Agri-food supply chain management (ASCM) research has gained attraction in recent years. This study aims to examine the knowledge structure, trace the evolution of, and propose future research directions for ASCM by a systematic literature review combined with bibliometric and content analyses. A total of 1770 articles were selected from Scopus for bibliometric analyses. We conducted a content analysis based on 188 articles in six clusters selected from the co-citation analysis. This review provides insights into key authors, their affiliations, journal quality, and the prestige of the reviewed articles, aspects that have not been fully captured or evaluated by previous reviews. Using bibliometric tools, we identified six clusters for ASCM, based on which, future research directions are proposed. Content analysis provides additional insights in each cluster. In particular, sustainability runs through all the themes identified except for one.

The literature about how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) influence farmers’ adoption of sustainable agricultural technology is emerging, studies regarding the effects of particular smartphone-based digital extension services on farmers’ sustainable agricultural technology practices are limited. This study investigates the relationship between a digital extension service (“Zhe’ yang’ shi” WeChat application) and the adoption of soil testing and formula fertilization, a precision fertilization technology. A household choice model is constructed to explain the impact of the application. Based on a household-level data set from a survey of 400 farmers in Zhejiang in 2022, empirical results show that the use of the “Zhe’ yang’ shi” WeChat application significantly increases the adoption of soil testing and formula fertilization. We also discuss the heterogeneous effect by different production scales. The findings enrich the literature regarding ICTs’ influence on farmers’ behavior in adopting sustainable agricultural technology. It provides a valuable example for developing countries to promote sustainable agriculture through digital technology.

Intergenerational occupational mobility often indicates inequality in society, and occupational mobility in rural China reflects the labour migration from rural to urban areas. Human capital is critical to occupational mobility; however, studies on occupational mobility in rural areas spanning over three generations, from the human capital perspective, are scant. This study analyzes data of three generations from Chinese Rural Development Surveys to examine intergenerational occupational mobility of rural Chinese households. Specifically, considering that the term ‘mobility’ refers to differences in occupation of parents and their offspring, this study examines education and skills training differences between the two as independent variables to ascertain their influence on occupational mobility, rather than simply examining parents’ education and skills training. A series of descriptive analysis and regressions confirm that education and workforce skills training are the key determinants that enable farmers to move upward in occupational status. These variables also influence the direction and distance of occupational mobility for rural households. This indicates that the government should invest more in human capital, especially by supporting increased access to both education and training.

Stricter environmental regulations on livestock production pollution have changed the sustainable practices of livestock supply chain stakeholders. By adopting three cases in China’s livestock supply chain, this study explores how supply chain coordination facilitates sustainable development of livestock production in China. It is found that close supply chain coordination and the capabilities of the core companies jointly contribute to supply chain sustainability. Thus, this research has theoretical significance in explaining the roles of supply chain coordination and core company capabilities in driving supply chain sustainability, which is not completely understood thus far. This study also has practical implications for livestock supply chain stakeholders and the government in terms of improving supply chain sustainability via closer supply chain coordination and enhancing the capabilities of the core companies involved.