Towards a green Agri-food supply chain through ANP and ELECTRE I

Abstract

PurposeThis research aims to comprehensively analyse the Agri-food supply chain, by identifying the barriers, and considering effective pathways towards a green supply chain. To the best of our knowledge, in the research area of supply chain, the majority of the research is oriented towards the evaluation of barriers and pathways or drivers to the implementation of green supply chain management in the manufacturing industry. The field of Agri-food is among the sectors of concern due to the quantum and basic necessity of the industry.Design/methodology/approachThe contribution of this paper is to develop and evaluate a general framework of the most relevant barriers and possible pathways towards the green Agri-food supply chain, with the help of a hybrid approach combining both the ANP and ELECTRE I methods, via a case study of the fish canning industry.FindingsFurthermore, the study findings will help both academicians and practitioners in developing and evaluating green supply chain frameworks in this area of study.Originality/valueThe results of this study show that the cost of greening the supply in terms of implementing sustainability standard, or advanced technology are the most relevant barriers, and that the social and operational pathways family is among the best effectives pathways.