Beyond the farm: How digital transformation reshapes supply chains for sustainability

Whether and how digital transformation improves the sustainable performance of agricultural companies remain key questions. From a supply chain perspective, this study examines the mediating roles of supply chain characteristics (transparency, discourse power, and risk) and the moderating effects of internal and external factors. Using panel data from Chinese A-share agricultural listed companies (2010–2023), our empirical results indicate that digital transformation has a significantly positive effect on sustainable performance. Further analysis reveals that this effect operates through three mediating pathways: enhancing supply chain transparency, strengthening supply chain discourse power, and reducing supply chain risk. With respect to the moderating effects, internal factors such as human capital and the internal control level, along with external government subsidies, significantly strengthen the main effect. However, media attention and environmental regulation do not have significant moderating effects. This study provides empirical evidence on how digital transformation drives sustainable performance in agribusiness, underscores the key role of supply chain restructuring, and offers practical insights for managers and policymakers.