Achieving sustainability in food manufacturing operations and their supply chains: Key insights from a systematic literature review

Managing sustainability in the food supply chain is critical given the very large environmental and social footprint that the food industry has globally. Food industry players have also become increasingly involved in these issues due to stakeholder pressures, and this highlights the importance in understanding what sustainability practices and best practices are being utilised. This review identifies the current state of knowledge of how food manufacturing companies implement sustainability in their operations and across their supply chains. A thematic analysis was conducted on 130 papers that were published over a 21-year time frame from 1999 to 2020 to identify eight key sustainability themes in the literature. These themes included – life cycle assessments, drivers, barriers and incentives to sustainability, waste and recycling management, food chain logistics, sustainability practices in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), supplier management, partnerships and relationships and “other” sustainable supply chain management practices. Through examining the extant literature, it is clear that there remains substantial scope for research on the role of SMEs and food logistics, as there is scant research on both areas despite their critical role within sustainable supply chain management. It is also clear that large multinational companies have a critical role in supporting supply chain practices through not only driving practices but also in providing critical resources and collaboration for partners across the supply chain. Circular economy is emerging as a key research area that is experiencing increasing focus in recent years, although it is argued that future research should focus on digitisation efforts such as through Internet of Things and blockchain that has been highlighted as a major disruptive and supportive element in increasing sustainability across supply chains.