Mapping the Greek Wine Supply Chain: A Proposed Research Framework

Abstract

The wine industry involves both the production (i.e., from vine to wine) and consumption of wine (i.e., dining and tourism experiences). This results in a complicated system of intertwined product and services supply chains. Recent studies in the field suggest several key perspectives for future research, such as sustainability, resilience and circular economy. However, the complex nature of the sector which comprises numerous stakeholders and flows (i.e., products—services—information), entailing knotty interactions and interdependencies, makes any research direction questionable in terms of its effectiveness. Therefore, the objective of this study is to provide a tool for designing targeted future research in such multiple environments. We employed an end-to-end mapping approach using data from the Greek wine supply chain, identifying essential insights for a compelling research agenda. The key output is a set of three supply chain maps revealing the structure, processes and actors from all the main angles: basic production, value chain and stakeholders. A synthesis of these maps supports an overall understanding of the sector, unmasking any interaction and hidden information holdups. The study thus aims to offer an integrated research framework that highlights the leading priorities of the Greek wine industry.

Keywords

• food supply chain
• agri-food sector
• sustainability
• value chain