NamFood Exports Ltd. is a Namibian agro-processing company that exports beef, grapes, and canned goods to European and Asian markets. It sources produce from Northern Namibia and processes it in Windhoek before shipping via Walvis Bay port. The company is under increasing pressure to: • Improve product traceability and logistics efficiency • Reduce lead time and costs across its value chain • Align operations with global buyer requirements (GVC governance) • Comply with European sustainability standards and just-in-time (JIT) logistics • Manage relationships with local suppliers, including emerging farmers The CEO believes that the company’s supply chain, internal value activities, and global value chain linkages are not fully aligned, limiting NamFood’s competitiveness and sustainability. You are appointed as a Strategic Operations Consultant to help NamFood strategically integrate its value chain, supply chain, and global value chain participation, thereby enhancing its position in international markets. Task 1: Value Chain and Supply Chain Mapping (10 marks) • Using Porter’s Value Chain model, identify and describe NamFood’s key primary and support activities. • Map the company’s supply chain from local sourcing to international delivery, identifying major actors, flows, and bottlenecks. • Explain how internal and external activities interact to deliver value. Task 2: Global Value Chain (GVC) Positioning and Analysis (10 marks) • Assess NamFood’s current position in the global agro-food value chain. • Identify the type of GVC governance (e.g., modular, relational, captive) that characterises its buyer-supplier relationships. • Evaluate the influence of international standards, lead firms, and logistics requirements on NamFood’s upgrading strategies. Task 3: Strategic Integration and Improvement Plan (15 marks) • Propose three strategic initiatives to better integrate NamFood’s internal value chain with its supply chain and GVC linkages (e.g., vertical integration, digital logistics, supplier development). • Justify how these initiatives enhance efficiency, compliance, and competitiveness. • Include a diagram showing the reconfigured value-supply-GVC integration. Task 4: Sustainability and Local Development Trade-offs (10 marks) • Evaluate how NamFood can manage trade-offs between global compliance (e.g., food safety, carbon standards) and local supplier inclusion (e.g., smallholder farmers). • Suggest ways to embed inclusive business practices while sustaining competitiveness in GVCs. Task 5: Reflective Analysis (5 marks) • Reflect on the strategic implications of aligning value chain and supply chain strategy in global markets. • Discuss how this integrated approach supports sustainable development goals (SDGs) and long-term performance.