Sustainable and digital transformation of international agri-food supply chains

The convergence of digital innovation and sustainability imperatives has fundamentally reshaped how international agri-food supply chains are conceptualised, governed, and operationalised. Escalating climate commitments, proliferating environmental regulation, and mounting pressure from investors and consumers have elevated Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions measurement and deforestation compliance from voluntary ambitions to legal necessities. Simultaneously, technologies including blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and digital twin modelling are creating unprecedented capacity for end-to-end supply chain visibility. Yet a critical gap persists: existing scholarship has examined digital transformation and sustainability transitions largely in isolation, and the mechanisms through which digital tools can operationalise Scope 3 Category 1 emissions measurement and regulatory compliance across complex, multi-tier international agri-food chains remain insufficiently understood.
This paper develops an integrative conceptual framework connecting digital transformation capability, sustainability governance, and regulatory compliance in the agri-food context. Drawing on a systematic literature review of 87 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2025, supplemented by analysis of regulatory documents including the GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain Standard, WRAP Scope 3 Protocols, and the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), three principal research questions are formulated and addressed. Results reveal five interconnected thematic clusters: fragmentation of Scope 3 measurement methodologies; the traceability gap in multi-tier supplier networks; enabling and inhibiting conditions for digital technology adoption; the institutional governance vacuum around mandatory disclosure; and distributional asymmetries between large operators and smallholder producers. The discussion develops a Digital Sustainability Governance Model and identifies priority research and policy directions. Effective sustainable digital transformation requires not merely technological capability but the simultaneous evolution of governance structures, data standards, and inclusive institutional arrangements.