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Sustainability and Strategy in U.S. Agri-Food Firms: An Assessment of Current Practices

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  • Ross, R. Brent
  • Pandey, Vivek
  • Ross, Kara L.

Abstract

Increasingly, many major U.S. agri-food firms are joining their European counterparts in incorporating sustainability initiatives into their business operations. This paper provides a content analysis of the sustainability initiatives reported by select U.S. agri-food firms throughout the supply chain in their corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. Among the results of our analysis, we find that many U.S agri-food firms continue to engage in a “hodgepodge” approach to sustainability without a clear link to their business strategy. Furthermore, these firms have transitioned their sustainability initiatives to focus on internal initiatives to address environmental and supply chain issues over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Ross, R. Brent & Pandey, Vivek & Ross, Kara L., 2015. "Sustainability and Strategy in U.S. Agri-Food Firms: An Assessment of Current Practices," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 18(1), pages 1-32, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:ifaamr:197762
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.197762
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lavinia Conca & Francesco Manta & Domenico Morrone & Pierluigi Toma, 2021. "The impact of direct environmental, social, and governance reporting: Empirical evidence in European‐listed companies in the agri‐food sector," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 1080-1093, February.
    2. Michael Boland & Brendan Cooper & James M. White, 2016. "Making Sustainability Tangible: Land O'Lakes and the Dairy Supply Chain," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 98(2), pages 648-657.
    3. Chao-Chien Chen & Hsiu-Ping Yueh & Chaoyun Liang, 2016. "Strategic Management of Agribusiness: Determinants and Trends," Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Fundacja Upowszechniająca Wiedzę i Naukę "Cognitione", vol. 12(4), pages 69-97.
    4. Pielow, Cornelia & Schulze-Ehlers, Birgit, 2016. "Strategic CSR in food industry SMEs: identifying individual hot spots," 26th International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA) World Forum, 2016, Aarhus, Denmark 275887, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA).
    5. Inga C. Melchior & Jens Newig, 2021. "Governing Transitions towards Sustainable Agriculture—Taking Stock of an Emerging Field of Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-27, January.
    6. Jesús López-Santiago & Amelia Md Som & Fahmi Asyadi Bin Md Yusof & Fernando R. Mazarrón & María Teresa Gómez-Villarino, 2024. "Exploring Sustainability in Wineries: Evaluating Food Safety and Environmental Management Aligning with the Farm to Fork Strategy," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-35, February.
    7. Simon R. Swaffield & Robert C. Corry & Paul Opdam & Wendy McWilliam & Jørgen Primdahl, 2019. "Connecting business with the agricultural landscape: business strategies for sustainable rural development," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(7), pages 1357-1369, November.
    8. Antonio A. R. Ioris, 2018. "The Politics of Agribusiness and the Business of Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-21, May.
    9. Dentoni, Domenico & Hospes, Otto & Ross, R. Brent, 2012. "Managing Wicked Problems in Agribusiness: The Role of Multi-Stakeholder Engagements in Value Creation," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 15(B), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Irena Jindřichovská & Dana Kubíčková & Mihaela Mocanu, 2020. "Case Study Analysis of Sustainability Reporting of an Agri-Food Giant," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-19, June.
    11. Pere Mercadé‐Melé & Carmina Fandos‐Herrera & Sofía Velasco‐Gómez, 2021. "How corporate social responsibility influences consumer behavior: An empirical analysis in the Spanish agrifood sector," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(3), pages 590-611, July.
    12. Luhmann, Henrike & Theuvsen, Ludwig, 2016. "CSR activities in the German poultry sector: differencing preference groups," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 20(3), December.

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