What Drives Certified Fresh-Produce Supply Chain Performance? Evidence from VietGAP Fruit and Vegetable Chains in Hanoi
Abstract
Certification defines how fresh produce should be grown and documented, but it does not by itself ensure that products arrive on time, retain quality, or generate acceptable returns. This study examines how six supply chain capabilities, logistics and warehousing management, information sharing, relationship commitment, risk management, information technology application, and financial capability, shape the performance of VietGAP-certified fruit and vegetable chains serving Hanoi, Vietnam. The analytical sample contains 516 complete observations measured with 33 reflective indicators. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed in SmartPLS 4, with inference based on 5,000 bootstrap subsamples. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory indicator reliability, internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The six predictors jointly explained 62.3% of the variance in supply chain performance. All hypothesized effects were positive and statistically significant. Information sharing had the strongest effect (β = .269), followed by risk management (β = .211), information technology application (β = .180), relationship commitment (β = .148), logistics and warehousing capability (β = .128), and financial capability (β = .098). A descriptive impact–level comparison further showed that risk management had the lowest observed implementation level despite being the second-strongest performance driver. In contrast, financial capability had the highest level but the smallest structural effect. The findings position certified-chain performance as the outcome of a complementary capability portfolio rather than certification compliance alone. For managers and policymakers, the results favor shared planning and market-feedback routines, joint risk protocols, and interoperable traceability and operations systems over capital-only interventions.