Enhancing the Supply Chain Efficiency of the Sri Lankan Tea Industry for International Markets through the Integration of Vertical Farming
Ratnayake, Enushi (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025111928597
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025111928597
Tiivistelmä
Being a modern and transformative approach with substantial benefits, and a subject that has drawn significant and rapid attention, vertical farming (VF) is in constant research and embraced in diverse agricultural industries worldwide. Consequently, VF was recognized as a practical topic to be further explored within the traditional context of the Sri Lankan tea industry. Despite its long-standing international recognition for high-quality tea, being part of a developing nation, it inherits deep-rooted structural challenges that continue to affect and restrain its supply chain efficiency, long-term sustainability and global market competitiveness. Thus, the purpose of this thesis was to find out how the integration of VF can potentially contribute to enhancing the supply chain efficiency and sustainability of Sri Lanka’s tea industry for international markets. Having organized around five sub-investigative questions that were connected to the main research problem, the aim was to analyze the feasibility and potential of VF as an effective solution.
In order to serve the purpose of this thesis, it was consequential to employ a theoretical section, which was guided by three key theories (SSCM, IDT and the SCOR model), and an empirical section directed by semi-structured qualitative interviews with ten industry stakeholders to gather diverse and solid perspectives regarding the research problem. The interview data was thematically analyzed and triangulated against the secondary data derived from the literature and the conceptual and theoretical frameworks built upon to ensure credibility.
The results conclude that if implemented methodically and carefully, VF extends a forward-looking strategy for Sri Lanka to revolutionize its tea supply chain. This prioritizes phased implementation, supported by cross-sector collaboration. The findings further contribute to a hopeful and optimistic attitude toward this endeavour by proposing strategies to overcome barriers to potential integration. Importantly, the results serve not only to practical integration but also to academic discourse on innovation and sustainable supply chain management.
In order to serve the purpose of this thesis, it was consequential to employ a theoretical section, which was guided by three key theories (SSCM, IDT and the SCOR model), and an empirical section directed by semi-structured qualitative interviews with ten industry stakeholders to gather diverse and solid perspectives regarding the research problem. The interview data was thematically analyzed and triangulated against the secondary data derived from the literature and the conceptual and theoretical frameworks built upon to ensure credibility.
The results conclude that if implemented methodically and carefully, VF extends a forward-looking strategy for Sri Lanka to revolutionize its tea supply chain. This prioritizes phased implementation, supported by cross-sector collaboration. The findings further contribute to a hopeful and optimistic attitude toward this endeavour by proposing strategies to overcome barriers to potential integration. Importantly, the results serve not only to practical integration but also to academic discourse on innovation and sustainable supply chain management.