Coopetition and transparency as strategic pillars on the agri-food and forestry system

Rui Rosa Rosa Dias, Alma Teresita Velarde Mendivil

Abstract


This study aimed to analyze the factors of transparency and coopetition in Portuguese agri-food supply chain management, in relation to value creation. The Delphi method was applied to explore the future of the Portuguese agri-food sector over a 10-year time frame (2017-2027). Given the research problem, the Delphi method was chosen as the most appropriate tool to identify and anticipate forecast trends regarding the importance of coopetition and transparency as strategic factors. Three rounds of questionnaires were conducted and analyzed to gather opinions, judgments, and comments from a panel of experts. The findings indicate that it is viable to implement transparency and coopetition strategies that promote access to the “truth” — understood as a set of processes — within each food value chain. This trend reached a consensus rate of 88.6% among the experts, with the responses converging around level 4 on a five-point Likert scale. The development of an industry “transparency manual,” supported by different stakeholders, also emerged as a relevant trend, with an 88.9% likelihood of being implemented during the studied period. As for research limitations, it would be important to compare these conclusions with other agri-food contexts regarding coopetition and transparency, and to gather managers' opinions on how to apply such strategies without negatively impacting business performance or profit margins. This research is particularly valuable as it represents the first study in Portugal to apply the Delphi methodology in order to understand the influence of coopetition and transparency strategies as tools to be implemented by all agri-food actors.

Keywords: Agri-food systems, Coopetition, Supply Chain Management, Transparency

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2182-9306.2025.SpecialIssueMBP.213-231


Full Text:

PDF

References


Akdoğan, A., & Cingšz, A. (2012). An Empirical Study on Determining the Attitudes of Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMEs) Related to Coopetition. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 58, 252-258.

Aldrighetti, A., Canavari, M., & Hingley, M. K. (2021). A Delphi Study on Blockchain Application to Food Traceability. International . Journal on Food System Dynamics, 12(1), 6–18. https://doi.org/10.18461/ijfsd.v12i1.72.

Allen, T., Prosperi, P., Cogill, B., Padilla, M., & Peri, I. (2019). A Delphi Approach to Develop Sustainable Food System Metrics. In Social Indicators Research, (Vol. 141, Issue 3). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-018-1865-8.

Antonelli, M., Basile, L., Gagliardi, F., & Isernia, P. (2022). The future of the Mediterranean agri-food systems: Trends and perspectives from a Delphi survey. Land Use Policy, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106263.

Archontakis, F., & Anastasiadis, F. ( 2019). Technology and innovation in southern europe’s agri-food sector: A delphi study. International. Journal of Technology Management & Sustainable Development, 18(1), 17-36.

Ammirato, S., Felicetti, A. M., Ferrara, M., Raso, C., & Violi, A. (2021). Collaborative Organization Models for Sustainable Development in the Agri-Food Sector. Sustainability, 13(4), 2301. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042301.

Astill, J., Dara, R., Campbell, M. F., Fraser, E., Sharif, S., & Yada, R. (2019). Transparency in food supply chains: A review of enabling technology solutions. Trends in Food Science & Tecnhnology, Volume 91, Pages 240-247.

Bañuelos, K., Avedaño, B., & Martinez, F. (2019). Implantation of corporate social responsibility measures in the horticulture in Mexico and Spain. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias -UNCuyo, 53 (2):165-177.

Bazzani, C., & Canavari, M. ( 2013). Forecasting a scenario of the fresh tomato market in Italy and in Germany using the Delphi method. British Food Journal, 115(3), 448–459. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070701311314246.

Bengtsson, M., & Kock, S. (2000). Coopetition in business networks to cooperate and compete simultaneously. Industrial Marketing Management, 29 (5), 411–426.

Bengtsson, M., & Kock, S. (2014). Coopetition—Quo vadis? Past accomplishments and future challenges. Industrial Marketing Management, Volume 43, Issue 2, Pages 180-188 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2014.02.015.

Bhat, R., & Jõudu, I. (2019). Emerging issues and Challenges in Agri-Food Supply Chain . En R. Accorsi, & R. Manzini, Sustainable Food Supply Chains, (págs. 23-37). New York: Academic Press. Elsevier.

Bocco, A., Garat, J. J., & Velarde, I. (2013). Sistemas agroalimentarios localizados y agriculturas familiares. Revista de la Facultad de Agronomía, La Plata , Vol 112 (SIAL):Pp. l-VllI.

Bosona, T.; Gebresenbet, G., (2023). The Role of Blockchain Technology in Promoting Traceability Systems in Agri-Food Production and Supply Chains. Sensors, 23, 5342. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23115342.

Brady, S. (2015). The Delphi Method. In Handbook of Methodological Approaches to Community-Based Rese arch. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Brandenburger, A., & Nalebuff, B. (1996). 'Co-Opetition: a revolutionary mindset that combines competition and cooperation in the marketplace'. New York: Doubleday Business.

Briz, J., De Felipe, I., & Briz, T. ( 2010). Funcionamiento y transparencia en la cadena de valor: aplicación al caso del aceite de oliva en España. Revista de Estudios Empresariales. Segunda época, , Número: 1. Pp 32-53.

Brockhoff, K. (1975). The performance of forecasting groups in computer dialogue and face to face discussions. En H. Linstone, & M. Turoff, The Delphi method:techniques and then one is essentially studying a different technique (págs. (pp 285-291)). London: Addison - Wesley.

Caro, M.P.; Ali, M.S.; Vecchio, M.; Giaffreda, R. Blockchain-based traceability in Agri-Food supply chain management: A practical implementation. In Proceedings of the 2018 IoT Vertical and Topical Summit on Agriculture-Tuscany (IOT Tuscany), Tuscany, Italy, 8–9 May 2018; pp. 1–4.

Celiktas, M. S., & Kocar, G. (2010). From potential forecast to foresight of Turkey's renewable energy with Delphi approach. Energy, 35(5), 1973–1980 .

Chamorro, A., Miranda, F., Rubio, S., & Valero, V. (2012). Innovations and trends in meat consumption: An application of the Delphi method in Spain. Meat Science, (92) 816–82.

Chen, H., Chen, Z., Lin, F., & Zhuang, P. (2021). H. Chen, Z. Chen, F. Lin and P. Zhuang, "Effective Management for Blockchain-Based Agri-Food Supply Chains Using Deep Reinforcement Learning. H. Chen, Z. Chen, F. Lin and P. Zhuang, "Effective Management for Blockchain-Based Agriin IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 36008-36018, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3062410.

Commandré, Y., Macombe, C., & Mignon, S. (2021). Implications for Agricultural Producers of Using Blockchain for Food Transparency, Study of 4 Food Chains by Cumulative Approach. Sustainability, 13, 9843. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179843.

Cornish, E. (1997). The study of the future. Washington, D.C.: World Future Society.

Dagnino, G., & Padula, G. ( 2002). “Coopetition Strategy: A New Kind of Interfirm Dynamics for Value Creation.” . Stockholm, May 9-11: Paper presented at the second annual European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM) conference “Innovative Research in Management.

Dajani, J. S., Sincoff, M. Z., & Talley, W. K. (1979). Stability and agreement criteria for the termination of Delphi studies . Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 13, Issue 1, Pages 83-90 https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-162.

Deekonda, S., (2023). Agri-Food Supply Chains from Circular Economy Perspective. Handbook of Research on Designing Sustainable Supply Chains to Achieve a Circular Economy. IGI, pp. 226. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-7664-2.ch014.

Dias, R. R., & Nogueira, M. (2018). Agri-food trends in Portugal for 2027 according to the principles of Slow Food. Ipam Porto: In Food Trends Seminar.

Egels-Zandén, Niklas & Sörum, Niklas. (2015). Supply Chain Transparency as a Consumer or Corporate Tool: The Case of Nudie Jeans Co. Journal of Consumer Policy. 39. 10.1007/s10603-015-9283-7.

Egfjord, K. F., & Sund, K. J. (2020). A modified Delphi method to elicit and compare perceptions of industry trends. MethodsX 7, pp 1-10 ,10.1016/j.mex.2020.101081.

Fowles, J. (1978). Handbook of futures research. Connec ticut: Greenwood P.

Gast, J., Filser, M., Gundolf, K., & Kraus, S. (2015). Coopetition research: towards a better understanding of past trends and future directions. DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2015.068637.

Gnyawali, D., & Park, B. (2009). Coopetition and technological innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises: a multilevel conceptual model. Journal of Small Business Management, 47 (3), 308–330.

Gnyawali, D., & Park, B. (2011). Co-opetition between giants: collaboration with competitors for technological innovation. Research Policy, 40(5):650–663.

González, Ó., Aguilar, M., & Aguilar, F. (2019). A first approach to the design component in the agri-food industry of southern Spain. Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias - UNCuyo, 51(1):125-146.

Grzybowska, K. (2021). Identification and Classification of Global Theoretical Trends and Supply. Energies , 14, 4414. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14154414.

Guidani, B., Ronzoni, M., & Accorsi, R. (2024). Virtual agri-food supply chains: A holistic digital twin for sustainable food ecosystem design, control and transparency. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 46 (2024) 161-179. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.01.016.

Gupta, U. G., & Clarke, R. E. (1996). Theory and Applications of the Delphi Technique: A bibliography (1975-1994). Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 53,185-211.

Hanafin, S. (2004). Review of Literature on the Delphi Technique. Dublin, Ireland.: The National Children’s Office.

Hobbs, J. E. (2004). Information asymmetry and the role of traceability systems. Agribusiness, 20(4), 397–415. doi:10.1002/agr.20020.

Hofstede, G. J. (2002). Transparency in net chains. In The challenge of global chains (pp. 73-89). Wageningen Academic Publishers.

Hellali, W., & Korai, B. (2023). Understanding consumer’s acceptability of the technology behind upcycled foods: An application of the technology acceptance model. Food Quality and Preference, (110) 104943.

Julien G., et al., (2016). Organisational innovation and coopetition between SMEs: a tertius strategies approach. International Journal of Technology Management, 71 (1/2), ff10.1504/IJTM.2016.077975ff. ffhal-01691943f.

Kashmanian, R.M. and Moore, J.R. (2014), Building Greater Sustainability in Supply Chains. Environmental Quality Management, 23: 13-37. https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.21376.

Linstone, H. A., & Turrof, M. (1975). The Delphi method, techniques and applications. USA: Addison Wesley Publishing.

Linz, M. (2012). Scenarios for the aviation industry: A Delphi-based analysis for 2025. Journal of Air Transport Management, 22, 28–35.

López, D., & González de Molina, M. (2021). An Operational Approach to Agroecology-Based Local Agri-Food Systems. Sustainability, 13, 8443. https:// doi.org/10.3390/su13158443.

Lu, P., Parrella, J. A., Xu, Z., & Kogut, A. (2024). A scoping review of the literature examining consumer acceptance of upcycled foods. Food Quality and Preference, (114) 105098.

Luo, X., Rindfleisch, A., & Tse, D. K. (2007). "Working with rivals: The impact of competitor alliances on financial performance.". Journal of Marketing Research, 44(1): 73-83.

Manglaa, S., Luthra, S., Rico, N., Kumar, D., Rana, N., & Dwived, Y. (2018). Enablers to implement sustainable initiatives in agri-food supply chains. International Journal of Production Economics, Volume 203, pp 379-393.

Mariani, M., Casabianca, F., Cerdan, C., & Peri, I. (2021). Protecting Food Cultural Biodiversity: From Theory to Practice. Challenging the Geographical Indications and the Slow Food Models. Sustainability, 13, 5265. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095265.

Marchesi, L., Mannaro, K., Marchesi, M., & Tonelli, R. (2022). Automatic Generation of Ethereum-Based Smart Contracts for Agri-Food Traceability System. IEEE Access, vol. 10, pp. 50363-50383, 2022, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3171045.

Mason, K. J., & Alamdari, F. (2007). EU network carriers, low cost carriers and consumer behaviour: A Delphi study of future trends. Journal of Air Transport Management, 13(5), 299–310.

Morris, M., Koçak, A., & Özer, A. (2007). Coopetition as a small business strategy: implications for performance. Journal Small Bus Strategy , 18(1):35–36.

Mili, S., & Bouhaddane, M. (2021). Forecasting Global Developments and Challenges in Olive Oil Supply and Demand: A Delphi Survey from Spain. Agriculture, 11(3), 191. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11030191.

Milli, S., & Zúñiga, M. R. (2001). Exploring future developments in international olive oil trade and marketing: a Spanish perspective. Agribusiness: An International Journal, 17(3), 397-415.

Min, S., Zacharia, Z., & Smith, C. (2019). Defining Supply Chain Management: In the Past, Present, and Future. Journal of Business Logistics, 40(1): 44–55.

Mullender, S. M., Roesler, T., Salkanovic, E., Smith, J., & Smith, L. G. (2020). A delphi style approach for developing an integrated food/non-food system sustainability assessment tool. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 84(May), 106415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2020.106415.

Nyamaha, E. Y., Attatsia, P. B., Nyamahb, E. Y., & Opokub, R. K. (2022). Agri-food value chain transparency and firm. Production & Manufacturing Research, 10(1), 62–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/21693277.2022.2062477.

Osarenkhoe, A. (2010). A study of inter-firm dynamics between competition and cooperation – A coopetition strategy. Business Strategy Series, Vol. 11 Iss 6 pp. 343 – 362 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/1751563101109305.

Powell, C. (2003). The Delphi technique: myths and reali ties. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 41(4), 376-382.

Rabii, B. and Cyrine, B. (2024) The Antecedents of Coopetition Strategy:A Conceptual Framework. Open Journal of Business and Management, 12, 1335-1346. DOI: 10.4236/ojbm.2024.122071.

Real, H., Dias, R. R., & Graça, P. (2020). Mediterranean Diet conceptual model and future trends of its use in Portugal. Health Promotion International, 36(2), 548-5.

Reitano, M., Pappalardo, G., Selvaggi, R., Zarba, C., & Chinnic, G. (2024). Factors influencing consumer perceptions of food tracked with blockchain technology. A systematic literature review. Applied Food Research 4 (2024) 100455, (4) 100455.

Rojas-Reyes, Juan J. and Rivera-Cadavid, Leonardo and Peña-Orozco, Diego L., Disruptions in the Food Supply Chain: A Literature Review. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4743919 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4743919.

Rosa Caiazza, Barbara Bigliardi (2020). Web marketing in agri-food industry: Challenges and opportunities, Trends in Food Science & Technology. Volume 103, pp 12-19, ISSN 0924-2244, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2020.04.024.

Sgroi, F., Donia, E., Franco, M., & Mineo, A. M. (2020). Marketing Strategy, Social Responsibility, and Value Chain in the Agri-food System. HortScience horts, 55(2), 208-215. Retrieved Dec 5, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14692-19.

Skalkos, D. (2023). Prospects, Challenges and Sustainability of the Agri-Food Supply Chain in the New Global Economy II. Sustainability, 15(16), 12558. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612558.

Spina, D., Barbieri, C., Carbone, R., Hamam, M., D’Amico, M., & Di Vita, G. (2023). Market Trends of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Italy: Future Scenarios Based on the Delphi Method. Agronomy , 13, 1703. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13071703.

Su, J., & Canavari, M. (2018). Delphi study on country-of-origin labeling for processed foods. Agricultural and Food Economics, 6(8): 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-018-0103-7.

Toppinen, A., Pätäri, S., Tuppura, A., & Jantunen, A. (2017). The European pulp and paper industry in transition to a bioeconomy: A Delphi study. Futures, 88, 1-14.

Van Zolingen, S., & Klaassen, C. (2003). Selection processes in a Delphi study about key qualifications in Senior Secondary Vocational Education. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 70, Issue 4, Pages 317-340.

Von der Gracht, H.A., (2012). Consensus measurement in Delphi studies Review and implications for future quality assurance. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang., 79, 1525–1536.

Zarbá, C., et al. (2024). The innovative role of blockchain in agri-food systems: A literature analysis. Volume 164, 110603. ISSN 0956-7135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2024.110603.

Wadhwa, S., Mishra, M., Chan, T. S., & Ducq, Y. (2010). Effects of information transparency and cooperation on supply chain performance: A simulation study. International Journal of Production Research, 48(1), 145-166. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207540802251617.

Walley, K. (2007). Coopetition: An Introduction to the Subject and an Agenda for Research. International Studies of Management & Organization, 37(2), 11–31. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40397695.

.pdf.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Rui Rosa Rosa Dias

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

International Journal of Marketing, Communication and New Media

ISSN: 2182-9306

DOI: 10.54663/2182-9306

Qualis Periódicos - CAPES: B2

REBIB: Q2


Indexing:

WEB OF SCIENCE (WoS) & JOURNAL CITATION REPORTS (JCR)

WOS-Journal.info

QUALIS - GOOGLE SCHOLAR - LATINDEX - REDIB - RCAAP - OAJI - DRJI - MIAR - LIVRE - ERIH PLUS - INDEX COPERNICUS 

Crossref logo