Tiêu đề Transparent and traceable food supply chains_Exploring consumers value co-creation with quality suppliers through trust and relationship commitment ✅

Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing ISSN: 0897-4438 (Print) 1528-6983 (Online) Journal homepage: www.tandfonline.com/journals/wifa20 Transparent and traceable food supply chains: Exploring consumers’ value co-creation with quality suppliers through trust and relationship commitment Minh Hue Nguyen & Duy Ha Nguyen To cite this article: Minh Hue Nguyen & Duy Ha Nguyen (27 May 2025): Transparent and traceable food supply chains: Exploring consumers’ value co-creation with quality suppliers through trust and relationship commitment, Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, DOI: 10.1080/08974438.2025.2507073 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/08974438.2025.2507073 View supplementary material Published online: 27 May 2025. Submit your article to this journal View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=wifa20

2 M. H. NGUYEN AND D. H. NGUYEN chain transparency and traceability (SCTT) to build trust among their consumers (Liu et al., 2021; Macready et al., 2020). Moreover, FSCs have distinct characteristics; compared to other supply chains, significant aspects such as nutritional quality, shelf life, and food safety, as well as unpre- dictability associated with meteorological conditions, demand, and pricing must be considered (Salin, 1998). Given these conditions, the establishment and cultivation of trust between different actors in the FSCs—i.e., suppliers and consumers—is crucial to attain efficient supply chain management (SCM) (Dania et al., 2018). Connecting the dots, we are inspired to exam- ine the impact of suppliers’ transparent and traceable practices on their consumers’ trust and positive reactions along the FSCs. Existing food safety research has largely focused on high-income coun- tries; and the effect of food safety concerns on consumer behavior still requires further investigations (Liguori et al., 2022; Nguyen & Nguyen, 2025). In addition, literature often portrays consumers—who are essentially downstream supply chain stakeholders—as passive actors, while the concept of consumers as proactive individuals is still novel and unexplored (Isanovic et al., 2023). This traditional, passive concept of consumers has now been augmented with a small but growing group of digitally connected co-cre- ators. They are experience-driven consumers who may engage with SCTT features, act as informal brand promoters through social media, and share opinions that influence others’ decisions and reinforce trust in quality food systems. This active engagement turns consumption into a more meaningful and connected relationship with the brand (Tardivo et al., 2017; World Bank Group, 2019). Nevertheless, it is acknowledged that this traditional consumer concept still holds true in a practical sense. On one hand, although the consumers who are digitally savvy and socially active are more visible and outspoken, they remain a minority due to their smaller size—for instance, Generation (Gen) Z made up just 2% of online shoppers in Vietnam in the third quarter of 2024, compared to 9% of Gen X and 6% of Gen Y (Statista, 2025). On the other hand, many con- sumers with access to digital tools still choose not to engage due to a lack of interest or motivation (Pantano et al., 2022). This indicates the significance of the present study to examine the relationships between SCTT practices and consumers’ willingness to co-create values to assist companies in developing their strategies. Given the current circumstances of globalization, market liberalization, climate change, economic volatility, food safety concerns, and the aftermath of COVID-19, the importance of social collaboration and alliances between suppliers and consumers is recognized (Foti & Timpanaro, 2021). By jointly engaging in SCTT initiatives (e.g., traceability systems, sourcing disclo- sures), both suppliers and consumers form social alliances rooted in shared goals, such as food safety, quality tracking, sustainability, and ethical
Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing 3 consumption. These alliances are strengthened by supplier–consumer inter- actions and mutual values, beyond the traditional foundation—mere trans- actions of money and products. Once consumers gain knowledge about the production of their purchased food through SCTT, they build stronger trust and commitment with the suppliers (Ramirez et al., 2021). Furthermore, supply chains overall have recently shifted toward sustain- able practices, leading to a greater demand for collaboration among their actors in creating added values (Al-Omoush et al., 2023; Apostolopoulos et al., 2024). This calls for a deeper focus on value co-creation in the FSC—an active, collective process where a business (i.e., supplier) and its stakeholders (i.e., consumers) collaborate to produce mutual benefits (Ribeiro et al., 2023). Consumers and suppliers engage in either direct or indirect collaborations at various stages of the supply chain (Liu et al., 2022). In transparent and traceable FSCs, this study proposes that con- sumers can co-create values (Tardivo et al., 2017) by the following approaches: • Experience Co-creators: In addition to simply purchasing food prod- ucts (value-in-exchange: the exchange between goods and money), consumers generate value-in-use (the experience gained through con- sumption) by engaging with the product’s SCTT features—such as QR codes or tracking information—which enhance their confidence and their consumption experience (Vargo, 2008; Vargo & Lusch, 2004). This deeper involvement helps transform consumption into a mean- ingful interaction with the brand’s ethical and quality commitments. • Co-promoters: In response to the growing complexity of food choices and safety concerns (Nguyen et al., 2022), consumers leverage market- ing channels—such as reviews or social media—to promote brands they trust. As such, they become informal ambassadors who reinforce the food brand’s SCTT efforts. This may help other potential consum- ers navigate their own purchase decisions. • Co-consumers: By sharing their experiences with food safety, quality, and SCTT features, consumers support and influence the decisions of others. Their feedback builds a collective knowledge base that improves trust in FSCs and drives demand for ethical and quality food prod- ucts, reinforcing the system’s value for all stakeholders. The aforementioned factors reflect the notable changes to and main focus of contemporary FSCs, which strongly necessitate partnerships amongst supply chain parties. To achieve this, the market must establish a complementary relationship between the existing system of competition and contracts—which remain essential and irreplaceable—and a more interconnected supply system, such as vertically coordinated FSCs. This