Sustainable agriculture in developing countries: the role of operations and supply chain management in group initiatives

Purpose Improving the productivity of smallholder farmers is vital for addressing the ongoing global food crisis. Simultaneously, alleviating farmer poverty, upholding human rights and protecting the environment are essential for sustaining the agricultural sector in developing countries. Group initiatives such as group lending, group purchasing, group learning and sharing platforms, farmer cooperatives, group adoption of agriculture technology and group agri-insurance, are promising measures, but often fail to deliver on their potential. Design/methodology/approach We propose a framework for analyzing pathways toward sustainable change in smallholder farming within developing countries. Specifically, we discuss how inventions may be transformed into innovations, which may facilitate learning and capability development. We call for OSCM-focused critical examinations of current models, paying particular attention to unintended consequences and the development of farmers’ capabilities for long-term improvement. Findings We characterize various group initiatives and propose research questions regarding each type of initiative along three core concepts derived from our framework, namely, unintended consequences, social and environmental implications, and the development of capabilities that offer long-term effectiveness. Originality/value Agricultural group initiatives should not be treated as a one-off panacea but instead require critical and deep analysis with a long-term focus on how capabilities can be developed for alleviating poverty and global hunger. There are vast opportunities to help the agricultural sector within developing countries become more sustainable that have yet to be adequately explored by OSCM research.