International chains and networks - ISSN 1874-7663

Agri-food chains and networks are swiftly moving toward globally interconnected systems with a large variety of complex relationships. This is changing the way food is brought to the market. Currently, even fresh produce can be shipped from halfway around the world at competitive prices. Unfortunately, accompanying diseases and pollution can spread equally rapidly. This requires constant monitoring and immediate responsiveness. In recent years tracking and tracing has therefore become vital in international agri-food chains and networks. This means that integrated production, logistics, information- and innovation systems are needed. To achieve these integrated global supply chains, strategic and cultural alignment, trust and compliance to national and international regulations have become key issues. In this series the following questions are answered: How should chains and networks be designed to effectively respond to the fast globalization of the business environment? And more specificly, How should firms in fast changing transition economies (such as Eastern European and developing countries) be integrated into international food chains and networks?

About the Editor

Onno Omta is chaired professor in Business Administration at Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands. He received an MSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in innovation management, both from the University of Groningen. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal on Chain and Network Science, and he has published numerous articles in leading scientific journals in the field of chains and networks and innovation. He has worked as a consultant and researcher for a large variety of (multinational) technology-based prospector companies within the agri-food industry (e.g. Unilever, VION, Bonduelle, Campina, Friesland Foods, FloraHolland) and in other industries (e.g. SKF, Airbus, Erickson, Exxon, Hilti and Philips).

	Logistics outsourcing in the food processing industry Hsin-I Hsiao
	Supply chain integration, quality management and firm performance of pork processing industry in China Jiqin Han
	The organisation of transactions Sebastiaan Meijer
	Cooperation for competition Gian Nicola Francesconi
	Integration and self regulation of quality management in Dutch agri-food supply chains Wijnand van Plaggenhoef
	Quality management and strategic alliances in the mango supply chain from Costa Rica Guillermo E. Zúñiga-Arias
	Headquarters-subsidiary relationship governance in emerging markets of Central Eastern Europe J.S. Hendriks-Gusc
	The role of Guanxi in buyer-seller relationships in China Hualiang Lu