Sustainability challenges in the multi-tier crop agri-food sector: a systematic review

Muhammad Khan (), Dimitrios Papadas, Lydia Arnold and Karl Behrendt
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Muhammad Khan: Harper Adams University
Dimitrios Papadas: Harper Adams University
Lydia Arnold: Harper Adams University
Karl Behrendt: Harper Adams University

Agricultural and Food Economics, 2024, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-37

Abstract: Abstract This systematic review identifies the potential sustainability challenges lower-tier suppliers and buying firms face in multi-tier crop agri-food supply chains. The first stage applied systematic mapping, and based on a sample of 487 academic articles from 6 databases, identified a less-researched area through empirical analysis. Secondly, a systematic evidence review synthesis methodology was used to synthesise the identified sustainability challenges from 18 qualitative studies focusing on the crop agri-food sector. A complex adaptive system, triple-bottom-line approach, and environmental, social, and governance sustainability models were applied to understand the nature of multi-tier supply chain structures and then identify sustainability challenges. Four major dimensions of sustainability challenges (social, economic, environmental and governance) for the lower-tier suppliers and buying firms were identified. Disintegration between buying firms and the lower-tier suppliers, predominantly due to their different locations, was found to be the primary reason for sustainability challenges in the crop agri-food sector. The review findings establish a theoretical framework that could serve as a roadmap for future research in multi-tier supply chains across various sectors and geographies, examining potential sustainability challenges and developing governance structures for sustainable development.

Keywords: Multi-tier supply chain; Triple-bottom-line approach; ESG model; Systematic map; Evidence review synthesis; Sustainability challenges (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1186/s40100-024-00319-5

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