Risk in supply chain management: Kumluca vegetables and fruit supply chain stakeholders clustering recommendation

Commercial life, in which the impact of globalization is felt most, has turned into an arena where rivalry increases and supply chains compete with each other rather than companies, through the world turning into a big market. With fluctuations experienced in economies, shortening of product life cycles, political instabilities, pandemics, wars and the rapid development of digital networks, the eyes have focused on supply chains while sustainability for businesses has gained great importance. Businesses have begun to transfer their supply chain management to specialized formations in their fields while they are getting started to focus more on their core competencies. The subject of supply chain management has begun to be seen as a success factor both scientifically and by practitioners, and the subject has begun to be examined and applied with different dimensions through the increasing interest in this field. Supply chain risks are one of the most important factors which can negatively affect supply chain management. The subject, which is generally divided into two parts as macro and micro risks in the literature, has found many application areas. Supply chain risk management, with an understanding that involves supply chain members also, is the identification and management of risks so as to achieve the objectives of businesses. In this study, the risks encountered in sector-based supply chain management are investigated. The supply chain management and risks of the fruit and vegetables sector, which were examined within the case study analysis methodology, were investigated from the perspectives of the stakeholders through the in-depth interview method. The most important reason for choosing the fruit and vegetables sector is that it plays a vital role in the continuity of human life. Kumluca Region, which has an important place in the Turkish agricultural sector, was determined for the case study analysis. The characteristic of this region is that it was produced 50,960,084 kg of fruit and vegetables in a total of 100,829 decares of cultivation area in 2019. Chain stakeholders have important responsibilities in terms of supply chain management in the region, which has a large share in Turkey's fruit and vegetables production. Identifying the region's supply chain management and risks will have leading-edge findings and implications for many agricultural areas. 8 themes and 46 categories were reached after the analysis of in-depth interviews with 17 stakeholders identified within the methodology of case study analysis. Deeming the risk factors in the supply chain management of the region, a solution proposal has been developed. With the foresight that the risk factors can be controlled in the supply chain management of the clustering proposal and that it will also play an important role in the regional development, the suitability of the region has been determined after the cluster analysis. By creating the model of Kumluca Region Fruit and Vegetables Supply Chain Stakeholder Clustering, the regional effects of the clustering were tried to be predicted.