Sustainable Food Consumption and Supply Chains

Dear Colleagues, 

Sustainable food supply chains are pivotal in the global business and operations context, considering the magnitude of the associated environmental, economic and social implications. At the same time, the inherent constraints of food supplies (e.g., perishability), in tandem with the vulnerability of food networks (e.g., food safety) (Jouzdani and Govindan, 2021), necessitate ongoing interventions at multiple fronts, from operational to managerial and policy-making levels. In this regard, further academic and empirical research are needed in the sustainable food supply chain management field (Adams et al., 2021). The role of the end-user in such supply chains (i.e., the consumer) is essential. It defines the different modes of food consumption and drives sustainability throughout the supply chain (Roy and Srivastava, 2021).

This Special Issue on “Sustainable Food Consumption and Supply Chains” aims to attract state-of-the-art research on consumer-centric food supply chains with a sustainability outlook. In particular, this Special Issue seeks research studies that provide qualitative and quantitative evidence on managerial and technological interventions that propel sustainability performance across end-to-end food supply chains. Indicative interventions could refer to natural resources stewardship in upstream operations, to optimal inventory management and zero-waste practices during food processing, to the real-time availability of healthier food choices in the downstream food network. Studies focusing on personalized food supplies based on consumers’ dietary and nutritional needs are of particular interest. Any sector relevant to food will be considered, from agri-food (including production, manufacturing, and trading) to catering/dining and tourism. Submitted contributions are expected to capture, but are not limited to, the following:

• Theoretical investigations on consumer-centric food supply chains, preferably with a sustainability outlook.
• Empirical evidence of sustainable food supply chain operations from stakeholders who aim to promote innovative managerial, practical and technology interventions.
• Barriers and drivers to the adoption of sustainability practices in food supply networks.
• Governance interventions on the sustainable fulfilment of the rising consumer needs for safe, healthy, and nutritional food supplies.
• Policy-making paradigms and emerging debates on sustainable food networks.
• Data-driven digital implementations that ensure food transparency and traceability for sustainability.

Innovative services and technological applications that enable and improve the sustainable performance of food supply chains.

Dr. Foivos Anastasiadis
Dr. Naoum Tsolakis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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