Sustainability risk management in the agri-food supply chain: literature review

Abstract

Maintaining an effective risk management procedure can counterbalance a critical effect on supply chains. The Agri-food supply chain has characteristics that are unique and complex if compared with a conventional supply chain. Sustainability risk management in the supply chain is the key to a competitive organisation in the long term. The aim of this paper is to review current research on sustainable risk management in the Agri-food industry chain. These reviews were arranged in steps systematically, ranging from searching related to review of supply chain sustainability risk management (SCSRM), reviewing the general framework of SCSRM and the framework of Agri-food SCSRM. Selection of literature review papers in the period 2010-2019, and obtained 30 papers. Risk aspects were analysed using a multi-dimensional approach (economic, social, environmental, technical, and institutional) that influences the sustainability of the Agri-food industry. The results show that there are few studies focusing on risk management to achieve a sustainable supply chain system. Some studies only focus on Triple Bottom Line elements (economic, social, and environmental). Sometimes, these studies do not consider risks from other elements such as technical and institutional aspects that can be influence the sustainability of the Agri-food industry. Technical aspects such as the reliability of technological systems and institutional aspects as policymakers support sustainability in a business process. The contribution of this paper is to provide an initial theoretical framework to guide researchers in analysing risk through a multi-dimensional approach to sustainability.