Review
Food Science & Technology
Eva-Marie Meemken, Christopher B. Barrett, Hope C. Michelson, Matin Qaim, Thomas Reardon, Jorge Sellare
Summary: Sustainability standards have varying effects on different supply chain actors and crops, but are insufficient to ensure food system sustainability and equity objectives in agrifood supply chains. The ongoing proliferation of certification schemes in the food sector calls for continuous evaluation of their impacts.
Review
Development Studies
Vincent Canwat
Summary: Sustainable development concerns have been incorporated into global value chains, but our understanding of the sustainability effects of sustainable value chains is limited by the narrow focus, methodological weaknesses, and contextual diversity. This article analyzes the contributions of sustainable coffee value chains to sustainable development, finding that the effects vary across dimensions and standards. Fairtrade has a greater impact on social sustainability, while organic standards and the Rainforest Alliance have a greater impact on ecological sustainability. Sustainable coffee value chains have more contributions to social and ecological sustainability than economic sustainability, but combining standards can reduce trade-offs. The sustainability effects also differ across cooperatives due to their heterogeneity.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Business
Susanne Koehler, Simon Bager, Massimo Pizzol
Summary: This study describes and evaluates 16 cases of blockchain-based technologies and voluntary sustainability standards in agro-food supply chain. It finds that the relationship between them can be coexisting, synergistic, or antagonistic. The study explains each type of relationship and shows that system architecture and implementation goals are key determinants of this relationship.
TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Minglai Zhang, Zhijia Chen
Summary: Stakeholder awareness of social sustainability issues is growing, but few understand the motivations behind companies' implementation of social sustainability in their supply chain management or investment in developing countries. This study examines the influence of customers, sustainability culture, management, and external stakeholders on companies' acceptance of social sustainability in their supply chains. Data from 356 apparel and footwear manufacturers in South Asian countries were analyzed, revealing the interdependence of organizational and institutional structures within a social sustainability framework. The findings emphasize the importance of contextualizing GVC governance models with local institutional needs for effective social sustainability implementation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Development Studies
Samuel Siewers, Inmaculada Martinez-Zarzoso, Leila Baghdadi
Summary: This paper examines the relationship between joining global value chains and firms' environmental performance. The results show that firms participating in GVCs perform better in terms of environmental indicators, such as adopting environmentally friendly technologies, complying with stricter standards and regulations, and monitoring emissions along supply chains. The study also finds that participation in GVCs is associated with more efficient energy use.
Article
Business
Janina Grabs, Sophia Louise Carodenuto
Summary: This paper emphasizes the critical role of traders in sustainability governance, urging future research to focus on producer-level impacts, changes in supply chain organization and power dynamics, and traders' interactions with other actors. Research on traders as key sustainability governance actors provides opportunities for interdisciplinary work and stakeholder engagement at the intersection of supply chain management, political economy, geography, and global governance.
BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Business
Hamish van der Ven, David Barmes
Summary: In this paper, the interactions between voluntary sustainability standards and domestic public policies in commodity-exporting countries are examined through case studies on soybean farming in Brazil, palm oil production in Indonesia, and pangasius aquaculture in Vietnam. The findings suggest that public and private governance interactions initially involve competition but eventually lead to reluctant complementarity, driven by the need of governments in commodity-producing countries to maintain export markets. This challenges the notion that complementarity between public and private sustainable commodity governance is driven by goal alignment and dampens expectations of standards and certifications mitigating deforestation.
BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Management
Yinyin Cao, Benn Lawson, Frits K. Pil
Summary: The authors conducted interviews with 22 global corporations to understand how they support labor in their supply chain. They found that firms follow transactional and relational approaches to ensure labor conditions at suppliers, and a rights-holder approach is emerging as well.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OPERATIONS & PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Law
Sake R. L. Kruk, Hilde M. Toonen, Simon R. Bush
Summary: The use of digital technologies in aquaculture is increasingly addressing sustainability risks, challenging existing governance models of global value chains. Digital sustainability assurance relies on new actors and informational processes, complicating sustainability claims and requiring new capabilities from value chain actors. Digital sustainability assurance represents a new form of value chain coordination, led by extra-transactional digital actors, who gain control over digital data flows and have the potential to steer towards sustainability.
REGULATION & GOVERNANCE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jan Gerhards, Dan Greenwood
Summary: The past two decades have witnessed an increased use and evolving forms of governance instruments to promote sustainability in increasingly complex and varied contexts. These primarily voluntary instruments combine sustainability strategy and/or monitoring guidance with marketable public information, but there is still a need for evaluation of legitimacy. The One Planet Living framework established by Bioregional in the UK has been successful in promoting effective, participatory, and transparent programs, with limitations related to uptake, resource requirements, and measurement integration.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Economics
Giovanni Pasquali, Matthew Alford
Summary: This article examines the variations of private governance in global value chains across different end-markets using a case study of Kenya's participation in leather value chains. It finds that product specifications and trust play crucial roles in shaping private governance, and highlights the heterogeneity of GVCs within and between the global North and South. The study challenges the common assumption that lower quality products in Southern end-markets are necessarily governed by market-based coordination mechanisms.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Trond Selnes, Else Giesbers, Sander W. K. van den Burg
Summary: The European seaweed sector is transitioning from harvesting wild stocks to harvesting and farming seaweed, necessitating a rethinking of its role on a global scale and the need for insight into the global seaweed value chain organization and innovation. Innovation in seaweed usage is occurring globally, with a focus on high-value applications not being enough to distinguish the nascent European sector from established regions such as Asia. Stronger collaboration and joint efforts are needed in developing safe and sustainable products to meet regulatory, lead firm, and consumer demands in order to facilitate further business development.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Business
Stephanie Schrage, Dirk Ulrich Gilbert
Summary: MNEs play a dominant role in governing GVCs and are responsible for addressing governance gaps according to PCSR. However, PCSR lacks a clear definition and guidance on how to analyze and address these gaps. This study proposes a nuanced view that governance gaps result from ineffective governance mechanisms, contributing to understanding governance gaps and identifying mechanisms to address them.
JOURNAL OF BUSINESS ETHICS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Francesca Sanguineti, Giovanna Magnani, Antonella Zucchella
Summary: With companies like Adidas leading the way, the use of additive manufacturing (AM) to manage global value chains in a more sustainable manner is gaining attention. However, there is a lack of research exploring this connection. To fill this gap, a systematic literature review is conducted, revealing the potential of AM to transform the management of sustainable global value chains and identifying areas for future research. The findings contribute to academic understanding and provide a framework for practitioners seeking to advance sustainable value chain management through AM.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Business
Adriaan van der Loos, Rowan Langeveld, Marko Hekkert, Simona Negro, Bernhard Truffer
Summary: This study highlights the challenges faced by nations in anchoring local value through indigenous industrial development in a globalized renewable energy sector. It suggests that national governments can set incentives for lead firms to opt for local suppliers, but local content push may reduce the tendency of local lead firms to select local relational suppliers. Moreover, the results indicate that local content requirements are successful in stimulating locally sourced suppliers of the market-coordinated type.
TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Otto Hospes, Carolien Kroeze, Peter Oosterveer, Greetje Schouten, Maja Slingerland
NJAS-WAGENINGEN JOURNAL OF LIFE SCIENCES
(2017)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Greetje Schouten, Martinus Vink, Sietze Vellema
NJAS-WAGENINGEN JOURNAL OF LIFE SCIENCES
(2018)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Greetje Schouten, Otto Hospes
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Greetje Schouten, Sietze Vellema
CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2019)
Article
Environmental Studies
Greetje Schouten, Hilde M. Toonen, Dorine Leeuwerik
Summary: This article examines the impact of governance structures on standard acceptance by southern producers. While the study suggests that an inclusive governance structure is important, it does not provide evidence to explain the presence or absence of standard acceptance. The authors argue for further opening up the scholarly debate to include different conceptualizations, methods, and approaches to legitimacy.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Verena Bitzer, Greetje Schouten
Summary: This article investigates the potential impacts of global-local conflicts in global value chain partnerships, identifying four major tensions that contribute to conflicts. Due to inadequate response to these conflicts by MSPs, previously participating Southern actors established local rival initiatives.
ORGANIZATION & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Sietze Vellema, Greetje Schouten, Peter Knorringa
Summary: Small and medium size business enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the food supply systems of sub-Saharan Africa. They face the challenge of ensuring fair terms for smallholder producers while providing affordable and nutritious food for low-income consumers. This paper examines how resource-constrained SMEs manage inclusion of both farmers and consumers in agri-food chains through frugal practices. Using a Kenyan SME as a case study, it demonstrates how focusing on frugality can lead to successful business relationships with smallholders and enhance access to affordable food for consumers. It also identifies the conditions for inclusion that emerge from such dynamic business practices, which differ from traditional interventions like contract farming or cooperatives that shorten the agri-food chain.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Saritha Kittie Uda, Greetje Schouten, Lars Hein
Article
Development Studies
Sietze Vellema, Greetje Schouten, Rob Van Tulder
DEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Rory Padfield, Sune Hansen, Zoe G. Davies, Albrecht Ehrensperger, Eleanor M. Slade, Stephanie Evers, Effie Papargyropoulou, Cecile Bessou, Norhayati Abdullah, Susan Page, Marc Ancrenaz, Paul Aplin, Shahirah Balqis Dzulkafli, Holly Barclay, Darshanaa Chellaiah, Sonal Choudhary, Samantha Conway, Sarah Cook, Alison Copeland, Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, Nicolas J. Deere, Simon Drew, David Gilvear, Ross Gray, Tobias Haller, Amelia S-C. Hood, Lee Kim Huat, Nhat Huynh, Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu, Lian Pin Koh, Sanath Kumaran Kolandai, Robin Ah Hee Lim, Kok Loong Yeong, Jennifer M. Lucey, Sarah H. Luke, Simon L. Mitchell, Marvin J. Montefrio, Katherine Mullin, Anand Nainar, K. Anne-Isola Nekaris, Vincent Nijman, Matheus Nunes, Siti Nurhidayu, Patrick O'Reilly, Chong Leong Puan, Nadine Ruppert, Hengky Salim, Greetje Schouten, Anne Tallontire, Thomas E. L. Smith, Hsiao-Hang Tao, Mun Hou Tham, Helena Varkkey, Jamie Wadey, Catherine M. Yule, Badrul Azhar, Alexander K. Sayok, Charles Vairappan, Jake E. Bicknell, Matthew J. Struebig
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2019)
Article
Business
Domenico Dentoni, Verena Bitzer, Greetje Schouten
JOURNAL OF BUSINESS ETHICS
(2018)
Article
Environmental Studies
Rory Padfield, Simon Drew, Khadijah Syayuti, Susan Page, Stephanie Evers, Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu, Alex Sayok, Sune Hansen, Greetje Schouten, Martha Maulidia, Effie Papargyropoulou, Mun Hou Tham
LANDSCAPE RESEARCH
(2016)
Article
Business
Greetje Schouten, Sietze Vellema, Jeroen Van Wijk
RAE-REVISTA DE ADMINISTRACAO DE EMPRESAS
(2016)
Article
Political Science
Martinus Vink, Greetje Schouten
REVIEW OF POLICY RESEARCH
(2018)
Article
Ecology
Simon Rabaa, Robert Wilken, Sylvie Geisendorf
Summary: Energy efficiency measures are crucial for combating climate change, but rebound effects may undermine their effectiveness. This study finds that prior energy efficiency behavior does not hinder subsequent climate-friendly behavior, which is determined by individual demographics and environmental attitudes.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
James R. Meldrum, Patricia A. Champ, Hannah Brenkert-Smith, Christopher M. Barth, Abby E. McConnell, Carolyn Wagner, Colleen Donovan
Summary: This study reassessed a previous study using a richer dataset and found that individuals with lower incomes are less likely to participate in cost-sharing programs, and even if they do participate, they contribute a lower share. This indicates potential economic equity concerns.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Daniel Rueb
Summary: This paper examines the distributional effects of the European Commission's Fit-for-55 package at the household level in seven EU countries and finds that a household-size specific lump-sum refund can mitigate the negative distributional effects of a carbon tax and reduce overall inequality.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Correction
Ecology
Anke Jacksohn, Miguel Angel Tovar Reanos, Frank Pothen, Katrin Rehdanz
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Pierre Chiaverina, Sophie Drogue, Florence Jacquet
Summary: This study investigates the impact of farmers' participation in different short food supply chains (SFSCs) on synthetic pesticide use and crop yields. The findings show that farmers who sell part of their crops through direct-to-consumer channels use significantly fewer synthetic pesticides compared to those who sell through long food supply chains. However, there is no evidence that farmers involved in direct-to-retailer channels use significantly fewer synthetic pesticides. Additionally, there is no indication that SFSC participation affects crop yields.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Kangyin Dong, Yang Liu, Jianda Wang, Xiucheng Dong
Summary: This study uses the generalized method of moments (GMM) model to explore the relationship between the digital economy and energy vulnerability in 110 economies. The findings suggest that the digital economy effectively reduces energy vulnerability, with digital infrastructure and social impact being the main contributors. Furthermore, the digital economy helps upgrade the industrial structure and financial development level, thereby reducing energy vulnerability. Additionally, the negative impact of the digital economy on energy vulnerability is more significant in regions with higher income levels.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Romain Espinosa, Nicolas Treich
Summary: This study examines a simple model of consumption of animals with altruistic behavior towards animals. The model reveals a public good issue, where the market equilibrium leads to low quality and excessive quantity of animal lives when they are not worth living. The implications of the findings and the significance of the modeling choices for future economic research on animal welfare are discussed.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Arianna Buratto, Lorenzo Lotti
Summary: Finding ways to steer consumers towards vegetarian and plant-based meals is important for reducing the environmental impact of diets. In this study, we investigated the use of nudges in restaurants to increase sales of vegetarian and plant-based dishes. We found that removing symbols for these dishes increased sales, while adding a low emissions symbol had no effect. However, when the nudge was made transparent through a statement, sales significantly increased. These findings support the use of nudges as cost-effective interventions to address unsustainable food consumption in the hospitality sector.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Emmanuel Paroissien, Timothy K. M. Beatty, Antoine Nebout
Summary: This article provides empirical evidence that the opportunity cost of time explains the frequency of household food waste. The study found that proxies for the opportunity cost of time were positively correlated with the probability of reporting wasting food.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Jefim Vogel, Gauthier Guerin, Daniel W. O'Neill, Julia K. Steinberger
Summary: This study explores the vulnerability of livelihoods to a reduction in economic output and introduces a novel analytic framework to describe their relationship. The study finds that the vulnerability is not inevitable but arises from insecurity in wage labor, adequate incomes, and pensions. These conditions are primarily due to profit maximization and neoliberal welfare and labor policies. The study identifies a range of interventions to overcome this vulnerability and make stringent environmental policies socially sustainable and politically palatable.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Franziska Dorn, Simone Maxand, Thomas Kneib
Summary: Understanding the interconnected nature of rising carbon emissions and income inequality is crucial to achieve social and ecological sustainability. The distributional copula model used in this study uncovers complex interdependencies that standard linear regression techniques might hide.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Darius Corbier, Frederic Gonand
Summary: The article investigates the macroeconomic channels of transmission of the low-carbon transition in two official scenarios for the French power system under different oil price scenarios. The results show that technical progress and substitution mechanisms can drive the decarbonization of the economy and growth, with energy demand and durable goods demand being the main transmission channels.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Gloria Amaris, Stepan Vesely, Stephane Hess, Christian A. Klockner
Summary: The study of human behavior is crucial for the development of policies for sustainability. It is important to consider the possibility of spillover effects in mathematical models, as exposure to related choices can influence subsequent behavior. Our study demonstrates the existence of these spillover effects and showcases the effectiveness of discrete choice models.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Sonia Almeida Neves, Antonio Cardoso Marques, Leonardo Batista de sa Lopes
Summary: This paper investigates the impact of European Union regulations on e-waste exports. The findings suggest that taxation is ineffective in reducing e-waste exports and may even increase them. Additionally, high dependence on foreign raw materials and sub-standard waste collection systems contribute to the increase in e-waste exports. Therefore, investing in e-waste collection facilities can better utilize the valuable resources in this waste.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Gregor Semieniuk
Summary: Efforts to decouple economic growth from resource use and negative environmental impacts have yielded inconclusive results, partially due to the uncertainties in historical measurement arising from definitional changes to GDP. This study examines the impact of GDP vintages on decoupling results and finds that a significant number of countries switch between relative decoupling and recoupling, and that GDP vintages also affect environmental Kuznets curve results and the decline in global energy intensity. The inconsistencies in economic measurement introduce ambiguity into historical decoupling evidence and model projections into the future.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2024)