On Tuesday, 4 November 2025, Madushan Fernando successfully defended his doctoral thesis.
The thesis is titled “Developing Policies for Transforming Smallholder Agri-Food Supply Chains in Developing Economies: A Digital Pathway to Sustainable Value Creation”. Madushan Fernando conducted his work at the Department of Mechanical and Structural Engineering and Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger.
Fernando was supervised by Professor R. M. Chandima Ratnayake (University of Stavanger, main supervisor) and Professors A. I. T. Gamage and H. Niles Perera (University of Moratuwa, co-supervisors). His research focuses on how digital transformation and policy frameworks can enhance sustainability and value creation in smallholder supply chains.
Key points from the research:
- Importance of smallholder farming: Supports nearly two billion people in developing economies and contributes to rural livelihoods and poverty reduction.
- Challenges: Productivity constrained by inefficient supply chains, traditional farming practices, climate variability, and poor market access.
- Research approach: Guided by a pragmatic philosophy using a three-phase mixed-methods approach
- Case study: Sri Lankan tea smallholding sector, representing broader smallholder challenges in developing economies.
This research supports University of Stavanger’s strategic initiatives and NORAD NORHED II philosophy, strengthening capacity development in developing economies, promoting impactful research that addresses societal needs, and contributing to poverty reduction.
Fernando’s work provides both theoretical contributions to sustainable supply chain management and practical guidance for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and development practitioners.