Traceability adoption in dry fish supply chain SMEs in India: exploring awareness, benefits, drivers and barriers

The illegal harvesting of seafood and the mislabelling of dry fish products have become more prominent in recent years. Traceability in the dry fish supply chain deserves research attention, especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a developing country like India. To implement the traceability system, it is necessary to identify the variables and their inter-relationships that influence traceability in a food supply chain. This research aims to identify the awareness, benefits, drivers, and barriers that affect traceability adoption in the dry fish supply chain. Data were collected from 226 dry fish supply chain stakeholders through a cross-sectional survey (both online and offline) in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, two central maritime states of India. A conceptual model is developed, and the inter-relationship among the factors underlying the traceability implementation is analysed through correlation matrices and multiple regression modelling. The results show that the Indian dry fish stakeholders moderately understand the traceability system. Product safety and quality are identified as the primary benefits of traceability, while quality concerns and food safety regulations are observed as primary drivers. The significant barriers are the cost of a traceability system, lack of a co-ordinator and lack of government support.