Artificial Intelligence in the Agri-Food System: Rethinking Sustainable Business Models in the COVID-19 Scenario

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to investigate the artificial intelligence (AI) function in agri-food industry, as well as the role of stakeholders in its supply chain. Above all, from the beginning of the new millennium, scholars and practitioners have paid an increasing attention to artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in operational processes management and challenges for new business models, in a sustainable and socially responsible perspective. Thus, the stakeholders can assume a proactive or marginal role in the value creation for business, according to their own environmental awareness. These issues appear still “open” in some industries, such as the agri-food system, where the adoption of new technologies requires rethinking and redesigning the whole business model. Methodologically, we brought forward an in-depth review of the literature about major articles in this field. Especially, the study has been conducted following two phases: firstly, we extracted from scientific databases (Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar) and studied relevant articles; secondly, we analyzed the selected articles. The findings highlight interesting issues about AI towards a “space economy” to achieve sustainable and responsible business models, also in the perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic scenario. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.