Can radical innovation mitigate environmental and animal welfare misconduct in global value chains? The case of cell-based tuna

Abstract

Organizational misconduct, defined as illegal, unethical or irresponsible organizational behavior, concerning the environment can lead to resource depletion, threats to biodiversity, animal suffering and environmental damage. Some chains have been scrutinized due to the massive depletion of environmental resources caused by illegal exploitation, such as the tuna chain. In search for solutions, regulations and product traceability have been used. Despite the urgency of the subject, less attention has been given to how radical innovations may lead to preventing animal welfare and environmental misconduct. Technological radical innovations are characterized by their uniqueness, novelty, and potential to promote significant transformations in a chain. Thus, we adopted an exploratory approach to analyze the case of a radical technological innovation – cell-based meat – which can substantially transform the meat value chain and, more specifically, mitigate overwhelming environmental and animal welfare misconduct in the tuna global chain. The case illustrates how radical innovation can significantly change global value chain's activities and redefine its geographic scope; it may also represent a shift from natural resource-intensive to technology-intensive activities. More importantly, by substituting animal-based inputs, severe environmental and animal welfare issues will be mitigated.