Investigating the impact of COVID-19 on sustainable food supply chains

Kumar, Vikas; Ekren, Banu; Wang, Jiayan; Shah, Bhavin; Frederico, Guilherme

Abstract

Purpose: The ongoing pandemic has gravely affected different facets of society and economic trades worldwide. During the outbreak, most manufacturing and service sectors were closed across the globe except for essential commodities such as food and medicines. Consequently, recent literature has focused on studying supply chain resilience and sustainability in different pandemic contexts. This study aims to add to the existing literature by exploring the economic, environmental and societal aspects affecting the food supply chain and assessing the impact of COVID-19 on food sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: A survey method has been adopted with a questionnaire instrument investigating the role of technology, government policies, geopolitics and intermediaries on sustainable organisational management. A five-point Likert scale (i.e. 1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree) is used to evaluate the responses. The findings are based on 131 responses from entry-level workers and senior executives of different food supply chains across Asia and Europe. The data has been analysed to derive insights into the impacts of this pandemic. Findings: The survey concludes with the significant impact of COVID-19 on the three pillars of sustainability, i.e. economic, social and environmental dimensions. The empirical analysis shows digitalisation and its applications help mitigate the negative effect of COVID-19 on sustainability. In addition, the supportive government policies and intermediatory interventions were helpful in improving sustainability at each level. Research limitations/implications: The findings have implications for businesses and policymakers. Companies can learn from the advantages of digitalisation to counter the challenges imposed by the pandemic or similar situations in the future in maintaining the sustainability of their supply chains. Managers can also learn the importance of effective organisational management in driving sustainability. Finally, policymakers can devise policies to support businesses in adopting sustainable practices in their supply chains. Originality/value: This study adds to the limited literature exploring the impact of COVID-19 on food supply chain sustainability through the triple bottom line lens. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is also one of the first empirical studies to examine the effect of technology, government and organisational management practices on the sustainability of food supply chains.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 24, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Oct 20, 2022
• Publication Date: May 29, 2023
• Deposit Date: Sep 24, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 21, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Modelling in Management
• Print ISSN: 1746-5664
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 1250-1273
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JM2-03-2022-0072
• Keywords: Sustainable Supply Chain; Food industry; COVID-19; Triple Bottom Line; Digitalization; Empirical Study
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10010695
• Publisher URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JM2-03-2022-0072/full/html