Using Multicriteria Decision Analysis to Assess Stakeholders Motivation toward Sustainable Packaging in the Fruit and Vegetable Value Chains of Rural Uganda

Authors

  • Sountongnoma Martial Anicet Kiemde Faculty of Business Administration, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
  • Bernard F. Lamond Faculty of Business Administration, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
  • Julien Lépine Faculty of Business Administration, Université Laval, Québec, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55482/jcim.2024.34371

Keywords:

Multicriteria decision analysis, food waste, fruits and vegetables, packaging, value chain analysis, Uganda, MACBETH method

Abstract

The use of better protective packaging is often viewed as a low-cost alternative for short-run reduction of post-harvest losses in the fruit and vegetable supply chains of sub-Saharan Africa. We present the exploratory results of mapping the fruit and vegetable value chain actors in rural Uganda and analyzing their influence on the adoption of packaging. We propose a decision-aiding model based on multicriteria analysis to obtain a motivation score for assessing the degree of interest of the value chain actors toward packaging. Because it combines quantitative and qualitative information, our approach constitutes a valuable tool in the context of planning for an appropriate implementation of an appropriate packaging technology. The results suggest that distributors are the most favorable for adoption of packaging, followed by collectors, farmers, and customers, in that order. By demonstrating the use of a multicriteria decision approach for identifying the actors most likely to adopt packaging, this work suggests that the proposed approach could be used by potential regulators and manufacturers to focus their efforts on developing a well-targeted packaging deployment strategy.

Author Biographies

Sountongnoma Martial Anicet Kiemde, Faculty of Business Administration, Université Laval, Québec, Canada

Sountongnoma Martial Anicet Kiemde AI Ethics Advisor, Quebec Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs (Ministère de la cybersécurité et du numérique), Québec (Québec) Canada. Martial Anicet Kiemde holds a Master’s degree in Operations and Decision Systems from Université Laval. He also holds an engineering degree in telecommunications and a bachelor’s degree in engineering sciences from ESMT Dakar, as well as a bachelor’s degree in fundamental physics from Université Nazi-Boni (formerly Université Polytechnique de Bobo-Dioulasso) in Burkina Faso. He is currently an advisor to the Quebec Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs (Ministère de la cybersécurité et du numérique).

Bernard F. Lamond, Faculty of Business Administration, Université Laval, Québec, Canada

Bernard F. Lamond Professor, Department of Operations and Decision Systems, Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Université Laval, Québec (Québec) Canada. Bernard F. Lamond (PhD, University of British Columbia) is a professor of operations research and management science in the Department of Operations and Decision Systems at Université Laval, where he teaches project management, statistical methods for business, and quantitative modeling for decision under uncertainty. He is a regular member of the Center for Research in Modeling, Information and Decision (CERMID), and his research is concerned with developing models and methods for industrial management and planning in energy, natural resources, and sustainable manufacturing. 

Julien Lépine, Faculty of Business Administration, Université Laval, Québec, Canada

Julien Lépine Professor, Department of Operations and Decision Systems, Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Université Laval, Québec (Québec) Canada. Julien Lépine (PhD, Victoria University) is an associate professor at the Department of Operations and Decision Systems at Université Laval in Québec City and a member of the Interuniversity Research Centre on Enterprise Networks, Logistics and Transportation (CIRRELT). Formerly, he was a research associate at the Sustainable Road Freight Centre and Cambridge University Engineering Department, and a postdoctoral associate at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge. 

Published

2024-12-18

How to Cite

Kiemde, S. M. A., Lamond, B. F., & Lépine, J. (2024). Using Multicriteria Decision Analysis to Assess Stakeholders Motivation toward Sustainable Packaging in the Fruit and Vegetable Value Chains of Rural Uganda. Journal of Comparative International Management, 27(2), 168–186. https://doi.org/10.55482/jcim.2024.34371

Issue

Section

Research Note

Funding data