Developing sustainability in the Italian meat supply chain: an empirical investigation

Abstract

Although sustainable supply chain (SC) management has been widely investigated in recent years, the focus has mainly been on the practices adopted by a single company, so missing the big picture at SC level. This study of the Italian meat industry considers the SC as a whole, identifying the critical points for each stage in terms of economic, environmental and social sustainability. To this end, a first set of case studies was conducted of companies at different stages of the SC before turning to focus on the meat processing stage, which was identified as critical and highly relevant. A second set of case studies analysed how these companies leverage SC management practices to develop sustainable SCs. In so doing, specific attention was paid to drivers and contingent variables that foster the adoption of sustainable practices. The results of the two steps were then merged to illuminate how practices adopted by the meat processors can impact on the whole chain, confirming their pivotal role in driving sustainability. These results provide a holistic view of the phenomenon, encompassing the entire chain from end to end and highlighting the interdependences across various stages of the meat SC.

Keywords:

• supply chain management
• sustainable manufacturing
• food industry
• sustainability
• case studies

Notes

1. The cases were selected in two steps, with the goal of interviewing companies that take a proactive approach to sustainability. First, Italian meat companies were identified on the basis of ATECO 2007 classification and ranked on the basis of turnover. An extensive analysis of companies’ websites then served to identify certified companies (e.g. ISO 14000 and EMAS) that explicitly mention sustainability as a core element of their strategy. This approach to case selection captured both large and small–medium companies, enabling dimensional comparison across heterogeneous case studies.