Drivers and barriers in sustainable supply chains: the case of the Brazilian coffee industry

Guimarães, Yana Medeiros, Eustachio, João Henrique Paulino Pires, Leal Filho, Walter, Martinez, Letícia Franco, do Valle, Maurício Ribeiro and Caldana, Adriana Cristina Ferreira (2022) Drivers and barriers in sustainable supply chains: the case of the Brazilian coffee industry. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 34. pp. 42-54. ISSN 2352-5509

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Abstract

Despite the growing interest in sustainable practices, many organisations in the agro-food industry are currently struggling to implement sustainable supply chain (SSC) innovations. This research addresses this gap by studying the Brazilian coffee industry, which is considered not only an important commodity for the Brazilian economy, but also for the global market. To achieve the goals of this study, a bibliometric assessment of the literature was carried out to understand the drivers and barriers of SSCs, and based on the findings, a survey was conducted with a set of Brazilian coffee stakeholders, obtaining a total of 147 complete answers. The results suggest that the main drivers involved in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) of the Brazilian coffee industry are social responsibility, economic performance/improvement, regulations (environmental, regional, international), and the adoption of an innovative business model. On the other hand, the barriers identified are the lack of government support, the high complexity of the processes and communication gaps. It is expected that the results of this study can contribute to the SSC literature and reduce the blind spots of decision-makers to prioritise actions and understand better how to overcome the barriers and take advantage of the drivers towards more SSCs in the industry. Limitations and future research opportunities are also addressed.