires the application of interdisciplinary approaches, combined with the efforts of engineers, researchers and those interested in the field of logistics.

Abstract The article focuses on the analysis of the regular monitoring of logistics processes in enterprises of various sectors of the economy of the Slovak Republic such as engineering, automotive and electrical engineering, woodworking industry, building industry, agriculture, other industry, trade and services. The first part of the research is the assessment of the basic characteristics of enterprises that focus on logistics processes when managing change. The subject of the survey was the characteristics of the size of the enterprises, the subject of business, the industry and the level of return on equity (ROE). The main objective of the research was to find out the use of new concepts and methods for improving logistics processes and their impact on ROE. The research used methods of questionnaire research, descriptive statistics, pivot table and Chi-quadrat test. The result of the research was to determine the dependence of ROE height on the use of new concepts and methods in improving logistics processes.

The intention of this paper is to explore the internationalization efforts of German pork producers towards Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with a special focus on recent dynamics, market development strategies and policy conditions. The added-value potentials offered by CEE countries have become increasingly lucrative for the German pork industry, particularly as the domestic market currently shows a certain degree of saturation in terms of consumption. The results of this study which is mainly based on qualitative interviews with selected pork producers from North-West Germany reveal that transnational pork production networks between Germany and CEE are shaped by a high degree of fragility and discontinuity. This is reflected not only by the fluctuating development of foreign trade in piglets, live hogs and pork products, but also by the uncertainty and hesitancy of the interviewed pork producers with regard to business operations in CEE markets. It will be shown that the policy conditions on the national level still have a clear impact on internationalization processes in the pork industry. The paper further illustrates that the configuration of transnational pork production networks can be explained, in part, by insights from the global production networks (GPN) and the agri-food geographies literature.

The recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the activities of economic operators in the vast majority of sectors. It is obvious that the impact of the pandemic factor on the transport and logistics sector has reached a significant scale. Logistics companies involved in the movement (delivery) and storage of goods (cargo) were directly affected by SARS-CoV-2. As an integral part of production and distribution chains both domestically and in the global market, logistics companies directly promote trade and commerce and help companies deliver their products (goods) to customers (buyers, consumers). Thus, supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic significantly affect the competitiveness of companies, communications, economic growth, job creation and preservation, business scaling. The paper examines the functioning of logistics systems and international transport supply chains in the difficult conditions of recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A critical analysis of the architecture, capabilities and efficiency of global logistics and the challenges that shape modern trends and behaviour (production, sales, marketing, etc.) of economic entities. The paper examines the effects of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic on the efficiency of these systems, namely – economic and marketing aspects, as well as changes in the organizational structure. The study identifies and analyses current transformations of trade and logistics relations and emphasizes the need to develop a new logistics architecture taking into account key factors influencing the industry through the definition of a set of economic (financial, commercial, investment) indicators that reflect the state of the industry with further development of effective strategic measures to support and develop logistics architecture based on innovation and implementation of non-conflicting business practices.

The problem of minimizing the number of intermediaries in the supply chain is long overdue in the logistics industry. How to carry out logistics operations without the participation of a large number of intermediaries, whose main task is to guarantee the transaction and document flow? Is this possible with Blockchain technology? While this technology is still evolving, there are still many challenges that remain to be addressed. One of the main challenges in implementing this technology in logistics is to reach agreement on its use among all stakeholders. When interaction between different stakeholders in the supply chain with different interests is achieved, then the full potential of this technology to improve the efficiency of logistics processes will be revealed. This will facilitate the emergence of new business models and processes in global trade logistics and increase transparency in the supply chain. Smart contracts with embedded business rules promise not only to reduce transaction costs but to create more agile value chains that enable closer cooperation.

The tourism industry is considered most important aspect for the progress of the economy as well as enhancing employment rate of the country. Tourism sector comprises on different activities such as, hotels, restaurants, tour operators, transportation management and providing services to the local and foreign clients at their destinations. Furthermore, tourism industry is also very important to bring foreign currency in the country through the visitors which consequently enhance the foreign reserves. However, there is deficiency of prescribed rules and regulations for Pakistan tourism sector particularly environmental agreements and their enforcement consequently it creates many operational as well as market-based issues, hence drops the progress rate of this sector. Pakistan is also one of those countries where tourism business and services are being dealt without any proper regulatory system and it can further disturb the tourism investment by the Chinese or domestic investors under CPEC projects. There is strong connection between tourism business development and better logistics infrastructure and facilities of roads and railway sectors. This research article provides an analysis of tourism development in Pakistan through well planed physical infrastructure in order to get better results from tourism investments. In this article, authors adopt descriptive approach while providing the information and also explore the benefits and utilisation of CPEC overland logistics investment by the Chinese companies in tourism industry. There is an analytical jurisprudence approach is applied to highlight logistics benefits and preferences between China and Pakistan as well as the changes in environmental agreements. This study concludes that better logistics and transport infrastructure along with comprehensive environmental policies further accelerates tourism business with major trade markets in the country. Positive rearrangement of environmental agreements as well as logistics and transport is helpful to attract foreign investment in the tourism industry and particularly in areas which probably would have capacity to generate revenue. In this manner, tourism sector through developed connectivity and growth of infrastructure creates employment opportunities in the country.

The article reveals the content of Industry 4.0 technologies in the subsystems of international trade. The destructive type of innovations of the fourth industrial revolution on traditional spheres of trade is defined. The types of modern innovations related to the technologies of Industry 4.0 and form competitive advantages in successful global brands are identified and characterized, they are reviewed for the presence of common features inherent in its technologies and innovations in general. The influence of Industry 4.0 on the stages of introduction of the innovation process in international trade is analysed. It is established that at the stage of experimental implementation of innovations, omnichannel logistics, drones, and 3D printing have a high level of influence, which are trends in the miniaturization of the economy and the concept of «smart enterprise». An analysis of the impact of the trend of changes from Industry 4.0 innovations in international trade through the impact on consumer behavior and the functioning of business models of enterprises. The expediency of introduction of drones in the aspect of expansion of sales channels and receipt of goods on the basis of the omnichannel approach of increase of volumes of the international trade is proved. Existing and perspective spheres of application of drone logistics are analysed. A positive effect in terms of optimizing the cost of maintaining employees through the use of drones on the example of warehousing and fast delivery of goods to order. The problem of large-scale introduction of drones to exacerbate the issue of replacing workers in entire industries with artificial intelligence and the need to learn new professions is outlined. The influence of additive production on international trade by introduction of 3D printing technology is analysed, the spheres of its application and consequences of introduction are defined. The reality of the scenario forecast of development of 3D printing and its influence on subsystems of the international trade, chains of delivery of the goods, formation of stocks of raw materials and materials is considered. The possible consequences of the application of 3D printing technology for the field of intellectual property are described. It is proved that the key catalysts of Industry 4.0 at the level of international trade are innovations in the form of attracting drones to logistics supply and marketing systems and inventory optimization by expanding the scope of 3D reproduction techniques.

A significant increase in the use of services is observed for some industries in GVCs (Global Value Chains). The paper has shed light on important dimension of the servitization which is the sale and export of services by manufacturing firms, often bundled together with goods. Firm-level data confirm that many firms are involved both in the production of goods and services and that there are complementarities between these activities. Not only manufacturing firms are involved in the distribution, transport and logistics services needed for their international operations in GVCs but also, they provide installation, maintenance, repair services as well as a variety of other business support and complementary services that increase value for their customers. The servitization has important policy implications, particularly when taking into account the fact that trade in services is generally more restricted than trade in goods. As the lines between goods and services are blurred, economic policy today might be more challenging than in the past, particularly for companies moving to new business models that imply more interactions with customers and a more intensive use of digital technologies. Services themselves are split into different modes of supply for which there are different levels of economic policy. A closer look at the mechanisms of value creation in the case of services suggests that there are still the needs of new economic policy addressed at business models described as value networks or value shops. As technologies become more disruptive and more companies move to ‘servicified’ GVCs, the need for a more consistent international economic policy regime, particularly at the multilateral level, will become more urgent.

The relevance of the research topic due to the rapid development of the standard of the Halal industry, which primarily includes food products. In some cases, falsified products are produced under this brand. This is usually due to a lack of knowledge of the religious requirements of this standard. The subject of the study is the Ayats of the all turn to what is said in the Holy Quran. The scope of the research results: theoretical development of courses and textbooks on Islamic law, development of Halal standards. Practical application of the research results can be found in the production of Halal standard products, in establishing international trade relations and in organizing a tourism business that meets Halal standards .Keywords: Islam, Islamic law, Quran, Ayah, Halal, haram, Halal standard, Halal food, Halal industry, international trade, pork, carrion, alcohol.

With the advance of information technology and the advent of the Internet era in the 21st century, enterprises worldwide have been developed in the direction of e-business and the Internet economy. After Taiwan joined the World Trade Organization and information technology contributed to the development of the Internet, Taiwan became a highly competitive environment for enterprises. To increase competitiveness, enterprises should promote global management strategies rather than limiting the enterprise to one area. The textile industry in Taiwan can be rejuvenated by using information technology and adopting an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. When such a system is adopted, the business-to-business procedures in the industry are not independent from each other, but form a supply chain management system by integrating upstream and downstream operation procedures to reduce production costs and preparation time, increase profits, and create substantial added value. Everest Textile Co., Ltd, which is a textile manufacturer that receives assistance from the Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan, was used in this study as an example. The strategies, mode, and benefits of Everest Textile’s electronization were analyzed. Furthermore, relevant literature was reviewed to propose a textile industry electronization model, which is provided as a reference for other textile manufacturers in Taiwan to facilitate the overall improvement of the industry.

Along with rising awareness of social welfare and environmental protection, corporate social responsibility becomes an internationally emphasized topic. The implementation of corporate social responsibility could effectively promote social impact and brand value as well as present the competitiveness of long-term competitive advantage and sustainable management. From the aspect of environmental protection, medical products with use value should not be disposed in the recovery channel. In this case, the maintenance of medical products and the activity to maintain waste medical products, recycle resources, and reuse parts are the environmental protection issues stressed by the government and the public. Aiming at the mass society in Fujian Province, total 360 copies of questionnaire are distributed, with random sampling, and 274 valid copies are retrieved, with the retrieval rate 76%. The retrieved data are analyzed with statistics software. The research results show significant correlations between reverse logistics and corporate image, corporate image and social impact, as well as reverse logistics and social impact. Suggestions, according to the results, are proposed, expecting to help medical device industry effectively combine green strategies, include the concept of environmental protection into corporate culture, provide the society with valuable goods or services, master green business opportunities, and precede differentiation competition in the same trade in order to win in the fierce competition.

An important aspect of any industry is the rapid and effective adaptation to changing conditions. The logistics market during the pandemic and related constraints has changed significantly, and competition in this segment has become higher than ever. Many consumers are forced to reduce consumption, companies have reduced supplies and production, diversified their activities. The transportation market has become denser and the struggle for the customer has intensified. Optimization of financial, labor, and material resources through the reduction of activities can negatively affect the quality of logistics services, the speed of processing goods, and their delivery to the final consumer. Based on the relevance, the aim of the research is to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on logistics, assess the results of such impacts in the EU, as well as outline trends and prospects for the logistics market in terms of declining coronavirus and market recovery. The research methodology is based on the use of general scientific and specific methods, in particular: analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, systematization, generalization. The scientific novelty of the study is that the changes that have taken place in logistics have led to the emergence of new trends and trends that need to be generalized and evaluated in terms of prospects for impact on the industry. The study summarized the conclusion that the coronavirus pandemic created opportunities for some companies and threats for others. As a result of the constraints and challenges that have become inherent in international business and logistics, e-commerce, on-demand delivery, and the concept of “last kilometers” are developing rapidly in the EU and Ukraine. The logistics market has a tendency to consolidate and diversify. At the same time, once the European economy returns to normal, most of the changes that have taken place in logistics will be irreversible. Keywords: logistics, pandemic consequences, trade, supply chain, transport

Synopsis In January, 2015, Chipotle stopped serving pork at a third of its 1,800 restaurants due to its discovery that a pork supplier was not meeting Chipotle's “Food with Integrity” standards. This case examines the trade-offs Chipotle faced in maintaining its focus on sustainable ingredients as the chain grew rapidly. Demand for healthier ingredients by others in the industry and scalability problems in sustainable agricultural production suggested that supply shortages and higher prices were likely threats to Chipotle's continued rapid growth. Could Chipotle maintain its commitment to “Food with Integrity” when the supply of sustainable foods failed to meet demand or should the company just buy available ingredients regardless of farming methods? Research methodology This case was developed from both secondary and primary sources. The secondary sources included industry reports, company annual reports, news reports, social media sites and company websites. Primary sources included video interviews with Chipotle executives (available on the company's website) and visits to Chipotle restaurants in several cities. This case has been classroom tested with MBA students in a capstone course and with undergraduates in a strategic management course. Relevant courses and levels This case was written for use in Strategic Management classes at the undergraduate and MBA levels. The focus of the case aligns well with discussions of competitive advantage, firm performance and business level strategy. The case also has application in discussions regarding implementation of strategy. Instructors that choose to emphasize sustainability strategies could assign this case to explore trade-offs between profitability, sustainability and growth. Additionally, the case could be used in supply chain management courses. Theoretical bases This case utilizes a stakeholder analysis approach to examine the trade-offs between sustainability initiatives, growth and performance. The resource-based model of VRIO is used to analyze the firm's competitive advantage.

The present paper aims to describe the dire conditions of the Hungarian pig farming sector struggling on the one hand with fluctuating fodder prices and the unpredictable conditions of production resulting in high overheads on the other. A direct consequence of the above is a perpetually nagging liquidity problem which slows down planned developments. Some pig farming ventures believe that strict hygiene regulations and high fodder prices render animal farming unprofitable and decide to stop pig farming altogether. According to some of the actors in the sector the pig industry is in a fatal state. It causes a problem for the domestic meat processes plants that are forced to import a significant proportion of their raw material. Another acute and constant problem for the industry is the access to loan capital, especially because they are unable to provide the collateral normally required by credit institutions from companies applying for credit. A new categorisation might help to solve this problem making capitalisation of agrarian producers easier by granting preferential treatment to investorslike regional , venture capital group sand the so-called business angels, without the businesses losing their entrepreneur status(Vinkler, 2006). In the first part it was presented the 2004-2013 period, the details of the pig industry and the situation of the pig population changes. In the second part the structure and evolution of the foreign trade situation of the Hungarian pork pig industry is presented.

Technology has influenced industries around the world. Not only is the use of technology essential to the success of a business, but the continuous improvement of technology is a determinant factor in obtaining a competitive advantage. Electronic collaboration (e-collaboration) has made a presence in the supply chain of international trade. The logistics industry, in particular the area of trucking, has to continuously improve their technology and use e-collaboration in order to continue having a profitable advantage in a highly regulated and competitive arena. Some methods of e-collaboration used by a particular trucking company along the U.S.—Mexico border will be discussed.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to gain a general holistic view of implications of the growing and highly relevant customer segment of elder consumers for the food demand chain (food retail, production, logistics, and business informatics) in Germany. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes a holistic demand-chain approach that is based on interviews with 36 German food consumers aged 65-87 and with 50 experts from manufacturing, trade, logistics, and business informatics as well as a survey with 1,288 consumers above 64 years of age and 682 consumers below 65 years of age. Findings Physical, statistical, psychological, social, and behavioural characteristics of elder German consumers may influence location, services, and layout of food retail, food variety, sizes, packaging, and labelling, food production, transportation, and storage volumes and capacities, as well as facility location, route, and inventory planning. The social function of grocery shopping especially for single consumers, intergenerational products and services, home-delivery services especially to rural areas, as well as decentralisation and regionalisation are expected to gain importance. Logistics and industry 4.0 can facilitate the efficient and effective supply of food. Originality/value This research is the first to investigate the needs and wants of elder German food consumers and their implications for the German food demand chain in a more holistic demand-chain approach.

Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) that arose from World War II developments has become one of the most attractive management tools to the business environment yet has faced scarce current applicability. This study analyses the opinion of specialists engaged in the industry, trade and logistics management of diverse economic segments with views to presenting an amplified perspective of this technologies current and future behaviour, as well as its inclusion within the corporate environment. The subject matter of choice derives from the author’s personal curiosity, as leveraged by numerous publications that failed to reveal coincidental opinions and operational approaches concerning the use of this technology. This seems to have found ground given the lack of technical knowledge within both the business community and the public in general and, undoubtedly, considering its high implementation costs. The research, of bibliographical nature, concludes that effectively there are favourable and unfavourable opinions concerning this technology’s application at the surveyed industries and organizations, although most acknowledge its high potential business management efficiency and effectiveness. It is understood that only a favourable evolution of economic activities will promote the necessary investments and drive players into furthering in-depth studies concerning the varied RFID possibilities in addition to analysing the strategic convenience of its application. Key-words: RFID. Logistics. Strategic Management. Supply Chains.

In conditions of the world economy globalization, regional trade and economic integration of countries, and increased sectoral competition, agricultural business remains a strategically important branch of the national economy of any state. Its activities are based on the regulatory legal framework for creation and functioning of agro-industrial complex entities, state regulation and support of agriculture, development of rural areas, food export incentive, formation of external and internal trade infrastructure. The world agrarian economy demonstrates the use of various models of efficient agro-industrial production management, providing for solution of national food security and increasing the export potential of the industry. The paper presents typology of agriculture by types of land use at various levels of social and economic development of countries, identifies the main world producers, exporters and importers of agri-food products. Review of the state regulation system and support of commodity producers in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Canada, China, Russia, and the United States has been carried out taking into account implementation of the international rules of the World Trade Organization. Various types of agricultural business models, sales systems, depending on production specialization of individual states, regions, enterprises and aimed at development of vertical integration, combination of marketing and logistics functions within one company, changes in the commodity structure along the sales channels in the domestic and foreign markets, have been systematized. The competitive advantages of the Republic of Belarus in the context of development of priority areas of agricultural business have been substantiated and the key risks having significant impact on the strengthening of production, sales and export potential have been analyzed. The issues Covered in the paper are of interest in preparation of draft state programs for social and economic development of the national agro-industrial complex, strategy in the field of export of agricultural products and food products for the period up to 2025.

The article examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international trade and identifies e-commerce and m-commerce as its global trends. A scientific and methodological approach to the study of the vector and specifics of the development of e-commerce and m-commerce is formed given the lack of necessary statistical information to assess the state of e-commerce in a country and linguistic features of definitions. The influence of e-commerce and m-commerce on the online shopping and sales industry has been established. The global distribution of Internet sources used by consumers, global sales in m-commerce as a percentage of e-commerce and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on online traffic and changes in transactions by industry are analyzed. The transition of e-commerce to m-commerce was revealed as a result of the increase in the share of mobile transactions in view of the development of markets in countries focused primarily on mobile devices and their active use. As a result of the post-pandemic forecast in the trends of international trade and e-business priorities, a promising increase in world sales in e-commerce has been established. The main trends of further development of e-commerce and m-commerce in the field of international trade are identified, such as: big data, personalization, e-mail marketing, transition of e-commerce to e-commerce, ordering services online and transition of retail to online, electronic public procurement, omnichannel and multichannel, socially oriented commerce, improved work with the community and the need for efficient logistics

The road transportation sector is an integral part of foreign trade and the locomotive of economic development. The COVID-19 outbreak caused the closure of customs gates for a certain period in addition to a decrease in demand for goods and services and thus profoundly affected the road transport industry. For businesses operating in the road transportation sector, occupational commitment and exposure to mobbing of employees during the pandemic are vital in terms of business performance. This study examines occupational commitment and mobbing on the intention to leave during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there are many studies in the literature on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been no study examining the relationship between these three variables in the road transportation industry. This study is the first empirical study to examine variables such as intention to leave, mobbing, and professional commitment during the pandemic period in Turkey. The research universe consists of 45 logistics companies that provide transportation, customs clearance, storage, insurance, logistics value-added services. The sample consists of businesses engaged in national and international road transport, strengthening the representation ability. As a result of the study, it was determined that mobbing sub-factors did not decrease emotional, occupational commitment, and mobbing increased the intention to leave. Thus, it has been proven that there is a negative relationship between emotional and normative occupational commitment and intention to leave. It is expected that this study will contribute significantly to the businesses and the literature operating in road transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study of socio-economic dimensions of the preconditions for the development of Donetsk and Luhansk regions allowed to distinguish between positive and negative directions of development. Thus, the positive prerequisites for the development of regions include: agricultural lands of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are characterized by high natural fertility; the mineral resource base of the regions is one of the most developed in terms of types and volumes of use of mineral resources in Ukraine, among which almost 50 % contains fuel and energy raw materials; an important place in the economy of Donetsk and Luhansk regions is occupied by industry; retail trade turnover of Donetsk and Luhansk regions from 2018-2020 begins to recover. It should also be noted that the Donetsk region is active in foreign economic activity, which has a significant impact on the development of the region, and the balance of foreign trade balance of the Donetsk region in 2014-2020 is positive. The positive trend of Luhansk region is that it has a significant share of small and medium business in the volume of sold products (goods, services). Negative prerequisites for the development of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are: the presence of armed conflict in the regions; loss of a significant part of industrial potential and reduction of indicators of socio-economic development of Donetsk and Luhansk regions; in 2020 lockdown and business interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic; there are logistical problems in the transportation of goods; in 2020, the level of exports is declining, most industrial enterprises engaged in foreign economic activity have significantly reduced production for export; destruction of key transport and logistics links, complication of railway logistics, closure of airspace, as a result of increased load on roads from heavy, large, freight transport, in the Donetsk region there is a destruction of road surface. Also, the negative trends of Donetsk region include the lowest share of small and medium business in the volume of sold products (goods, services). The positive preconditions for the development of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts need support in the direction of strengthening these tendencies. Negative preconditions for the development of oblasts require significant changes and financial investments for radical changes in the direction of improving the situation. Thus, the intensification of small business in the Donetsk region and support for the further development of small business in the Luhansk region is a prerequisite for economic growth in these areas in the future.

A brief overview of the possibility and readiness for digitalization of automotive industry companies has been presented. Since production processes and systems can be more intelligent, they allow to reach the high-quality standards required in service, what is the only way to maximize the improvement of its components from the very beginning of the process.Digitalization is one of the main levers to enhance business and increase competitiveness in the industry, that provides huge opportunities in the future. One of the important conditions is increase flexibility, that allows quickly to adapt production facilities and processes to changes in production and product lines of customer. The digitalization strategy should be applied transversely to all processes, starting from production, logistics, and quality till design, procurement, human resources, or finance. Transversal applying of digitalization strategy is possible in the creation of technology centers graphic engineering worldwide, the use of computerized simulation, CAD systems and virtual 3D environments for research, analysis, evaluation, validation and improvement of production processes. The important aspect to form the future is the development of innovative solutions that contribute turning new concepts into an industrial reality.The revolution in logistics digitalization gives automakers and service providers the opportunity to stay flexible and to be ahead of time. The main transformers are data and digital rethinking of the supply chain, that contribute a significant growth in trade. Advanced automakers create a digital workforce and program robots to solve repetitive tasks. All this provides full flexibility in software development with integrated in it robot’s hardware, fast iterations and adjustments, when it is necessary, which might not have been easily achieved using traditional methods. These projects can be extended to ones with greater investment. Mainly, more flexible and service-oriented solutions can be implemented as a response to speed and automation in logistics. Thereby, it is possible to satisfy the changing and demanding needs of customers now and in the future.

The article analyzes the theoretical and practical aspects of marketing activities in the field of logistics of the hotel and restaurant business, which is the most essential element in merchandise distribution in HoReCa markets. The author finds out that material flows of goods in HoReCa markets are divided into two relatively independent subgroups, which differ both in time and content characteristics, and in marketing tools which are used: commodity and material and technical support of enterprises of hotel and restaurant profile (sale points) and distribution of goods and services by sale points themselves. HoReCa product market is specific in the aspect of the structure of product groups, which include B2B products (business to business), goods for resale without surplus value, semi-finished products and food products which are modified with concurrent surplus value in the production process. An important feature of merchandise distribution in HoReCa markets is that the consumption of a hotel and restaurant product takes place directly at the sale points in contrast to retail trade businesses. The analysis of the volume, dynamics and structure of HoReCa markets at different levels shows that the essential point of marketing activities of HoReCa market participants is the choice of commodities and suppliers, establishing communications with suppliers, substantiating price decisions in the procurement of goods. Other elements of the marketing complex for the hospitality industry in HoReCa markets can be characterized as limited ones. The paper reveals that one of the most significant issues on the way of introducing the Crimean hotel and restaurant service to the modern level is its underdevelopment and poor structuring of the Crimean HoReCa market. So, the main direction of improving the marketing component in the HoReCa market is establishing and using communications for supplying goods and materials by leading Russian and international companies representing themselves as specialized participants in the HoReCa market. The obtained results can be used for subsequent research of markets of HoReCa goods in trade, including ways to improve the efficiency of trade by regulating the flow of goods and methods of promoting goods.

The purpose of the article is to analyze the current state of foreign trade in the industrial blockchain of the steel industry, the existing digital platform has gradually formed a large-scale heterogeneous distributed environment. The problems of further development of the metallurgical complex of Ukraine in the world electronic system of international cooperation are determined. Methodology. The survey is based on a blockchain technology is an interlinked systematic chain of blocks that contains transaction history and other user data. It works under the principle of decentralized distributed digital ledger. Results. Experimental tests prove that production companies, logistics, international payments and consumers can participate in the information certification of steel products via the modern information system. Consumers can understand the real product manufacturing process, effectively avoiding of the incomplete information and low transparency in the traditional information traceability process, and effectively trace the quality of steel products. The system provides an effective payments scheme for promoting the transformation and upgrading of the modern technology steel industry. Practical implications. In view of the low transparency of information traceability of current steel products and the defects of information islands, in this article the blockchain-based steel smart contract payment technology quality traceability system is developed and adopted the alliance chain mode and the new digital blockchain platform. The article describes the use of smart payment technology in a full-fledged financial transaction as a transfer funds in cryptocurrency to electronic bank accounts, as well as the transfer of commercial information, including contracts. To do this, the assets and terms of the contract are encoded and placed in the block chain, then the contract is distributed is saved on a set of network nodes and is executed after the condition is triggered. The fulfillment of the obligations of the parties is checked automatically. It is worth noting that the fact that smart contracts only react to transactions. If the asset or the currency is transferred to the program, it starts monitor compliance with the terms of the contract. How as soon as they are fulfilled, the seller receives money, and the buyer is a shipment goods. Value/originality. Blockchain technologies enable the use of business information systems that are highly resistant to technical failures and malicious attacks. Costs and time of carrying out business operations are significant.

Aim. To substantiate the approaches to activating export transactions in the market of pig breeding products, determining the indicators of competitiveness of the main kinds of meat and relative competitiveness of pig breeding products in the leading countries based on the identifi cation of factors, restraining the export of Ukrainian pig breeding products, and elaborating the suggestions on eliminating their negative impact on the dynamics of foreign economic activity in the industry. Methods. The methodological approaches of the study were based on the information about the volumes of foreign trade, mainly used for international comparison and determined for each commodity or commodity group. The Relative Export Advantage Index (RXA), the Relative Import Penetration Index (RMP) and the Relative Trade Advantage Index (RTA) were determined while estimating competitive advantages of pig breeding products. The study involved a comprehensive comparative analysis of the main kinds of meat products in the external market using the model of “food independence – competitiveness”. The index of food independence was used along with the generalizing index of competitiveness for some kinds of meat products – the modi- fi ed Balassa index. It was determined that it was reasonable to determine the level of food independence based on food self- production within the range of 70–80 % from the commodity resources of the domestic food market. Our study involved the data of the informational database of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine and FAO regarding the volume of export-import of pig breeding production. Results. It has been proven that there are no competitive advantages of Ukraine’s pig breeding produc- tion in external markets; there is insuffi cient food independence on the background of potential advantages for the expansion of export, in particular, that of cheap fodder and logistics. A considerable decrease in the exchange rate for hryvnia compared to foreign currencies of the leading countries creates prerequisites for successful promotion of Ukrainian pork both in domestic and foreign markets. The need of monitoring the implementation of food independence criteria and diversifi cation of export specialization of the country was substantiated. In the long-term perspective, it is reasonable to optimize the level of protection for the market of pig breeding products, to stimulate domestic production, to distribute the instruments of state support for the “green box”. It has been proven that the main directions of supporting the export of domestic agrarian products should become as follows: facilitating export procedures; expanding assortment and accessibility of fi nancial services; developing the support- ing infrastructure; informational support for exporters; conducting research and implementing support programs; the activity of the system of credit-insurance institute and trade representations should be carried out in a single complex via determining the potential market and fi nancial-insurance support for the export. Conclusions. The method of two-criteria analysis of the status of domestic market for meat products based on the indices of food safety and international competitiveness has been developed and tested which will promote complex estimation of positions of some kinds of commodities in external market. The model of two-criteria analysis allows substantiating effective instruments of state regulation and protecting the relevant market of prod- ucts. The method of two-criteria analysis of meat products is universal, i.e. it may be used to determine the positions of different commodity groups in the external market. The evaluation of competitiveness of the main kinds of meat products – pork, beef and poultry meat – demonstrated the absence of competitive advantages of pig breeding production in external markets and insuf- fi cient food independence. The factors, restraining the expansion of pork export, were systematized and divided into three main groups: technological; normative and regulatory; veterinary, and the ways of eliminating them were specifi ed. The measures of creating favorable export-institutional environment were elaborated and the main directions of supporting export of domestic pig breeding production were suggested.

The global economic crisis, which is linked to the coronavirus pandemic, has also affected pharmaceutical logistics. Therefore, the improvement of logistics processes within the pharmaceutical supply chain to increase the access to health care to the population in a pandemic becomes especially important. The aim of the work is to study and summarize the main problems of pharmaceutical logistics in a coronavirus pandemic and substantiate the reserves to improve the functioning of pharmaceutical supply chains. To achieve the goal of the study, an analysis of the domestic scientific literature and the current regulatory framework of Ukraine was conducted. It has used abstract-logical, monographic research methods and system analysis, as well as the method of expert survey. Realizing the importance of providing the population with necessary medicines during the pandemic in Ukraine on October 14, 2020, the Law «Changes to the article 19 of the Law of Ukraine "On Medicinal Products" on Electronic Retail Trade in Medicines» of September 17, 2020 № 904-IX has enforced. It has been evaluated the factors influencing the efficiency and coordination of the activities of pharmaceutical supply chain participants. A risk management algorithm for pharmaceutical supply chains has been developed, its structural elements and relationships have been identified. The presented algorithm will allow analyzing and estimating any deviations from the planned parameters in pharmaceutical supply chains on the basis of establishment of system of the corresponding indicators and on the basis of this information to define effective methods to counter the risks. The urgency of the problem of increasing the reliability and safety of domestic pharmaceutical supply chains in a pandemic has proved. It is justified that the introduction of digital technologies will increase the reliability, transparency and quality of business processes in the pharmaceutical supply chains during a pandemic, drastic changes in the pharmaceutical market and low predictability of demand for medicines and medical devices. The main problems of logistics in a pandemic in the domestic pharmaceutical industry are studied. It has established that the narrowest places in the organization of pharmaceutical supply chains are the improper organization of information exchange between pharmaceutical supply chain participants and the insufficient professional level of production interaction of managers. It has established the priority directions of increase of stability and reliability of functioning of pharmaceutical supply chains which is a necessary condition of accessibility of pharmaceutical provision of the population, especially in the conditions of a pandemic.

To increase inter-region connectivity, the Indonesian government initiated infrastructure projects such as toll roads, airport, highways, as well as agriculture ones throughout the countries. One of the big projects in road infrastructure was the Cikampek–Palimanan (Cipali) toll road in West Java with a budget of more than USD1 billion which started to operate in July 2015. This paper is aimed to evaluate the impact of the toll road on accessibilities, trades, and investments in the region it traverses. To carry out the analysis, we used qualitative approach, difference-in-difference approach, and ANOVA, utilizing three kinds of data. The first data is collected from a survey of 331 small-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the logistics and the hotel and restaurant industries. The second one is bank loan data sourced from Bank Indonesia, while the third one is investment data from Investment Coordinating Board of Indonesia (BKPM). After two years of its operation, Cipali toll road has increased accessibility, mobility, trade, and investment in the region it traverses. The travel time was reduced by 39%, while the cargo volume of the local businesses increased by 30% to 40%. These led to an improvement of wholesale trade volume in almost all regencies. However, SMEs in the hotel and restaurant industry along the traditional northern coastal highway in Subang, Indramayu, and Brebes experienced a decline due to the traffic shifting. Meanwhile, investments from national companies especially those of labor-intensive manufacturing industries flowed significantly especially to Subang and Majalengka, which reflected a “sorting effect”. However, investments from local and foreign businesses did not increase significantly yet after 2.5 years of toll operation. To reap the benefit from the presence of Cipali toll road, the local governments should improve the ease of doing business to attract investments that boost employment in return. In addition, given a better accessibility from Greater Jakarta and a large number of potential visitors passing through the toll road, local businesses in the trade sector would benefit if they could promote the local attractions such as in tourism activities supported by the local government. The latter strategy should also be implemented by the local governments and local businesses in the northern coastal traditional route to minimize the negative impact of the toll road due to the traffic shifting. This strategy should be strengthened through increasing connectivity from the toll exits to local business areas and through increasing the ease of doing business.

In article analyzed the signs and consequences of the economic crisis in Japan, revealed a system of anti-crisis government measures to stimulate economic growth, the stock market and real estate market, public policy and social programs. Successful anti-crisis measures and the negative effects of regulatory policy in the fall of domestic and foreign markets were considered. We were analyzed three major economic crises: the post-war crisis, the crisis of the 90s, the 2008 financial crisis. The economic crisis of the early 90s had a very specific background; analysis and reflection of them are allowed to reduce the crisis of 2008. The first crisis was caused mainly by internal economic factors, and the second – the global financial crisis. Pre-crisis economic had certain market conditions. During export economy Japan generated industrial growth, increase a foreign production, results of direct investment. Japanese companies had pursued a policy of active promotion in Asian markets. Over the years 2002-2007 decline the consumer demand, and in 2008 there were the first signs of recession. Textile and chemical industry, general engineering, ferrous metallurgy, information and communication electronic equipment had reduced production and profits. After analyzing the current situation in the world markets, the Japanese government approved the “Complex strategic measures to overcome the crisis.” The government executed the following major steps: 1. Increase local and regional regulation; 2. Reduction of taxes; 3. Exchange and stock markets regulation; 4. Reduce military spending; 5. The increase in exports, business building in regional market centers; 6. Promote small and medium enterprises (SMEs); 7. Formation of innovative markets; 8. Development of logistics infrastructure; 9. Reduce energy dependence, changing sources of energy; 10. The reform of social policy; 11. The reform of regional policy and investment; 12. The development of tourism projects. The experience of Japan can be adapted a series of reforms: decentralization, solving demographic problems, increasing regional and international business, scientific and technological development, investment in infrastructure and trade logistics, tourism development. Successfully reforms and strategic location was allowed Japan to survive the economic crisis and achieve economic growth.

The specialization of countries in the world market is the basis of international trade. The theoretical foundations of global specialization are formed by the concepts of international trade, absolute and comparative advantages, opportunity costs. The export specialization of Ukraine and its agricultural sector is determined by six types of agri-food products: corn, wheat, barley, rapeseed, sunflower oil and cake, which provide almost a third of national and over 70% of agri-food exports of the country. Thus, Ukraine's agri-food exports mainly consist of raw materials and is hyperspecialized. Specialization and internationalization of agri-food production and exports of Ukraine are intensifying: the country’s share in global exports of these products is growing, the dependence of domestic farmers on imports of many types of production resources is critically increasing. At the same time, the share of the import component in Ukraine's exports of plant products is relatively small. The current model of Ukraine's global agri-food specialization needs to be adjusted. This is necessary both to preserve the natural resource potential of agricultural production and to ensure the development of the industry in line with modern global socio-economic trends. To do this, it is first necessary to expand the lists of agricultural products and importing countries, intensify the involvement of domestic producers in global value chains, as well as to increase the share of in-depth processing products. Achieving the set goals necessitates the development of transport and logistics infrastructure and the formation of an effective institutional environment in the country. All this should improve the conditions for conducting agrarian business and motivate it to comply with natural resource constraints and the development of production for deep processing of agricultural raw materials. In order to increase the number of importing countries and expand the scale of exports of domestic agri-food products, it is also necessary to intensify international trade and economic cooperation.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to carry out structural analysis of potential supply chain risks and performance measures in fresh food retail by applying interpretive structural modeling (ISM). Design/methodology/approach – Inputs were taken from industry experts in identifying and understanding interdependencies among food retail supply chain risks on different levels (sourcing and logistics outside the retail stores; storage and customer interface at the stores). Interdependencies among risks and their impact on performance measures are structured into a hierarchy in order to derive subsystems of interdependent elements to derive useful insights for theory and practice. Findings – Using the ISM approach the risks and performance measures were clustered according to their driving power and dependence power. Change in/inadequate government regulations’ are at the bottom level of the hierarchy implying highest driving power and require higher attention and focussed mitigation strategies. Risks like lack of traceability, transport delays/breakdowns and temperature abuse, cross-contamination in transport and storage have medium driver and dependence powers. Research limitations/implications – The approach is focussed on food retail supply chains in the Indian context and thereby limits the ability to generalize the findings. The academics and experts were selected on convenience and availability. Practical implications – It gives managers a better understanding of the risks and performance measures that have most influence on others (driving performance measures) and those measures which are most influenced by others (dependent performance measures) in fresh food retail and also a tool to prioritize them. This kind of information is strategic for managers who can use it to identify which performance measures they should concentrate on managing the trade-offs between measures. The findings and the applicability for practical use have been validated by both experts and practicing managers in food retail supply chains. Originality/value – The work is perhaps the first to link supply chain risks with performance and explains the propagation of risks in food retail supply chains. It contributes to theory by addressing a few research gaps and provides relevant managerial insights for practitioners.

Topicality. One of the dynamic and rapid lines of development of modern regional ecosystems is transport logistics as an effective source of competitive advantages. This requires the use of new tools to improve the competitive ability of regions, including the cluster approach, the essence of which is the formation and development of logistic clusters by consolidating the efforts of the state, business, science, education in priority fields of economic activity. As international practice shows, the implementation of the cluster model of logistic activities will contribute to the reduction of total logistic costs by 12-35% as a result of reducing transport costs by 7-20% and the cost of handling operations by 20-30%, as well as accelerating the speed of circulation of material resources by 20-40%. Therefore, the creation of logistic clusters will create favorable conditions for the growth of the volume and quality of transport and logistics services and create a qualitatively new model of the regional economy.Aim and tasks. The aim of the article is to analyze the current state and problems of the formation of the institutional environment of functioning of logistic clusters in the economic regions of Ukraine, as well as to develop proposals for the creation of the appropriate institutional conditions for the development of logistic clusters as illustrated by the Prydniprovsky and Sloboda economic regions.Research results. It was found that the formation and effective functioning of logistic clusters in the regions of Ukraine is hampered by many key barriers that can be conditionally classified into the following groups, such as political, foreign economic, institutional, investment and financial, infrastructure, logistics. It was proved that for the effective development of logistic clusters in the economic regions of Ukraine it is reasonable to develop proposals for the creation of appropriate institutional conditions, which are to finalize the Strategies of the regional development in terms of institutional, investmen and financial, organizational and economic and information support of the functioning of logistic clusters using the cluster approach, as well as the Concepts of creating logistic clusters and Strategies for the integrated development of logistic clusters as a component of the regional transport and logistic system; implementation of the financial support mechanism, which includes exogenous and endogenous factors affecting the development of the regional transport and logistic system; the principles on which the formation of logistic clusters should be based; management functions (forecasting, planning, organization, accounting, control, analysis, regulation); a set of tools governing the organization and implementation of logistic activities, as well as the provision of transport services; financial instruments (venture investment, crowdinvesting, factoring, public-private partnership on the basis of attracting private investments, funds of credit institutions, foreign investment resources, grants of international financial organizations); means (digital, information and communication technologies, software, regulatory documents).Combination of modern cluster policy, mechanism of institutional support for the development of an integrated transport and logistic system and strategies of smart industry specializations in the context of decentralization will create the appropriate conditions for the formation of a logistic cluster as an effective form of partnership, strengthen the competitive advantages of the Prydniprovsky and Sloboda economic regions and increase the economic capacity of territorial communities.Conclusion. It was substantiated that the introduction of proposals for the creation of the appropriate institutional conditions for the formation and development of logistic clusters will contribute to a synergetic effect, the components of which are to increase the level of investment attractiveness of economic regions; increase revenues due to economic growth of territories; creation of new jobs and growth of employment; increase in the volume of cargo transportation and turnover; optimization of movement of logistic flows; cost reduction for the organization of logistic activities for the reduction of transport component in the cost of services, reduction in time to complete customs procedures for clearance of goods; provision of favourable conditions for the functioning of logistic market; creating objects of the appropriate logistic infrastructure (transport, trade, service, etc); improvement of the technology of transportation with the use of modern digital information and communication technologies.

Actual importance of study. At the beginning of the 2020s developed world countries and countries which are the leaders of world economic development faced up the challenges of radical structural reformation of social production (from industry to service system) which is based on digitalization. Digital technologies in world science and business practice are considered essential part of a complex technological phenomenon like ‘Industry 4.0’. Digitalization should cover development of all business processes and management processes at micro-, meso- and microlevels, processes of social production management at national and world economy levels. In general, in the 21st century world is shifting rapidly to the strategies of digital technologies application. The countries which introduce these strategies will gain guaranteed competitive advantages: from reducing production costs and improved quality of goods and services to developing new sales market and making guaranteed super-profits. The countries which stand aside from digitalization processes are at risk of being among the outsiders of socio-economic development. Such problem statement highlights the actual importance of determining the directions, trends and strategic priorities of social production digitalization. This issue is really crucial for all world countries, including Ukraine which is in midst of profound structural reformation of all national production system. Problem statement. Digital economy shapes the ground for ‘Industry 4.0’, information, It technologies and large databases become the key technologies. The main asset of ‘Industry 4.0’ is information, the major tool of production is cyberphysical systems that lead to formation the single unified highly productive environmental system of collecting, analyzing and applying data to production and other processes. Cyberphysical systems provides ‘smart machines’ (productive machines, tools and equipment which are programmed) integration via their connection to the Internet, or creation special network, ‘Industrial Internet’ (IIoT) which is regarded as a productive analogue of ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) that is focused on the consumers. ‘Internet of Things’ can be connected with ‘smart factories’ which use ‘Industrial Internet’ to adjust production processes quickly turning into account the changes in costs and availability of resources as well as demand for production made. One of the most essential tasks for current economics and researchers of systems and processes of organization future maintenance of world production is to determine the main strategic priorities of social production digitalization. Analysis of latest studies and publications. Valuable contribution to the study of the core and directions of strategic priorities concerning social production digitalization was made by such foreign scientists as the Canadian researcher Tapscott D [1], foreigners Sun, L., Zhao, L [2], Mcdowell, M. [3] and others. Yet, the study of issues concerning social production digitalization are mainly done by the team of authors as such issues are complicated and multihierarchical. Furthermore, the problem of social production digitalization is closely linked to the transition to sustainable development, which is reflected in the works by Ukrainian scholars like Khrapkin V., Ustimenko V., Kudrin O., Sagirov A. and others in the monograph “Determinants of sustainable economy development” [4]. The edition of the first in Ukraine inter-disciplinary textbook on Internet economy by a group of scientists like Tatomyr I., Kvasniy L., Poyda S. and others [5] should also be mentioned. But the challenges of social production digitalization are constantly focused on by theoretical scientists, analytics and practitioners of these processes. Determining unexplored parts of general problem. Defining strategic priorities of social production digitalization requires clear understanding of prospective spheres of their application, economic advantages and risks which mass transition of social production from traditional (industrial and post-industrial)to digital technologies bear. A new system of technological equipment (production digitalization, Internet-economy, technology ‘Industry 4.0’, NBIC- technologies and circular economy) has a number of economic advantages for commodity producers and countries, as well as leads to dramatical changes in the whole social security system, changes at labour market and reformation the integral system of social relations in the society. Tasks and objectives of the study. The objective of the study is to highlight the core and define the main strategic priorities of social production digitalization, as they cause the process of radical structural reformation of industrial production, services and social spheres of national economy of world countries and world economy in general. To achieve the objective set in the article the following tasks are determined and solved: - to define the main priorities of digital technologies development, which is radically modify all social production business processes; - to study the essence and the role of circular economy for transition to sustainable development taken EU countries as an example; - to identify the strategic priorities of robotization of production processes and priority spheres of industrial and service robots application; - to define the role of NBIC-technologies in the process of social production structural reformation and its transition to new digital technologies in the 21st century. Method and methodology of the study. While studying strategic priorities of social production digitalization theoretical and empirical methods of study are used, such as historical and logical, analysis and synthesis, abstract and specific, casual (cause-and-effect) ones. All of them helped to keep the track of digital technologies evolution and its impact on structural reformation of social production. Synergetic approach, method of expert estimates and casual methods are applied to ground system influence of digital technologies, ‘Industry 4.0’ and their materialization as ‘circular economy’ on the whole complicated and multihierarchical system of social production in general. Basic material (the results of the study). Digital economy, i.e. economy where it is virtual but not material or physical assets and transactions are of the greatest value, institutional environment in which business processes as well as all managerial processes are developed on the basis of digital computer technologies and information and communication technologies (ICT), lies as the ground for social production digitalization. ICT sphere involves production of electronic equipment, computing, hardware,.software and services. It also provides various information sevices. Information Technology serves as a material basis for digital economy and digital technologies development. Among the basic digital technologies the following ones play the profound role: technology ‘Blockchain’, 3D priniting, unmanned aerial vehicles and flying drones, virtual reality (VR). Augmented reality (AR), Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Internet of Value (IoV) which is founded on IT and blockchain technology, Internet of Everything (IoE), Artificial Intelligence (AI), neuron networks and robots. These basic digital technologies in business processes and management practices are applied in synergy, complexity and system but not in a single way. System combination of digital technologies gives maximal economic effect from their practical application in all spheres of social production-from industry to all kinds of services. For instance, in education digital technologies promote illustrating and virtual supplement of study materials; in tourism trade they promote engagement of virtual guides, transport and logistics security of tourist routes, virtual adverts and trips arrangements, virtual guidebooks, virtual demonstration of services and IT brochures and leaflets. Digital technologies radically change gambling and show businesses, in particular, they provide virtual games with ‘being there’ effect. Digital technologies drastically modify the retail trade sphere, advertisement and publishing, management and marketing, as well as provide a lot of opportunities for collecting unbiased data concerning changes in market conditions in real time. Digital technologies lie as the basis for ‘circular economy’, whose essence rests with non-linear, secondary, circular use of all existing natural and material resources to provide the production and consumption without loss of quality and availability of goods and services developed on the grounds of innovations, IT-technology application and ‘Industry 4.0’. Among priorities of circular economy potential applications the following ones should be mentioned: municipal services, solid household wastes management and their recycling, mass transition to smart houses and smart towns, circular agriculture development, circular and renewable energy, The potential of circular economy fully and equally corresponds to the demands for energy efficiency and rational consumption of limited natural resources, so it is widely applied in EU countries while transiting to sustainable development. In the 21st century processes of social production robotization draw the maximal attention of the society. There is a division between industrial and service robots which combine artificial intelligence and other various digital technologies in synergy. Industrial robots are widely used in production, including automotive industry, processing industry, energetic, construction sectors and agriculture Services are applied in all other spheres and sectors of national and world economies –from military-industrial complex (for instance, for mining and demining the areas, military drones) to robots-cleaners (robots-vacuum cleaners), robots-taxis, robots engaged in health care service and served as nurses (provide the ill person with water, tidy up, bring meals). Social production robotization is proceeding apace. According to “World Robotic Report 2020”, within 2014 – 2019 the total quantity of industrial robots increased by 85 %. By 2020 in the world the share of robots in the sphere of automated industrial production had comprised 34 %, in electronics – 25%, in metallurgy – 10 %. These indicators are constantly growing which results in structural reformation of the whole system of economic and industrial processes, radical changes in world labour market and the social sphere of world economy in general. Alongside with generally recognized types of digital technologies and robotization processes, an innovation segment of digital economy – NBIC – technologies (Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Information technology, Cognitive Science) are rapidly spread. Among the priorities of NBIC-technologies development the special place belongs to interaction between information and cognitive technologies. As a material basis for its synergy in NBIC-technologies creation of neuron networks, artificial intelligence, artificial cyber brain for robots are applied. It is estimated as one of the most prospective and important achievements of digital economy which determines basic, innovational vector of social production structural reformations in the 21st century. The sphere of results application. International economic relations and world economy, development of competitive strategies of national and social production digitalization of world economy in general. Conclusions. Digital technologies radically change all spheres of social production and social life, including business and managerial processes at all levels. Digital technologies are constantly developing and modifying, that promotes emergence of new spheres and new business activities and management. 21st century witnessed establishing digital economy, smart economy, circular economy, green economy and other various arrangements of social production which are based on digital technologies. Social production digitalization and innovative digital technologies promotes business with flexible systems of arrangement and management, production and sales grounded on processing large Big Data permanently, on the basis of online monitoring in real time. Grounded on digital technologies business in real time mode processes a massive Big Data and on their results makes smart decisions in all business spheres and business processes management. Radical shifts in social production digitalization provides businesses of the states which in practice introduce digital technologies with significant competitive advantages - from decrease in goods and services production cost to targeted meeting of specific needs of consumers. Whereas, rapid introduction of digital technologies in the countries-leaders of world economic development results in a set of system socio-economic and socio-political challenges, including the following: crucial reformatting the world labour market and rise in mass unemployment, shift from traditional export developing countries’ specialization, breakups of traditional production networks being in force since the end of the 20th century, so called ‘chains of additional value shaping’, breakups of traditional cooperation links among world countries and shaping the new ones based on ‘Industry 4.0’ and ‘Industrial Internet’. Socio-economic and political consequences of radical structural reformation of all spheres in national and world economy in the 21st century, undoubtedly, will be stipulated with the processes of social production digitalization. It will require further systemic and fundamental scientific studies on this complicated and multi hierarchical process.

China is showing trends of increase in international trade due to worldwide economic growth. Furthermore, the annual increases in trade value of its bonded area, Bonded logistics complex, etc. are greatly contributing to the development of China’s commerce as result of rising demands from foreign markets. Bonded area is favorable to trade environment and it is typically installed in a port relatively advanced in technology and economy. It differs from other areas due to government’s implementation of favoritism and special policies in that area. Such efficacy is economic like other foreign nations’ “Free Trade Zone”, “Export Processing Zone”, and others that all possess the four functionalities of international trade, modern logistics, entry processing, and commodity marketing.The biggest advantage of bonded area is drastically simplified export-import customs clearance and favorable customs process, and includes other advantages including inspection of goods, tax investigations, foreign exchanges, financial management, etc. that are administered at once. These factors provide accelerated administration of customs procedure and effective business affairs, form ideal investment environment for internationalization of companies, and reduce distribution costs.The Chinese government, following the successful management of bonded area and BLP, is now focusing on establishing the final directing point of the Free Trade Zone. On September 29th, 2013 the “Shanghai Free Trade demonstration borough” was officially launched to form the progressive economic system more efficient than the traditional system. Likewise, we should take advantage of such BLP to export agricultural processed goods, equipment and materials to solidify Korea’s agricultural position there. The trade that utilizes BLP is still mostly conducted by focusing large corporations’ products, and in practice, there have been little discussions of agriculture on the surface aside from the manufacturing industry. However, this venue should serve as appropriate consideration for the sixth industry of agricultural companies, small and medium-sized businesses to take part and form an export path to China’s market.

Today, the internet is in contact with everything in the world. Since it is impossible to think of production and logistics separately, Industry 4.0 is expected to redefine business processes in the logistics sector. The main purpose of the study; It is to reveal the innovations it will bring to the logistics sector by examining the Industry 4.0 revolution in detail, which contributes to the development of the logistics management This study, which was prepared as a conceptual framework, was supported by a survey study to raise awareness about the effects of Industry 4.0 on the logistics sector and to reveal a new perspective in terms of theory and practice. In the last 15 years, the transportation/transportation activities in the sector have been carried out with a more scientific and contemporary perspective, increasing the impact of logistics on transportation systems day by day and has started to play an important role in the development of Turkish foreign trade. The purpose of the study in your hand; The logistics sector, which has been developing rapidly, "Does the logistics performance of Turkey in the last 15 years, which has developed with the contribution of industry 4.0, digitalization and the internet, differ according to the descriptive characteristics of the participants and businesses?" and “How does Industry 4.0, digitalization and internet contribute to Turkey's logistics performance in the last 15 years? It is to reveal it by evaluating it with ANOVA analysis for searching the answers of the problem in the form.

Logistics sector plays an important role in the economics of every country. The logistics sector in India is expected to grow to USD 215 billion by 2020, employing more than 22 million people. A separate logistics division has been put in place in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The growth in Indian trade and commerce is also anticipated to be equally positive. The logistics sector in India has shown a significant development over the years and has also encouraged the technology enabled start up s which has provided a big opportunity of providing seamless movements of goods across the country. In this sector there are multiple factors which drive it towards its growth and boom. As a result, in movement of freight, freight forwarders and price plays an important role. Price volatility is the most significant issue for logistics market and for the clients using the logistics services. The challenge is to study and identify the various factors influencing the spot and forward freight rates. The questionnaire was developed to carry out the research and data was collected from the freight forwarders in Delhi. Factor analysis method is used in order to identify the key factors. Nine factors were identified as mode of transport, Distance, speed and time, Fuel price and Capacity, technological Advancements, Government Policies, Environmental Issues and Market Structure. To further analyse the data descriptive analysis was done. It was found that these nine factors have a significant impact on spot and forward freight rate which can be considered and implemented in order to maintain, enhance and achieve competitive advantage in domestic and international business.

Orientation: The article reports on applied and practical research that focuses on the understanding of the motivation and actions of Multinational Enterprises in Africa as far as mergers and acquisitions (MAs) are concerned.Research purpose: This study examines developments in the freight and logistics industry through MAs in South Africa.Motivation for the study: It is necessary to gain a better understanding of MAs from a firm-level perspective in the South African context. Little research exists on the dynamics of MAs, and even less relating to the logistics industry that plays such a large role in trade in the region. This research adds substantial and significant original work to the scarce body of meaningful literature on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa.Research design, approach and method: This study used a case study approach employing structured interviews. The population was freight and logistics companies that were involved in MA activities in South Africa. Quantitative data and other information from various databases, published MA data and financial statements were analysed to obtain background views of the companies’ where after, three companies were eventually selected. Direct unstructured interviews were then conducted with the main decision makers and a qualitative thematic analysis of the companies’ responses. Related themes and patterns were identified through the frequency of occurrence, similarities, differences and general patterns observed. This method yielded the most insight into the processes and company dynamics involved.Main findings: International MAs in the freight and logistics industry provide companies with international scale and effectively link to international markets. Companies benefit from expanded market opportunities across national borders, which generate substantial revenues, geographical growth and business expansion. It renders synergy and additional competitive advantage.Practical/managerial implications: Theoretical and practical aspects of FDI, such as motives for market entry, ownership, location and entry barriers within the context of multinational enterprises, globally, were investigated. Little data exist on the freight and logistics industry in Africa and also on MAs, which presented limitations. Companies are inexperienced and need to involve more expertise in MA processes. The results also found that South African companies need to expand their cultural intelligence and negotiation skills, especially within a diverse cultural realm, before entering into MA deals with foreign companies.Contribution/value-add: Services are determinants of trade volumes and offer distributional effects and patterns of economic growth, development and FDI inflows. Little research exists on the dynamics of MAs in the freight and logistics industry, especially within the African context. This study also makes some contribution in that regard.

The expansion of international trade and the dynamism of the geography of foreign trade operations are pushing for the transformation of the transport and logistics system of foreign economic activity. The current stage of development of the world economy highlights the country's transport and logistics system as a key factor of competition in world markets, which entails a confrontation between national states for the formation/participation, for example, of transit routes for the movement of goods. In these conditions, the objects of transport and logistics infrastructure, the degree of their development, and the dynamics of investment are of exceptional importance. In this area, Russia lags behind the advanced economically developed and developing countries, and the volume of investment is significantly lower than many economies in the world. In this regard, there is an opinion in the scientific community that the logistics of foreign trade in Russia without forced growth can become a deterrent to the development of the country's export potential. As a result of the study, it was identified as relatively insufficient (in accordance with international standards) the cost of logistics infrastructure facilities, as well as a limited amount of investment, which is a key factor constraining the development of the industry. In addition to the above, there is a shortage of competent personnel in this area, and it is also necessary to improve the system of training of relevant employees. As a result, as of 2018, Russia ranked only 75th (out of 160 countries) in the world in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) rating, which, despite the dynamics, is extremely low for a state with wide export and transit opportunities. In the second part of the paper, the main ways of developing Russia's export potential through improving transport and logistics activities are formulated. Among all areas, special attention should be paid to the processes of investing in the creation or modernization of logistics infrastructure facilities through the formation of a financing system based on public-private partnership mechanisms. In this aspect, it is extremely important to develop both the state mechanism of digital traceability of the movement of goods in the transport chains, and private ones. At the same time, from the position of the state, efforts should be directed to the transformation of the business environment in the vector of barrier-free conditions.

Canadian supply management policies in dairy, poultry and eggs have been hotly debated for over 50 years. During the most recent renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 2017-2018, the U.S. threatened to cancel NAFTA if concessions were not made to Canada’s supply management policies in agriculture. During the renegotiation, many arguments for and against supply management in agriculture were repeated, some were updated, and some newer perspectives relating to sustainability and social responsivity were more enthusiastically discussed. Most arguments critical of supply management have been developed using economic analyses of market and industry-level impacts of supply management. On the other hand, supportive arguments are often qualitative, focus on the survival of smaller farms and generally lack empirical investigation based on application of relevant theory. This paper uses management theory to investigate the impact of supply management of management and business activities on food processing firms. We use a framework that links business activities with the broad regulatory environment to interpret evidence from a study of independent meat processors in Ontario, Canada, particularly those that processed turkey, which is a supply managed sector; and pork, which is not. Results suggest that the broad regulatory environment facing Ontario meat processors is of greater concern to managers of independent processing businesses than the specific regulatory environment of supply management. Results also suggest the value creation activities and strategies used by a business may affect how managers assess opportunities and challenges in this specific regulatory environment.

During World War II, the Soviet Union’s food supply was in a state of crisis. Hitler’s army had occupied the agricultural heartlands of Ukraine and Southern Russia in 1941 and, as a result, agricultural production for the entire nation had plummeted. Soldiers in Red Army, who easily ate the best rations in the country, subsisted on a daily allowance of just under a kilogram of bread, supplemented with meat, tea, sugar and butter when and if these items were available. The hunger of the Red Army and its effect on the morale and strength of Europe’s eastern warfront were causes for concern for the Soviet government and its European and American allies. The one country with a food surplus decided to do something to help, and in 1942 the United States agreed to send thousands of pounds of meat, cheese and butter overseas to help feed the Red Army. After receiving several shipments of the all-American spiced canned meat SPAM, the Red Army’s quartermaster put in a request for a more familiar canned pork product, Russian tushonka. Pound for pound, America sent more pigs overseas than soldiers during World War II, in part because pork was in oversupply in the America of the early 1940s. Shipping meat to hungry soldiers and civilians in war torn countries was a practical way to build business for the U.S. meat industry, which had been in decline throughout the 1930s. As per a Soviet-supplied recipe, the first cans of Lend-Lease tushonka were made in the heart of the American Midwest, at meatpacking plants in Iowa and Ohio (Stettinus 6-7). Government contracts in the meat packing industry helped fuel economic recovery, and meatpackers were in a position to take special request orders like the one for tushonka that came through the lines. Unlike SPAM, which was something of a novelty item during the war, tushonka was a food with a past. The original recipe was based on a recipe for preserved meat that had been a traditional product of the Ural Mountains, preserved in jars with salt and fat rather than by pressure and heat. Thus tushonka was requested—and was mass-produced—not simply as a convenience but also as a traditional and familiar food—a taste of home cooking that soldiers could carry with them into the field. Nikita Khrushchev later claimed that the arrival of tushonka was instrumental in helping the Red Army push back against the Nazi invasion (178). Unlike SPAM and other wartime rations, tushonka did not fade away after the war. Instead, it was distributed to the Soviet civilian population, appearing in charity donations and on the shelves of state shops. Often it was the only meat product available on a regular basis. Salty, fatty, and slightly grey-toned, tushonka was an unlikely hero of the postwar-era, but during this period tushonka rose from obscurity to become an emblem of socialist modernity. Because it was shelf stable and could be made from a variety of different cuts of meat, it proved an ideal product for the socialist production lines where supplies and the pace of production were infinitely variable. Unusual in a socialist system of supply, this product shaped production and distribution lines, and even influenced the layout of meatpacking factories and the genetic stocks of the animals that were to be eaten. Tushonka’s initial ubiquity in the postwar Soviet Union had little to do with the USSR’s own hog industry. Pig populations as well as their processing facilities had been decimated in the war, and pigs that did survive the Axis invasion had been evacuated East with human populations. Instead, the early presence of tushonka in the pig-scarce postwar Soviet Union had everything to do with Harry Truman’s unexpected September 1945 decision to end all “economically useful” Lend-Lease shipments to the Soviet Union (Martel). By the end of September, canned meat was practically the only product still being shipped as part of Lend-Lease (NARA RG 59). Although the United Nations was supposed to distribute these supplies to needy civilians free of cost, travelers to the Soviet Union in 1946 spotted cans of American tushonka for sale in state shops (Skeoch 231). After American tushonka “donations” disappeared from store shelves, the Soviet Union’s meat syndicates decided to continue producing the product. Between its first appearance during the war in 1943, and the 1957 announcement by Nikita Khrushchev that Soviet policy would restructure all state animal farms to support the mass production of one or several processed meat products, tushonka helped to drive the evolution of the Soviet Union’s meat packing industry. Its popularity with both planners and the public gave it the power to reach into food commodity chains. It is this backward reach and the longer-term impacts of these policies that make tushonka an unusual byproduct of the Cold War era. State planners loved tushonka: it was cheap to make, the logistics of preparing it were not complicated, it was easy to transport, and most importantly, it served as tangible evidence that the state was accomplishing a long-standing goal to get more meat to its citizenry and improving the diet of the average Soviet worker. Tushonka became a highly visible product in the Soviet Union’s much vaunted push to establish a modern food regime intended to rival that of the United States. Because it was shelf-stable, wartime tushonka had served as a practical food for soldiers, but after the war tushonka became an ideal food for workers who had neither the time nor the space to prepare a home-cooked meal with fresh meat. The Soviet state started to produce its own tushonka because it was such an excellent fit for the needs and abilities of the Soviet state—consumer demand was rarely considered by planners in this era. Not only did tushonka fit the look and taste of a modern processed meat product (that is, it was standard in texture and flavor from can to can, and was an obviously industrially processed product), it was also an excellent way to make the most of the predominant kind of meat the Soviet Union had the in the 1950s: small scraps low-grade pork and beef, trimmings leftover from butchering practices that focused on harvesting as much animal fat, rather than muscle, from the carcass in question. Just like tushonka, pork sausages and frozen pelmeny, a meat-filled pasta dumpling, also became winning postwar foods thanks to a happy synergy of increased animal production, better butchering and new food processing machines. As postwar pigs recovered their populations, the Soviet processed meat industry followed suit. One official source listed twenty-six different kinds of meat products being issued in 1964, although not all of these were pork (Danilov). An instructional manual distributed by the meat and milk syndicate demonstrated how meat shops should wrap and display sausages, and listed 24 different kinds of sausages that all needed a special style of tying up. Because of packaging shortages, the string that bound the sausage was wrapped in a different way for every type of sausage, and shop assistants were expected to be able to identify sausages based on the pattern of their binding. Pelmeny were produced at every meat factory that processed pork. These were “made from start to finish in a special, automated machine, human hands do not touch them. Which makes them a higher quality and better (prevoskhodnogo) product” (Book of Healthy and Delicious Food). These were foods that became possible to produce economically because of a co-occurring increase in pigs, the new standardized practice of equipping meatpacking plants with large-capacity grinders, and freezers or coolers and the enforcement of a system of grading meat. As the state began to rebuild Soviet agriculture from its near-collapse during the war, the Soviet Union looked to the United States for inspiration. Surprisingly, Soviet planners found some of the United States’ more outdated techniques to be quite valuable for new Soviet hog operations. The most striking of these was the adoption of competing phenotypes in the Soviet hog industry. Most major swine varieties had been developed and described in the 19th century in Germany and Great Britain. Breeds had a tendency to split into two phenotypically distinct groups, and in early 20th Century American pig farms, there was strong disagreement as to which style of pig was better suited to industrial conditions of production. Some pigs were “hot-blooded” (in other words, fast maturing and prolific reproducers) while others were a slower “big type” pig (a self-explanatory descriptor). Breeds rarely excelled at both traits and it was a matter of opinion whether speed or size was the most desirable trait to augment. The over-emphasis of either set of qualities damaged survival rates. At their largest, big type pigs resembled small hippopotamuses, and sows were so corpulent they unwittingly crushed their tiny piglets. But the sleeker hot-blooded pigs had a similarly lethal relationship with their young. Sows often produced litters of upwards of a dozen piglets and the stress of tending such a large brood led overwhelmed sows to devour their own offspring (Long). American pig breeders had been forced to navigate between these two undesirable extremes, but by the 1930s, big type pigs were fading in popularity mainly because butter and newly developed plant oils were replacing lard as the cooking fat of preference in American kitchens. The remarkable propensity of the big type to pack on pounds of extra fat was more of a liability than a benefit in this period, as the price that lard and salt pork plummeted in this decade. By the time U.S. meat packers were shipping cans of tushonka to their Soviet allies across the seas, US hog operations had already developed a strong preference for hot-blooded breeds and research had shifted to building and maintaining lean muscle on these swiftly maturing animals. When Soviet industrial planners hoping to learn how to make more tushonka entered the scene however, their interpretation of american efficiency was hardly predictable: scientifically nourished big type pigs may have been advantageous to the United States at midcentury, but the Soviet Union’s farms and hungry citizens had a very different list of needs and wants. At midcentury, Soviet pigs were still handicapped by old-fashioned variables such as cold weather, long winters, poor farm organisation and impoverished feed regimens. The look of the average Soviet hog operation was hardly industrial. In 1955 the typical Soviet pig was petite, shaggy, and slow to reproduce. In the absence of robust dairy or vegetable oil industries, Soviet pigs had always been valued for their fat rather than their meat, and tushonka had been a byproduct of an industry focused mainly on supplying the country with fat and lard. Until the mid 1950s, the most valuable pig on many Soviet state and collective farms was the nondescript but very rotund “lard and bacon” pig, an inefficient eater that could take upwards of two years to reach full maturity. In searching for a way to serve up more tushonka, Soviet planners became aware that their entire industry needed to be revamped. When the Soviet Union looked to the United States, planners were inspired by the earlier competition between hot-blooded and big type pigs, which Soviet planners thought, ambitiously, they could combine into one splendid pig. The Soviet Union imported new pigs from Poland, Lithuania, East Germany and Denmark, trying valiantly to create hybrid pigs that would exhibit both hot blood and big type. Soviet planners were especially interested in inspiring the Poland-China, an especially rotund specimen, to speed up its life cycle during them mid 1950s. Hybrdizing and cross breeding a Soviet super-pig, no matter how closely laid out on paper, was probably always a socialist pipe dream. However, when the Soviets decided to try to outbreed American hog breeders, they created an infrastructure for pigs and pig breeding that had a dramatic positive impact of hog populations across the country, and the 1950s were marked by a large increase in the number of pigs in the Soviet union, as well as dramatic increases in the numbers of purebred and scientific hybrids the country developed, all in the name of tushonka. It was not just the genetic stock that received a makeover in the postwar drive to can more tushonka; a revolution in the barnyard also took place and in less than 10 years, pigs were living in new housing stock and eating new feed sources. The most obvious postwar change was in farm layout and the use of building space. In the early 1950s, many collective farms had been consolidated. In 1940 there were a quarter of a million kolkhozii, by 1951 fewer than half that many remained (NARA RG166). Farm consolidation movements most often combined two, three or four collective farms into one economic unit, thus scaling up the average size and productivity of each collective farm and simplifying their administration. While there were originally ambitious plans to re-center farms around new “agro-city” bases with new, modern farm buildings, these projects were ultimately abandoned. Instead, existing buildings were repurposed and the several clusters of farm buildings that had once been the heart of separate villages acquired different uses. For animals this meant new barns and new daily routines. Barns were redesigned and compartmentalized around ideas of gender and age segregation—weaned baby pigs in one area, farrowing sows in another—as well as maximising growth and health. Pigs spent less outside time and more time at the trough. Pigs that were wanted for different purposes (breeding, meat and lard) were kept in different areas, isolated from each other to minimize the spread of disease as well as improve the efficiency of production. Much like postwar housing for humans, the new and improved pig barn was a crowded and often chaotic place where the electricity, heat and water functioned only sporadically. New barns were supposed to be mechanised. In some places, mechanisation had helped speed things along, but as one American official viewing a new mechanised pig farm in 1955 noted, “it did not appear to be a highly efficient organisation. The mechanised or automated operations, such as the preparation of hog feed, were eclipsed by the amount of hand labor which both preceded and followed the mechanised portion” (NARA RG166 1961). The American official estimated that by mechanizing, Soviet farms had actually increased the amount of human labor needed for farming operations. The other major environmental change took place away from the barnyard, in new crops the Soviet Union began to grow for fodder. The heart and soul of this project was establishing field corn as a major new fodder crop. Originally intended as a feed for cows that would replace hay, corn quickly became the feed of choice for raising pigs. After a visit by a United States delegation to Iowa and other U.S. farms over the summer of 1955, corn became the centerpiece of Khrushchev’s efforts to raise meat and milk productivity. These efforts were what earned Khrushchev his nickname of kukuruznik, or “corn fanatic.” Since so little of the Soviet Union looks or feels much like the plains and hills of Iowa, adopting corn might seem quixotic, but raising corn was a potentially practical move for a cold country. Unlike the other major fodder crops of turnips and potatoes, corn could be harvested early, while still green but already possessing a high level of protein. Corn provided a “gap month” of green feed during July and August, when grazing animals had eaten the first spring green growth but these same plants had not recovered their biomass. What corn remained in the fields in late summer was harvested and made into silage, and corn made the best silage that had been historically available in the Soviet Union. The high protein content of even silage made from green mass and unripe corn ears prevented them from losing weight in the winter. Thus the desire to put more meat on Soviet tables—a desire first prompted by American food donations of surplus pork from Iowa farmers adapting to agro-industrial reordering in their own country—pushed back into the commodity supply network of the Soviet Union. World War II rations that were well adapted to the uncertainty and poor infrastructure not just of war but also of peacetime were a source of inspiration for Soviet planners striving to improve the diets of citizens. To do this, they purchased and bred more and better animals, inventing breeds and paying attention, for the first time, to the efficiency and speed with which these animals were ready to become meat. Reinventing Soviet pigs pushed even back farther, and inspired agricultural economists and state planners to embrace new farm organizational structures. Pigs meant for the tushonka can spent more time inside eating, and led their lives in a rigid compartmentalization that mimicked emerging trends in human urban society. Beyond the barnyard, a new concern with feed-to weight conversions led agriculturalists to seek new crops; crops like corn that were costly to grow but were a perfect food for a pig destined for a tushonka tin. Thus in Soviet industrialization, pigs evolved. No longer simply recyclers of human waste, socialist pigs were consumers in their own right, their newly crafted genetic compositions demanded ever more technical feed sources in order to maximize their own productivity. Food is transformative, and in this case study the prosaic substance of canned meat proved to be unusually transformative for the history of the Soviet Union. In its early history it kept soldiers alive long enough to win an important war, later the requirements for its manufacture re-prioritized muscle tissue over fat tissue in the disassembly of carcasses. This transformative influence reached backwards into the supply lines and farms of the Soviet Union, revolutionizing the scale and goals of farming and meat packing for the Soviet food industry, as well as the relationship between the pig and the consumer. References Bentley, Amy. Eating for Victory: Food Rationing and the Politics of Domesticity. Where: University of Illinois Press, 1998. The Book of Healthy and Delicious Food, Kniga O Vkusnoi I Zdorovoi Pishche. Moscow: AMN Izd., 1952. 161. Danilov, M. M. Tovaravedenie Prodovol’stvennykh Tovarov: Miaso I Miasnye Tovarye. Moscow: Iz. Ekonomika, 1964. Khrushchev, Nikita. Khrushchev Remembers. New York: Little, Brown & Company, 1970. 178. Long, James. The Book of the Pig. London: Upcott Gill, 1886. 102. Lush, Jay & A.L. Anderson, “A Genetic History of Poland-China Swine: I—Early Breed History: The ‘Hot Blood’ versus the ‘Big Type’” Journal of Heredity 30.4 (1939): 149-56. Martel, Leon. Lend-Lease, Loans, and the Coming of the Cold War: A Study of the Implementation of Foreign Policy. Boulder: Westview Press, 1979. 35. National Archive and Records Administration (NARA). RG 59, General Records of the Department of State. Office of Soviet Union affairs, Box 6. “Records relating to Lend Lease with the USSR 1941-1952”. National Archive and Records Administration (NARA). RG166, Records of the Foreign Agricultural Service. Narrative reports 1940-1954. USSR Cotton-USSR Foreign trade. Box 64, Folder “farm management”. Report written by David V Kelly, 6 Apr. 1951. National Archive and Records Administration (NARA). RG 166, Records of the Foreign Agricultural Service. Narrative Reports 1955-1961. Folder: “Agriculture” “Visits to Soviet agricultural installations,” 15 Nov. 1961. Skeoch, L.A. Food Prices and Ration Scale in the Ukraine, 1946 The Review of Economics and Statistics 35.3 (Aug. 1953), 229-35. State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF). Fond R-7021. The Report of Extraordinary Special State Commission on Wartime Losses Resulting from the German-Fascist Occupation cites the following losses in the German takeover. 1948. Stettinus, Edward R. Jr. Lend-Lease: Weapon for Victory. Penguin Books, 1944.

Background. It has long been observed globally that the extent to which developing countries can achieve health targets depends on their capacity to generate, harness, and apply science and technology (S&T). Beyond the health sector, S&T contributes to development by providing a solid foundation for education, infrastructure, and economic progress. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) suggests a set of fundamental elements for an ideal S&T environment: knowledge generators, producers, infrastructures, and the policy instruments. Objectives and Methods. Through document and secondary data review guided by the UNCTAD fundamental elements, this paper aimed to 1) provide an overview of the S&T policies in the country, 2) assess the country’s S&T status, 3) identify gaps and challenges, and 4) provide recommendations to strengthen the S&T environment in the country. Results. The country’s set of policies in S&T has succeeded in attracting businesses, nurturing good governance, and applying necessary regulatory mechanisms that offers protection and incentives to innovation. While performance in Education & Research has improved, spending on research, patent applications, and journal publications lags regionally and globally. The country’s university-industry collaboration has been in decline since 2015. Between 2013 to 2015, innovations strongly enabled changes in business and organizational models. Data show that the country has been devoting increasing percentage of its GDP to Gross Capital Formation. Conversely, logistics performance has been decreasing. The country’s score for information and communication technology has been increasing since 2013. Since 2014, the density of newly registered business has remained stagnant. Conclusion. Policies implemented through the years in the Philippines have managed to balance strengthening infrastructure capacity while increasing translation and uptake of new knowledge and technologies by enterprises. The country’s S&T performance has remained largely stagnant despite the availability of human capital. The Philippines has devoted low funding to research and development, indicating the low priority that it has for S&T. This is manifested in the low research output of the country, in the form of patents and publications, that lags both regionally and globally. The availability of quality infrastructure is a requirement for efficient work of researchers and facilitates adaption of new technologies by enterprises. However, these developments must be coupled with good logistical processes to meet the demands of researchers and the industry.

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the existing and emerging Offsite Construction (OSC) skills. Construction industry is inherently labour oriented, fashioning poor labour productivity, low sustainability, slow and costly processes. These shortcomings promote OSC alongside driving forces such as industrialisation, automation and digitalisation. However, the traditional construction skills are not on par with the complexity, where robots, co-bots and digital-driven automated systems create the need for novel OSC skills. Design/methodology/approach Data collection is executed through a Roundtable activity hosting Construction Management academics form Australian universities specialising in construction technology. They engaged in ranking of skills along with creating a word cloud for the question, “what are the future construction skills that will be more beneficial in an OSC platform?” Word cloud is reviewed in a discussion approach while skills ranking data is analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings The most prominent OSC skills are logistics manager, project manager and digital producer. Attributes of skills that come under construction trades workers, design, engineering and specialist professionals will vary based on onsite-offsite percentage combination in a construction project. Study reviews the required construction skills at two ends of a continuum featuring the trade-based skills; bricklayer, concreter and carpenter at one end (traditional build) and the heavily digitalised and automated skills at the other end (OSC). The noticeable transition towards OSC urges industry practitioners, policy-makers and education providers to focus on understanding and cultivating key OSC skills. Originality/value This study describes the transition of skills from onsite to OSC. It is presented as one of the earliest attempts to evaluate OSC skill profiles.

AbstractNearly every eighth German hospital faces an elevated risk of bankruptcy. An inappropriate use of inventory management practices is among the causes. Hospitals suffer from demand and lead time uncertainty, and the current COVID-19 pandemic worsened the plight. The popular business logistics concept of risk pooling has been shown to reduce these uncertainties in industry and trade, but has been neglected as a variability reduction method in healthcare operations research and practice. Based on a survey with 223 German hospitals, this study explores how ten risk pooling methods can be adapted and applied in the healthcare context to reduce economic losses while maintaining a given service level. The results suggest that in general risk pooling may improve the economic situation of hospitals and, in particular, inventory pooling, transshipments, and product substitution for medications and consumer goods are the most effective methods in the healthcare context, while form postponement may be unsuitable for hospitals due to the required efforts, delay in treatments, and liability issues. The application of risk pooling in healthcare requires willingness to exchange information and to cooperate, adequate IT infrastructure, compatibility, adherence to healthcare laws and regulations, and securing the immediate treatment of emergencies. Compared to manufacturing and trading companies, hospitals seem to currently neglect the variability reducing effect of risk pooling.

The Colombian Swine Industry (CSI) has high pork carcass imports from the US due to the Free Trade Agreements (FTA) signed. The CSI is aimed at supplying domestic demand because not all departments are free of swine fever. In fact, pig farmers are focused on controlling the feeding costs and biosafety, and increasing the birth rate. The problem of the CSI is the search to increase profitability and eliminate intermediaries to be able to reach the consumer directly. This study is descriptive, and aims to identify the state-of-the-art of worldwide practices compared to the central Andean region of Colombia (CARC). For this, a measurement instrument was designed to identify the CSI practices, and the results were used to identify the improvement points for the CARC region. This instrument was validated with ten experts in terms of content, and these were not considered in the sampling. The results were obtained through a probabilistic sampling for a finite population comprised of pig farms located in the departments of Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Tolima, and Huila. The identified population was 191 pig farmers located in the CARC, and the sample calculated to be surveyed, was 50 pig farmers; however, the response rate was higher, and the measurement instrument was applied to 53 pig farmers. As a result, pig farmers want to create new business lines, but there is no trust with competitors. Besides, there is a deficit in technology, infrastructure, public policies, and economic incentives.

Based on the fact that most of factories/manufacturers failed to comply with foreign customers’ requirements for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices from the first audits, the present study aims to explore SME exporters’ understanding of CSR requirements from foreign clients, motivations and obstacles for them to practice and implement CSR. In order to tackle the research objectives, qualitative approach is chosen and in-depth interview with owners, HR/CSR managers and production managers is employed to collect data. The research scope is firms/suppliers in hardlines (non-furniture and non-apparel) section. Thematic analysis is used to analyse and categorise data from interviews. The research findings show some crucial points. Firstly, CSR requirements from clients are not correctly understood. Secondly, there are seven drivers for CSR practices which match with previous studies. Lastly, six per ten obstacles to implement CSR are new findings in the present research context. From these findings, some recommendations are proposed to improve CSR practices in SMEs. Keywords Corporate social responsibility (CSR), motivations (motives), obstacles, SMEs References Albareda, L., Lozano, J. M., Tencati, A., Midtun, A., & Perrini, F. (2008). The changing roles of governments in corporate social responsibility: drivers and responses. Business Ethics: A European Review, 17(4), 347-363. Arevalo, J. A., & Aravind, D. (2011). Corporate Social Responsibility practices in India: approaches, drivers and barriers. Corporate Governance, 11(4), 399-414. Baden, D. A., Harwood, I. A., & Woodward, D. G. (2009). The effect of buyer pressure on suppliers in SMEs to demonstrate CSR practices: An added incentive or counter productive? European Management Journal, 27(6), 429-441. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2008.10.004Bondy, K., Matten, D., & Moon, J. (2008). Multinational Corporation Codes of Conduct: Governance Tools for Corporate Social Responsibility? Corporate Governance: An International Review, 16(4), 294-311. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8683.2008.00694.xCambra-Fierro, J., Wilson, A., Polo-Redondo, Y., Fuster-Mur, A., & Lopez-Perez, M. E. (2013). When do firms implement corporate social responsibility? A study of the Spanish construction and real-estate sector. Journal of Management & Organization, 19(02), 150-166. doi:doi:10.1017/jmo.2013.12Carroll, A. B. (1991). The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders. Business Horizons, 34, 39-48. Carroll, A. B. (1999). Corporate social responsibility: evolution of a definitional construct. Business & Society, 38(3), 268-295. Cochran, P. L., & Wood, R. A. (1984). Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 27(1), 42-56. Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry & research design - choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). the U.S: Sage Publications, Inc.Faisal, M. N. (2010). Analysing the barriers to corporate social responsibility in supply chains: an interpretive structural modelling approach. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 13(3), 179-195. doi:10.1080/13675560903264968Ghasemi, S., & Nejati, M. (2013). Corporate Social Responsibility: Opportunities, Drivers and Barriers. International Journal of Entrepreuneurial Knowledge, 1(1), 33-37. Gibson, W. J., & Andrew, B. (2009). Working with qualitative data London: SAGE.Graafland, J., & Mazereeuw-Van der Duijn Schouten, C. (2012). Motives for Corporate Social Responsibility. De Economist, 160(4), 377-396. doi:10.1007/s10645-012-9198-5Hamm, B. (2012). Corporate Social Responsibility in Vietnam: Integration or Mere Adaptation? Pacific News, 38, 4-8. Hemingway, C. A., & Maclagan, P. W. (2004). Managers' Personal Values as Drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 50(1), 33-44. Kang, B. (2014). Corporate Social Responsibility Perceptions and Corporate Performances. Journal of Applied Sciences, 14(21), 2662-2673. Lantos, G. P. (2001). The boundaries of strategic corporate social responsibility. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 18(7), 595-630. Lin, C.-H., Yang, H.-L., & Liou, D.-Y. (2009). The impact of corporate social responsibility on financial performance: Evidence from business in Taiwan. Technology in Society, 31, 56-63. McWilliams, A., & Siegel, D. (2001). Corporate Social Responsibility: A theory of the firm perspective. Academy of Management Review, 26(1), 117-127. Mishra, S., & Suar, D. (2010). Does Corporate Social Responsibility influence firm performance of Indian companies? Journal of Business Ethics, 95, 571-601. Moon, J. (2004). Government as Driver of CSR. ICCSR Research Series Papers, 24. Pedersen, E. R., & Neergaard, P. (2009). What matters to managers? The whats, whys and hows of corporate social responsibility in a multinational corporation. Management Decision, 47(8), 1261-1280. Visser, W. (2008). Corporate social responsibility in developing countries. In A. Crane, A. McWilliams, D. Matten, J. Moon, & D. Siegel (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility (pp. 473-499). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Xuan, L. T. T. (2013). Managers' preceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility: The construction industry in Vietnam. (Doctoral), Western Sydney University, Xuan, L. T. T., & Khoa, T. T. (2015). Drivers of Corporate Social Respobsibility Practices-A comparative analysis between Spanish and Vietnamese Construction Industry. Paper presented at the The International Conference on Business 2015, Hochiminh city.Xuan, L. T. T., & Teal, G. (2011). A development in defining Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Science and Technology Development, 14(2), 106-115. http://baocongthuong.com.vn/viet-nam-sau-10-nam-gia-nhap-wto-nhung-thanh-tuu-kha-quan.htmlhttp://www.unido.org/en/what-we-do/trade/csr/what-is-csr.html#pp1[g1]/0/