Green Supply Chain Management Practices: An Exploratory Study of Indian Food Processing Firms

Abstract

Firms adopt green supply chain management (GSCM) practices to reduce environmental impact. GSCM is the integration of environmental or green thinking in all the functions of SCM, from sourcing, production, and distribution (Ali et al., 2016). Though GSCM predominantly addresses environmental concerns, literature states that GSCM practices significantly influence sustainable performance, encompassing economic, environmental, and social performance (Yildiz Çankaya & Sezen, 2019; Zaid et al., 2018). The food processing industry is one of the largest industries globally, generating massive waste and emitting greenhouse gases, raising environmental concerns. The Indian food processing industry is one of the largest in the world. India stands first in milk production and second in fruit and vegetable production. Having said this, forty percent of food produced in India is wasted. GSCM has recently gained momentum in developing countries like India due to increasing environmental issues. Thus, this research unearths the GSCM practices adopted by Indian food processing companies. This study aims to explore the GSCM practices adopted by Indian food processing firms and investigate the impact of GSCM practices on sustainable performance. Keywords: Environment-friendly practices, green supply chain management practices, sustainability, sustainable performance.