Characterization of Sustainability Leaders and Laggards in the Global Food Industry

Abstract

The global food industry has a critical role to play in achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Accordingly, global firms in this industry pursue a wide array of sustainability issues. However, it remains unclear as to how leading firms differ from laggard firms in the industry in terms of their overall approach to sustainability and SDGs. To bridge this gap, we conducted in-depth interviews with sixteen experts comprising representatives of global firms, non-government organizations (NGOs), and researchers and academics. First, we identified five sustainability performance criteria-engagement with multi-stakeholder groups (MSGs), measurement of sustainability outcomes, resource commitment by top management, integration of sustainability programs with traditional management systems, and a robust process for the identification of specific sustainability issues or SDGs. Then, we found that leaders and laggards are markedly different in their approaches to pursue these performance criteria.Sustainability 2019, 11, 5072 2 of 14 and fertilizers [16,17], genetically modified crops [18], water usage and recycling [19], questionable marketing practices [20,21], monopolistic practices [22,23], poor corporate governance [13,24], bad working conditions [25], land use change [26], and small farm exclusion [27].Such wide-ranging and profound sustainability issues have made food industry a center of scholarly attention, and several studies have analyzed how individual firms in this industry engage with sustainability issues. These studies provide rich insights into firms sustainability strategies [28], their approaches to assess sustainability impacts [29], and the tools they use to communicate their sustainability actions to stakeholders [30]. This literature also acknowledges that many food firms struggle to develop and implement effective sustainability strategies [28], with only a few firms leading sustainability practices and many others lagging far behind. In this research, we seek to characterize and discern these two groups of firms-sustainability leaders and laggards in the food industry-to better understand how leaders can push progress and how laggards can catch up to ultimately ratchet up sustainability standards in the food industry.

Implication of TNCS In Agri-Food Sector – Challenges, Constraints and Limits - Profit or CSR?

“…At the same time, new technologies impose the need for sectoral adaptation as part of either maintaining the competitiveness of the agricultural sector or reducing dependence on migrant labor in these areas. Also, as (Deblonde et al, 2007;Pandey et al, 2019;Borsellino et al, 2020;Jiang & Chen, 2020;Yao et al, 2020;Zaman et al, 2020) highlights the unsustainable or unethical practices of agri-food corporations such as inhumane treatment of livestock, use of pesticides and fertilizers with consequences on environmental and food contamination, genetically modified crops, water usage and recycling, questionable practices (such as misleading or double standard offers on product quality sold in developed and developing countries), environmental pollution, monopolistic practices, small farm exclusion, improper working conditions, land use change and land grabbing. Starting from the heterogeneous nature of agriculture, the implication effects of TNCs in the agri-food sector may be different, especially as the reaction of farmers is focused on ensuring the economic sustainability of their farms and less on CSR.…”

Análisis del liderazgo sustentable del estudiante de ingeniería en un centro de educación superior: desafíos de gestión educacional

“…Las empresas líderes en sustentabilidad suelen ser proactivas a la hora de abordar problemas, explorando soluciones innovadoras con la movilización de recursos y actores interesados, estableciendo la agenda de sustentabilidad para su industria o región (Pandey et al, 2019). Igualmente, cuando existe una correcta relación entra la IES y sus estudiantes, y estos tienen la convicción de generar nuevas ideas que nazcan de una necesidad de la misma universidad, se realizará un proyecto desarrollado por medio de estudiantes con conductas intraemprendedoras (Cabana et al, 2018).…”

“…Las iniciativas presentan una excelente oportunidad para involucrar a diversos actores de las IES y centrarse en los desafíos que enfrenta la sociedad actual, además de lograr resultados esenciales para la sustentabilidad (Leal et al, 2020). Tener una reputación de liderazgo en sustentabilidad puede servir como una ventaja competitiva importante para toda firma al atraer y retener empleados, inversores y clientes y servir como un amortiguador de reputación en tiempos de crisis (Pandey et al, 2019). Dado el sustento teórico anterior y las relaciones establecidas a lo largo de este, se construye la tabla 1, que resume la hipótesis de este trabajo:…”

Implication of TNCs in agri-food sector: Challenges, constraints and limits: Profit or CSR?

“…As remarked in the literature (Vasile & Ungureanu, 2014;Schwarz et al, 2015;Heijman et al, 2019;Bowers & Cheshire, 2019;Balogh & Jámbor, 2020), agriculture has to face new challenges imposed by the implementation of new production systems, climate change, price volatility, development of international trade with agricultural products, changing diets, urbanization or depopulation of rural areas At the same time, new technologies are imposed by the need for sectorial adaptation as part of either maintaining the competitiveness of the agricultural sector or reducing dependence on migrant labor in these areas. Also, as (Neumayer & De Soysa, 2005;Deblonde et al, 2007;Pandey et al, 2019;Borsellino et al, 2020;Jiang & Chen, 2020;Yao et al, 2020;Zaman et al, 2020) highlight the unsustainable or unethical practices of agri-food corporations such as inhumane treatment of livestock, use of pesticides and fertilizers with consequences on environmental and food contamination, genetically modified crops, water usage and recycling, questionable practices (such as misleading or double standard offers on product quality sold in developed and developing countries), environmental pollution, monopolistic practices, small farm exclusion, improper working conditions, exacerbation of child labour, land use change and land grabbing.…”