The social dimension and indicators of sustainability in agrifood supply chains

Abstract

Several organizations aim to establish and manage cooperative and collaborative actions in order to incorporate the principles related to sustainable management in supply chains. The indicators related to the social dimension are still barely explored in academic research, since the perceived business practices are still emerging in the contemporary world and in the organizational relations. The opposite of the financial and environmental dimensions, which are already rooted in the business environment. In agrifood chains, social aspects are essential when suppliers are often impoverished farmers, and labor practices are generally painful and exploitative. This paper aims to identify, in the international literature, the state-of-the-art research related to social sustainability in agrifood supply chains. To achieve this goal, a systematic literature review covering papers published in the Science Direct, Directory of Open Access Journals and Emerald Insight databases was carried out. Results indicate that academic production is still low, despite its growth in recent years, and is limited to approaches containing indicators of social sustainability related to support communities affected by agrifood business. In addition, it evidences arrangements among members of supply chains, mostly of the cooperative type, having collaborative arrangements with more limited approaches among the analyzed works.

The Social Dimension and Indicators of Sustainability in Agrifood Supply Chains

“…The emergence of these new relationships that underpin sustainable management emerges from the new organizational needs among the entities of the supply chain, which stems from a greater need to optimize productive and energy http://www.ijmp.jor.br v. 10, n. 5, September-October 2019ISSN: 2236 resources for cost reduction and value generation (KLEINDORFER; SINGHAL; VAN WASSENHOVE, 2005). However, Pagell and Wu (2009) point out that actions related to the environmental dimension excel in organizational practices, as they relate and reflect in financial aspects. In this context the financial aspects drive to the improvements in the efficiency of resource, which are prerequisite for competitiveness and, the social aspects have a secondary role.…”

“…Considering the new elements that integrate a SSCM, Pagell and Wu (2009) In relation to the elements that can configure a sustainable supply chain, Carter and Rogers (2008), when evaluating the sustainability performance of an SSCM, cite the following dimensions of analysis: integrated strategy, collective risk management, organizational social aspects and transparency. Seuring, Sarkis and Muller (2008) emphasize the clear and impersonal communication and the development of suppliers in socio-environmental issues as elements to obtain sustainable products.…”

“…In order to achieve sustainability in supply chains, the process should not be confined to just one organization, but consider the various actors involved and extrapolate issues that go beyond the environmental ones. The concerns with the social issues in effect, preserving the conditions of the workers in supplier companies and forming collective partnerships for social development as a whole should be considered (JENKINS, 2001;PAGELL;WU, 2009;GUARNIERI;TROJAN, 2019).…”

Perspectivas de blockchain em uma cadeia de suprimentos agroalimentar

“…Juntamente, a logística de distribuição e a Cadeia de Suprimentos tornamse representativas para a correta entrega dos produtos agropecuários e informações que são trocadas entre todos os participantes, diante de uma complexa rede para esses produtos, as quais envolvem relações empresa-clienteconsumidor e fornecedor-empresa, respectivamente, e atingem atividades como transporte, controle de estoques e armazenamento (BALLOU, 2006;HATAKEYAMA, 2012;SANTOS et al, 2019). Além disso, a Cadeia de Suprimentos compete planejar, abastecer, fazer, entregar e retornar recursos e insumos durante todo o processo e fluxo de informações entre os diferentes atores participantes, como fornecedor de materiais, fábrica e cliente HATAKEYAMA, 2012;SANTOS et al, 2019).…”

An integrated social sustainability assessment framework: the case of construction industry

“…On the other side, researchers confirm that different aspects of sustainability have not been addressed equally (Taherkhani, 2013). To satisfy sustainability objectives, while special attention was paid to environmental issues (Park et al, 2017;Raslanas et al, 2013;Sharifi and Murayama, 2013), the considerable lack of investigations into the social dimension is remarkable (Almahmoud and Doloi, 2018;Diaz-Sarachaga et al, 2016;Eames and Adebowale, 2002;Eizenberg and Jabareen, 2017;McKenzie, 2004;Missimer et al, 2017;Santos et al, 2019;Sierra et al, 2018). Accordingly, the social aspect as a fundamental component of sustainable development has received far less attention than the economic and environmental aspects (Partridge, 2005) and the conceptual framework for social sustainability is widely acknowledged as underdeveloped (Taherkhani et al, 2020).…”