Exploring Sustainable Aspects Regarding the Food Supply Chain, Agri-Food Quality Standards, and Global Trade: An Empirical Study among Experts from the European Union and the United States

Katja Pietrzyck, Sebastian Jarzębowski and Brigitte Petersen
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Katja Pietrzyck: International Food Net Center, University of Bonn, Katzenburgweg 7-9, 53115 Bonn, Germany
Sebastian Jarzębowski: Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics—National Research Institute, ul. Świętokrzyska 20, 00-002 Warsaw, Poland
Brigitte Petersen: International Food Net Center, University of Bonn, Katzenburgweg 7-9, 53115 Bonn, Germany

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 18, 1-21

Abstract: Sustainability is increasingly a priority in the policies of the European Union, especially in the Common Agricultural Policy. This paper focuses on Sustainable Development Goals, the European Green Deal, and the Farm to Fork Strategy in an attempt to establish a relationship with the European Union’s trade policy. Three selected components of the agri-food sector—the food supply chain, agri-food quality standards, and global trade—are examined in relation to defined sustainability aspects. The aim is to understand the interrelationship between the three components with specific regard to sustainability, to highlight their high complexity and current relevance, to contribute to systematic analysis in this area, and to present current progress. This qualitative–explorative study is empirically supported by a survey of market experts, and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the European Union and the United States is used as an example. The results show the complexity between the relationships of the three components with a focus on sustainability and reveal a deep uncertainty. The most notable results are the limited level of knowledge and the insufficient attention from business representatives to sustainability aspects. Finally, the study identifies the state of integrating a sustainable perspective into European Union trade policy and provides suggestions for further research.

Keywords: agri-food industry; food safety; global supply chains; sustainable trade; quality management; quality standards; farm to fork strategy; European Green Deal; German chambers of commerce abroad; Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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