An Integrated Framework for Sustainable Development in Agri-Food SMEs

Aleksandra Figurek () and Alkis Thrassou ()
Additional contact information
Aleksandra Figurek: GNOSIS Mediterranean Institute for Management Science, School of Business, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus
Alkis Thrassou: Department of Marketing, School of Business, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-22

Abstract: The primary objective of this study is the development of an integrated framework for sustainable development in agri-food Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with a variety of production types. Dealing with the significant research problem of defining a successful record-keeping system, as this is the foundation of an integrated information framework in agri-food SMEs, this research identifies and explicates the several conceptual, methodological, organizational, and technical concerns related to the data collection, processing, and recording, as well as information generation in agri-food SMEs. Two main fields of research are distinguished: the micro-level, which is related to the monitoring of agri-food SMEs, and the macro-level, which relates to the collection, processing, and collective interpretation of different types of data. The findings show how the creation of a database for all levels of analysis, primarily business analyses, followed by an analysis of the development of the agri-food sector, as a whole and by individual regions and branches, etc., constitutes the basis for the effective operation and ongoing improvement of an integrated framework for the sustainable development of agri-food SMEs. Methodologically, this study employs the system approach, system analysis, and synthesis sequence to produce business, economic, and social findings of theoretical and practicable worth to scholars, executives, and decision makers.

Keywords: sustainable development; integrated framework; agri-food SMEs; system-based approach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/12/9387/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/12/9387/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:12:p:9387-:d:1168439

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().