Digital Transformation and Supply Chain Efficiency for Sustainable Food Industry Development in China

Abstract

  Digital transformation is increasingly reshaping food supply chains by improving information sharing, coordination, and transparency. In China, the food industry continues to face significant challenges related to supply chain inefficiency, weak traceability, and growing sustainability pressures, which constrain high-quality industrial development. Although digital technologies are widely promoted, firm- and sector-level economic efficiency evidence on how digital transformation improves supply chain performance and sustainability outcomes remains limited. This study examines the impact of digital transformation on supply chain efficiency in China’s food industry and explores its contribution to sustainable development. Using data from a cross-sectional survey of 400 food industry firms, the study applies Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test direct effects, mediation, and moderation relationships. The results indicate that digital transformation significantly enhances supply chain efficiency by reducing operational costs, strengthening traceability, and improving collaboration among supply chain partners. Supply chain efficiency partially mediates the relationship between digital transformation and sustainability performance, suggesting that efficiency gains play a key role in achieving sustainable outcomes. In addition, environmental uncertainty positively moderates these relationships, indicating that the benefits of digital transformation are stronger in more volatile environments. This study contributes to the literature by integrating the Resource-Based View, Dynamic Capabilities Theory, and Stakeholder Theory into a unified empirical framework within the Chinese food sector. From a policy perspective, the findings highlight the importance of supportive digital infrastructure and coordinated governance to promote sustainable food supply chains, while managers are encouraged to align digital investments with organizational capability development.