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Motives, Barriers, and Expected Benefits of ISO 14001 in the Agri-Food Sector

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  • Rocio Carrillo-Labella

    (Department of Business Organization, Marketing and Sociology, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaén, Spain)

  • Fatiha Fort

    (SupAgro–MOISA, Department Marketing Management, University of Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France)

  • Manuel Parras-Rosa

    (Department of Business Organization, Marketing and Sociology, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaén, Spain)

Abstract

Over time, sustainability has gained a greater presence in companies and with consumers around the world, although it can be said that there is still some confusion in its conceptualization and in the identification of the driving factors. A part of the literature considers that environmental management systems (EMS) such as ISO 14001 are facilitating factors that allow organizational remodeling towards more sustainable production. For a better understanding, this paper presents a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews to analyze the perceptions that managers, employees, and quality managers have about the concept of sustainability and, given that environmental management systems are considered as motivational factors, it also analyzes the perceptions they have about the motivations, barriers, and expected benefits of their adoption in the olive food industry in southern Spain. It is possible to point out the existence of some confusion about the concept of sustainability, and that both regulatory and market factors such as image and reputation improvement, differentiation, and sales increases, especially in exports, are considered to be motivational for their implementation. This work contributes to the literature on sustainability and environmental management systems in sectors of activity with high environmental involvement, such as the agri-food industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Rocio Carrillo-Labella & Fatiha Fort & Manuel Parras-Rosa, 2020. "Motives, Barriers, and Expected Benefits of ISO 14001 in the Agri-Food Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:5:p:1724-:d:325059
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    3. Mariana Dubravská & Martina Marchevská & Petra Vašaničová & Rastislav Kotulič, 2020. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management Linkage: An Empirical Analysis of the Slovak Republic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-18, July.
    4. Zhang, Ling & Berk Saydaliev, Hayot & Ma, Xiaoyu, 2022. "Does green finance investment and technological innovation improve renewable energy efficiency and sustainable development goals," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 991-1000.
    5. Agnieszka Ociepa-Kubicka & Iwona Deska & Ewa Ociepa, 2021. "Organizations towards the Evaluation of Environmental Management Tools ISO 14001 and EMAS," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-19, August.
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    7. Abdoul G. Sam & Danbee Song, 2022. "Corporate environmentalism and international trade: Evidence from industry‐level data," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(5), pages 1440-1455, September.

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