Journal of Transportation Research

Journal of Transportation Research

Analysis and Evaluation of Risks in the Food Supply Chain During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Tehran University
2 Imam Hossein University
3 Professor-School of Civil Engineering-Iran University of Science and Technology
4 School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology
10.22034/tri.2025.511436.3325
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in January 2020, affected the entire world, with significant impacts on both micro and macro economies, as well as businesses. One of the critical sectors heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic was supply chains, particularly food supply chains. The present study aimed to identify the risks in the food supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, a literature review was conducted in this field, and due to the scarcity of research in this area, innovative insights could be extracted. To achieve appropriate results, a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used. In the qualitative section, risks were extracted using expert opinions and research literature, and then, using the fuzzy Delphi method, the risks most relevant to the research topic were selected as the final risks. In the quantitative section, the extracted risks were analyzed using three techniques: FMEA, fuzzy inference, and data envelopment analysis, coded in MATLAB software, and finally ranked. The results of these approaches showed that the most significant risks were production disruptions, the bullwhip effect on all operations in the supply chain, threats to workforce health and safety, reduction in low-consumption and green resources, and changes in consumer behavior.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 April 2025