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

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 research adds 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 digitalization 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.

Social/Research/Practical Implications- The findings have implications for businesses and policymakers. Companies can learn from the advantages of digitalization 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- Our study adds to the limited literature exploring the impact of COVID-19 on food supply chain sustainability through the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) lens. 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.