A circular capability framework to address food waste and losses in the agri-food supply chain: The antecedents, principles and outcomes of circular economy

Abstract

Food loss and food waste (FLW) within agri-food supply chains in the developing world remains a perennial problem. This is partly due to the lack of knowledge on how business operations within supply chains contribute towards the FLW issue, particularly in the case of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Circular Economy (CE) has been heralded as an appropriate pathway for businesses towards reduction of FLW, however, the practical realities of how the CE can be best employed remains unclear. This paper fills this knowledge gap by studying growers, distributors and retailers in the agri-food supply chain, in order to develop a Circular Capability Framework. The findings generate unique insights into FLW understandings, causes and mitigation strategies to provide a detailed, developing world relevant food waste hierarchy. The novel framework we propose can aid participation in the CE by conceptualising CE antecedents as business capability pathways, set out as eight propositions.