IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i15p9678-d881547.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability-Focused Excellence: A Novel Model Integrating the Water–Energy–Food Nexus for Agro-Industrial Companies

Author

Listed:
  • Fernando Caixeta

    (Federal Institute of Triângulo Mineiro, Campus Uberlândia, Fazenda Sobradinho, s/n, Uberlândia 38400-970, Brazil
    Sustainable Energy Systems, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • André M. Carvalho

    (Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave., 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal)

  • Pedro Saraiva

    (Department of Chemical Engineering, CIEPQPF, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
    Dean of NOVA IMS, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1070-312 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Fausto Freire

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, ADAI, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal)

Abstract

The water–energy–food (WEF) nexus approach is gaining attention due to the challenge of better managing natural elements. Agro-industrial companies, given their environmental impacts, need to take sustainability into proper account. However, this sector lacks the novel tools needed to integrate current methodologies with additional quality frameworks, such as business excellence models (BEMs). Therefore, the present research aims to propose a sustainability-focused excellence model by integrating the principles and objectives of the WEF nexus with existing BEM and proposing its application to agro-industrial companies. For that purpose, a new conceptual model to integrate sustainability and excellence was built. The proposed novel model can become a decision-support tool in helping agro-industrial companies transition toward improved sustainability while managing existing tradeoffs and synergies.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernando Caixeta & André M. Carvalho & Pedro Saraiva & Fausto Freire, 2022. "Sustainability-Focused Excellence: A Novel Model Integrating the Water–Energy–Food Nexus for Agro-Industrial Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:15:p:9678-:d:881547
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9678/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9678/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Norka Blanco-Portela & Luis R-Pertierra & Javier Benayas & Rodrigo Lozano, 2018. "Sustainability Leaders’ Perceptions on the Drivers for and the Barriers to the Integration of Sustainability in Latin American Higher Education Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.
    2. Neha Khandpur & Laura Y. Zatz & Sara N. Bleich & Lindsey Smith Taillie & Jennifer A. Orr & Eric B. Rimm & Alyssa J. Moran, 2020. "Supermarkets in Cyberspace: A Conceptual Framework to Capture the Influence of Online Food Retail Environments on Consumer Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Tiziana Amoriello & Roberto Ciccoritti, 2021. "Sustainability: Recovery and Reuse of Brewing-Derived By-Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-4, February.
    4. Bassel T. Daher & Rabi H. Mohtar, 2015. "Water-energy-food (WEF) Nexus Tool 2.0: guiding integrative resource planning and decision-making," Water International, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(5-6), pages 748-771, September.
    5. Dalilis Escobar Rivera & Maria Rosa Terradellas Piferrer & Maria Helena Benito Mundet, 2021. "Measuring Territorial Social Responsibility and Sustainability Using the EFQM Excellence Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-23, February.
    6. Clift, Roland, 2007. "Climate change and energy policy: The importance of sustainability arguments," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 262-268.
    7. Tomich, Thomas P. & Lidder, Preetmoninder & Dijkman, Jeroen & Coley, Mariah & Webb, Patrick & Gill, Maggie, 2019. "Agri-food systems in international research for development: Ten theses regarding impact pathways, partnerships, program design, and priority-setting for rural prosperity," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 101-109.
    8. Maria Maddalena Tortorella & Senatro Di Leo & Carmelina Cosmi & Patrícia Fortes & Mauro Viccaro & Mario Cozzi & Filomena Pietrapertosa & Monica Salvia & Severino Romano, 2020. "A Methodological Integrated Approach to Analyse Climate Change Effects in Agri-Food Sector: The TIMES Water-Energy-Food Module," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-21, October.
    9. Efrat Eizenberg & Yosef Jabareen, 2017. "Social Sustainability: A New Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, January.
    10. Linda Argote & Ella Miron-Spektor, 2011. "Organizational Learning: From Experience to Knowledge," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1123-1137, October.
    11. Sumit Gupta & G.S. Dangayach & A.K. Singh & M.L. Meena & P.N. Rao, 2018. "Adoption of sustainable supply operation quality practices and their impact on stakeholder's performance and sustainable performance for sustainable competitiveness in Indian manufacturing companies," International Journal of Intelligent Enterprise, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 5(1/2), pages 108-124.
    12. Muhammad Khuram Khalil & Umaporn Muneenam, 2021. "Total Quality Management Practices and Corporate Green Performance: Does Organizational Culture Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-27, October.
    13. Jennifer E. Gaddis & June Jeon, 2020. "Sustainability transitions in agri-food systems: insights from South Korea’s universal free, eco-friendly school lunch program," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(4), pages 1055-1071, December.
    14. Rafael Henríquez-Machado & Andrés Muñoz-Villamizar & Javier Santos, 2021. "Sustainability through Operational Excellence: An Emerging Country Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.
    15. Pitak Ngammuangtueng & Napat Jakrawatana & Pariyapat Nilsalab & Shabbir H. Gheewala, 2019. "Water, Energy and Food Nexus in Rice Production in Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-21, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rehman, Shafiqur & El-Amin, Ibrahim, 2012. "Performance evaluation of an off-grid photovoltaic system in Saudi Arabia," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 451-458.
    2. Fatemeh Bayat & Abbas Roozbahani & Seied Mehdy Hashemy Shahdany, 2022. "Performance Evaluation of Agricultural Surface Water Distribution Systems Based on Water-food-energy Nexus and Using AHP-Entropy-WASPAS Technique," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 36(12), pages 4697-4720, September.
    3. Kurz, Michael & Kleimeier, Stefanie, 2019. "Credit Supply: Are there negative spillovers from banks’ proprietary trading? (RM/19/005-revised-)," Research Memorandum 026, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    4. Jolita Vveinhardt & Vilija Bite Fominiene & Regina Andriukaitiene, 2019. "“Omerta” in Organized Sport: Bullying and Harassment as Determinants of Threats of Social Sustainability at the Individual Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-31, April.
    5. Nicola Andreij Rieg & Birgitta Gatersleben & Ian Christie, 2021. "Organizational Change Management for Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Quantitative Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-18, June.
    6. Li, Mingxiang, 2021. "Exploring novel technologies through board interlocks: Spillover vs. broad exploration," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(9).
    7. Xia, Junqiang & Falconer, Roger A. & Lin, Binliang & Tan, Guangming, 2012. "Estimation of annual energy output from a tidal barrage using two different methods," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 327-336.
    8. Akram Hatami & Jan Hermes & Anne Keränen & Pauliina Ulkuniemi, 2023. "Creating Social Sustainability Through Distributing Leadership and Co-Responsibility in Corporate Volunteering," South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, , vol. 12(1), pages 81-96, April.
    9. Micheels, Eric T., 2014. "Experience and learning in beef production: Results from a cluster analysis," International Journal of Agricultural Management, Institute of Agricultural Management, vol. 3(3), pages 1-10.
    10. Agnieszka Wojewódzka-Wiewiórska & Anna Kłoczko-Gajewska & Piotr Sulewski, 2019. "Between the Social and Economic Dimensions of Sustainability in Rural Areas—In Search of Farmers’ Quality of Life," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-26, December.
    11. Stephan Gerschewski & Yong Kyu Lew & Zaheer Khan & Byung Il Park, 2018. "Post-Entry Performance of International New Ventures: The Mediating Role of Learning Orientation," John H Dunning Centre for International Business Discussion Papers jhd-dp2018-06, Henley Business School, University of Reading.
    12. Huilian Han & Hui Li, 2020. "Coupling Coordination Evaluation between Population and Land Urbanization in Ha-Chang Urban Agglomeration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-23, January.
    13. Franco Fassio & Chiara Chirilli, 2023. "The Circular Economy and the Food System: A Review of Principal Measuring Tools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-22, June.
    14. Robson Mekonnin Shiferaw & Zerihun Ayenew Birbirsa & Shimels Zewdie Werke, 2023. "Entrepreneurial leadership, learning organization and organizational culture relationship: a systematic literature review," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-20, December.
    15. Dai, Jiangyu & Wu, Shiqiang & Han, Guoyi & Weinberg, Josh & Xie, Xinghua & Wu, Xiufeng & Song, Xingqiang & Jia, Benyou & Xue, Wanyun & Yang, Qianqian, 2018. "Water-energy nexus: A review of methods and tools for macro-assessment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 393-408.
    16. Diwas Singh KC & Bradley R. Staats, 2012. "Accumulating a Portfolio of Experience: The Effect of Focal and Related Experience on Surgeon Performance," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 14(4), pages 618-633, October.
    17. Jubril Olakitan Atanda & Ayşe Öztürk, 2020. "Social criteria of sustainable development in relation to green building assessment tools," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 61-87, January.
    18. Jesse Shore & Ethan Bernstein & David Lazer, 2014. "Facts and Figuring: An Experimental Investigation of Network Structure and Performance in Information and Solution Spaces," Harvard Business School Working Papers 14-075, Harvard Business School, revised Jun 2014.
    19. Sang-Hyun Lee & Makoto Taniguchi & Rabi H. Mohtar & Jin-Yong Choi & Seung-Hwan Yoo, 2018. "An Analysis of the Water-Energy-Food-Land Requirements and CO 2 Emissions for Food Security of Rice in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-16, September.
    20. Sam Tavassoli & Viroj Jienwatcharamongkhol & Pia Arenius, 2023. "Colocation of Entrepreneurs and New Firm Survival: Role of New Firm Founder’s Experiential Relatedness to Local Entrepreneurs," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(4), pages 1421-1459, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:15:p:9678-:d:881547. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.