Addressing sustainable food management in hotels: proposing a framework and examining hotel groups

Abstract

Purpose Sustainable food practices have been recognised as a key issue in efforts to improve and report sustainable tourism practices, given the importance of the social, environmental and economic impacts of the food industry throughout its entire chain of production – from farm to fork. From this standpoint, the aim of the present paper is to propose a comprehensive framework for reporting or making decisions concerning sustainable food management in hotels, taking into account the various facets of the food supply chain.Design/methodology/approach Several dimensions are proposed for dealing with sustainable food management, involving all aspects of food supply chains that may be relevant for hotel decision-making. Furthermore, some key criteria for creating and using indicators of different types (qualitative and quantitative) to address these various dimensions of sustainable food management are suggested. Subsequently, the proposed framework is validated with the sustainability criteria and indicators provided by the top eight hotel groups, according to the 2019 SAM Annual Corporate Sustainability Assessment.Findings Hotels neglect a number of aspects of sustainable food management identified in the framework. The quality and the quantity of the information provided by hotels are limited.Practical implications There is a need to improve sustainability in food management in the hotels under analysis in several areas. A comprehensive framework such as that proposed in this paper may be of great value in seeking to remedy this situation. It may also assist users of hotel services and communities in making more informed decisions.Originality/value The proposed framework may be beneficial in advancing academic debate towards a more embracing and relevant understanding of sustainable food management in hotels and on the indicators required in this regard.

Sustainable and circular practices in the hotel industry in Southern Italy: opportunities, barriers and trends in food waste management

“…Under the theoretical perspective, the present research highlights the need to identify harmonized methods for measuring sustainable and circular practices, considering that one of the main gaps in literature is the lack of comprehensive approaches offering consistent concepts, dimensions and criteria toward sustainability in hospitality (Ruiz Molina et al, 2022). Such a need has been highlighted by previous studies (Poponi et al, 2022(Poponi et al, , 2023Ruggieri et al, 2022), which discuss that the current system relies on a fragmented classification of indicators and there are no clear and consistent definitions of circular economy (Kirchherr et al, 2017).…”

“…Data collection, as well as data comparability, has been discussed for a long time in the literature (Ruiz Molina et al, 2022), being essential the identification of representative benchmarks for implementing circular and sustainability strategies. Such a need, however, cannot conflict with the importance of simplicity in calculating scores and interpreting results.…”

Emerging themes in food tourism: a systematic literature review and research agenda

“…The contribution of food tourism to tourism in various locations can be increased by maintaining food management in hotels (Molina et al, 2021), which includes all potential components of food distribution systems that could benefit hotel management and its services. More academic researchers from various countries (Yeoman and McMahon-Beatte, 2016;Mariani and Okumus, 2022) have become interested in the emerging fields of "food tourism" in the tourism and hospitality sector.…”

A Conceptual Framework Proposal Regarding the Engagement of Hotels in the Modern Fight against Unsustainable Food Practices

“…Using this approach allows to support not only local communities and sustainable food production, but also reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation and processing of food products [45]. In this matter, hotels are focusing on menu optimizations to include seasonal, locally available ingredients and plant-based options [46,47]. This promotes biodiversity conservation, reduces the environmental impact of food production, and provides healthier and more sustainable dining choices for guests [48].…”