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Environmental Upgrading and Suppliers’ Agency in the Leather Global Value Chain

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  • Valentina De Marchi

    (Department of Economics and Management ‘Marco Fanno’, University of Padova, 35123 Padova, Italy)

  • Eleonora Di Maria

    (Department of Economics and Management ‘Marco Fanno’, University of Padova, 35123 Padova, Italy)

Abstract

The paper explores the role of suppliers in the process of environmental upgrading (EnvU) within global value chains (GVCs). Theoretical contributions to EnvU have highlighted, in particular, the role of global buyers in supporting the EnvU of products and processes, while limited attention has been given to suppliers as proactive actors within GVCs. This paper approaches EnvU through the lens of innovation and focuses on the agency of suppliers. Through the analysis of innovations developed within the leather GVC, with a special focus on the Arzignano cluster (Italy), the analysis shows how suppliers can autonomously develop sustainability strategies to maintain their competitiveness and achieve higher value in the GVC. However, results stress the limits of green strategies as buyers and suppliers do not share the same vision of how to foster sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Valentina De Marchi & Eleonora Di Maria, 2019. "Environmental Upgrading and Suppliers’ Agency in the Leather Global Value Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-17, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:23:p:6530-:d:288781
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    Cited by:

    1. Jensen, Federico & Whitfield, Lindsay, 2022. "Leveraging participation in apparel global supply chains through green industrialization strategies: Implications for low-income countries," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    2. Valentina Marchi & Gary Gereffi, 2023. "Using the global value chain framework to analyse and tackle global environmental crises," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 50(1), pages 149-159, March.
    3. Dwivedi, Ashish & Moktadir, Md. Abdul & Chiappetta Jabbour, Charbel José & de Carvalho, Daniel Estima, 2022. "Integrating the circular economy and industry 4.0 for sustainable development: Implications for responsible footwear production in a big data-driven world," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    4. Arijit Bhattacharya & Shefali Srivastava & Abhijit Majumdar, 2024. "Circular supply chains in manufacturing—Quo vadis? Accomplishments, challenges and future opportunities," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4397-4423, July.
    5. Marco Bellandi & Lisa De Propris, 2021. "Local Productive Systems’ Transitions to Industry 4.0+," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-17, November.
    6. MacCarthy, Bart L. & Ahmed, Wafaa A.H. & Demirel, Guven, 2022. "Mapping the supply chain: Why, what and how?," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    7. Jasmina Shehi & Valentina De Marchi & Eleonora Di Maria & Andrea Pellizzari & Mirco Zerlottin & Davide Beltrame, 2021. "Performance ambientale nel distretto della concia di arzignano: tra iniziativa imprenditoriale e intervento istituzionale," ECONOMIA E SOCIET? REGIONALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(1), pages 152-178.
    8. Stefano Ponte & Valentina De Marchi & Marco Bettiol & Eleonora di Maria, 2023. "The horizontal governance of environmental upgrading: Lessons from the Prosecco and Valpolicella wine value chains in Italy," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 55(8), pages 1884-1905, November.
    9. Carlo Pietrobelli & Roberta Rabellotti & Ari Van Assche, 2021. "Making sense of global value chain-oriented policies: The trifecta of tasks, linkages, and firms," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 4(3), pages 327-346, September.
    10. Eleonora Di Maria & Marco Bettiol & Mauro Capestro, 2023. "How Italian Fashion Brands Beat COVID-19: Manufacturing, Sustainability, and Digitalization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-20, January.
    11. Maria Giuffrida & Riccardo Mangiaracina, 2020. "Green Practices for Global Supply Chains in Diverse Industrial, Geographical, and Technological Settings: A Literature Review and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-18, December.
    12. Hochachka, Gail, 2023. "Climate change and the transformative potential of value chains," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    13. repec:ers:journl:v:xxiv:y:2021:i:special4:p:806-818 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Simone Carmine & Valentina De Marchi, 2022. "Nuovi territori per la sostenibilit?," ECONOMIA E SOCIET? REGIONALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(1), pages 63-72.
    15. Choksy, Umair Shafi & Ayaz, Muhammad & Al-Tabbaa, Omar & Parast, Mahour, 2022. "Supplier resilience under the COVID-19 crisis in apparel global value chain (GVC): The role of GVC governance and supplier’s upgrading," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 249-267.
    16. Joerg S. Hofstetter & Valentina Marchi & Joseph Sarkis & Kannan Govindan & Robert Klassen & Aldo R. Ometto & Katharina S. Spraul & Nancy Bocken & Weslynne S. Ashton & Sanjay Sharma & Melanie Jaeger-Er, 2021. "From Sustainable Global Value Chains to Circular Economy—Different Silos, Different Perspectives, but Many Opportunities to Build Bridges," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 21-47, June.
    17. Christian Geisler Asmussen & Andrea Fosfuri & Marcus Møller Larsen & Grazia D. Santangelo, 2023. "Corporate social responsibility in the global value chain: A bargaining perspective," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(7), pages 1175-1192, September.
    18. Lukasz Marzantowicz & Barbara Ocicka & Aneta Pluta-Zaremba, 2021. "Greening the Value Chain by Implementation of Environmental Practices," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 806-818.
    19. Ulrich Elmer Hansen & Padmasai Lakshmi Bhamidipati & Mathilde Brix Pedersen & Ivan Nygaard & Hope Nyambura Njoroge, 2023. "Linking business strategies with upgrading pathways in global value chains: Insights from the Kenyan solar market," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(2), March.

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