Sustainable supply chain management in the agricultural sector: a literature review

Abstract

In recent years, several contributions have been provided concerning sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), ranging from a theoretical analysis of the topic to practical applications across several industrial sectors. The scope of SSCM has been extended toward various industries and supply chains, not only domestic supply chains but also global supply chains. Transnational companies play important roles in the global supply chain as they create business opportunities and entrepreneurial activities along the chain. However, operating in global supply chains also gives rise to several issues. Environmental damage, food safety concerns, and social and sustainability issues are major topics for both domestic and global supply chain management. Many of these issues are driven by external factors such as standards and regulations as well as customer and market demand. Even if SSCM has been a subject of much discussion in the last few years, few contributions are available for SSCM in the agricultural sector. This paper aims to provide an extensive literature review on the practice of supply chain management and sustainability in agriculture sectors to identify the extent of the discipline in this field and to highlight areas that need further research.