Surfing twin transition in agri-food supply chains: The role of iot and data analytics in sustainable decision-making

The agri-food industry faces complex challenges that impact operational efficiency, profitability, and the ability to meet evolving consumer expectations for transparency and sustainability. Industry 4.0 technologies, particularly the Internet of Things and data analytics, offer substantial potential to enhance performance and support sustainability goals across the supply chain. This study investigates the application of Internet of Things and analytics through a multiple case study approach, illustrating how agri-food companies can transform operational and product data into actionable insights to inform decision-making and implement effective sustainability practices. The research adopts a four-phase methodology - Digitalization & Sustainability Case stud* Guideline- identifying market needs, mapping product information, elaborating data analysis, and collecting stakeholder feedback, thus providing a replicable guideline for conducting case studies in the intersection of digitalization and sustainability. A practical roadmap is presented for leveraging technological assets to generate meaningful sustainability indicators and rankings, supporting both operational managers and end consumers in accessing transparent, data-driven information. The study contributes to theory by advancing methodological rigor in multiple case studies and highlighting how data integration facilitates sustainable decision-making in agri-food supply chains. Practically, it offers actionable insights for managers aiming to enhance operational efficiency, improve communication of sustainability performance, and build consumer trust. The findings underscore the value of Internet of Things and analytics in enabling data-driven innovation and supporting future research on generalizing these approaches across diverse agri-food contexts.