Incorporating social dimensions and sustainable marketing into an agri-food company's development strategy

Including sustainability in the corporate strategy is the main way for a company to be competitive and thrive in the long term. In this scenario, a strategic and evolutionary approach gains considerable importance: sustainable marketing. It is focused on developing future-oriented solutions in the market while considering environmental, social, and ethical aspects as to generate effects on entire systems in terms of institutions, value chains, or sectors. The agri-food sector experiences growing awareness and concern among stakeholders about not only the environmental but also the social and ethical aspects. This can translate into market opportunities for companies that differentiate themselves from competitors by offering products that reassure and comfort the consumer. This paper aims to investigate the role of the social dimension expressed in its main indicators within an agri-food company's sustainable marketing strategy and the benefits or risks that can be recognized within a growth strategy with local and international. Specifically, using the qualitative, in-depth single case study methodology, the research explores how a medium-sized dairy company located in a geographical area characterized by high limitations integrated its social dimension within its business philosophy and how this integration is at the basis of its strategy of covering historical markets, commercial development in the Italian market and expansion towards foreign markets. Considering the new market scenarios, the study significantly contributes to policymakers, practitioners, and academic debate on the social sustainability dimension in agriculture.