Fruitful cooperation: a supply chain perspective on food waste innovation
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2018-08-28
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en
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Abstract
This study explores the factors and contexts behind food waste generation within food supply chains, and comes with suggestions for the role of intermediary organisations to promote supply chain coordination and innovation. The study builds upon Supply Chain Management (SCM) approaches and connects them with strands of Convention Theory, Global Value Chains, and concepts of power and responsibility. The empirical data is obtained using a sequential mixed methods design, including a survey and interviews with SMEs in the agriculture and food sector. The research focuses specifically on intermediary organisation Food Waste Xperts, which operates from the Dutch town of Veghel.
The study concludes that food waste innovation in existing food supply chains is difficult to achieve, due to high degrees of specialisation and efficiency, which render adaptations complex and costly. Besides, companies appear to take little responsibility for the contribution of their business operations to food waste generation in other segments of the supply chain. Therefore, intermediaries have a critical role in addressing individual firms’ problems, as well as in advancing systemic approaches to innovation, in order to identify common interests and leverage points among supply chain partners. They also play a role in connecting niche markets to mainstream developments.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen