IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i13p5616-d1426370.html

Transformation of the Three Pillars of Agri-Food Sustainability around the COVID-19 Crisis—A Literature Review

Author

Listed:
  • Gábor Gyarmati

    (Keleti Károly Faculty of Business and Management, Óbuda University, Bécsi Street 96/B, H-1034 Budapest, Hungary)

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted economies and societies and the sustainability characteristics of agri-food due to a significant decline in turnover, difficulties in transportation, and changes in market and contact habits. An analysis was carried out using the PRISMA protocol and the Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct electronic databases. The aim of this research is to present the main research issues in agri-food sustainability (economic, environmental, and social issues) in the pre-COVID-19 period, to compare it with the research trends in the COVID-19 period, and to explore the influence of the epidemic. This research looks for research gaps and possible future research directions. Research before COVID-19 was primarily concerned with environmental and economic sustainability. The main focus areas were business development and environmental issues. During COVID-19, the focus shifted to economic sustainability. Survival was the primary issue. The main research areas were financial, inventory, waste management, and innovation issues. Food safety and digitalisation were highlighted. Precision agriculture, short food supply chains, and collaboration increased efficiency. The role of trust has increased. The COVID-19 experience is valuable for almost all disciplines. Policy, health, and economic decision-makers can apply better solutions to future crises.

Suggested Citation

  • Gábor Gyarmati, 2024. "Transformation of the Three Pillars of Agri-Food Sustainability around the COVID-19 Crisis—A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-31, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:13:p:5616-:d:1426370
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/13/5616/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/13/5616/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sartori, Martina & Philippidis, George & Ferrari, Emanuele & Borrelli, Pasquale & Lugato, Emanuele & Montanarella, Luca & Panagos, Panos, 2019. "A linkage between the biophysical and the economic: Assessing the global market impacts of soil erosion," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 299-312.
    2. Juan Carlos Rodríguez-Cohard & Juan José Juste-Carrión & Antonio Vázquez-Barquero, 2021. "Challenges and Responses of Agri-Food Activities under COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the Spanish Territories Producing Wine and Olive Oil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-21, December.
    3. Asian, Sobhan & Hafezalkotob, Ashkan & John, Jubin Jacob, 2019. "Sharing economy in organic food supply chains: A pathway to sustainable development," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 322-338.
    4. Bonisoli, Lorenzo & Piedra-Muñoz, Laura & Galdeano-Gómez, Emilio & Pérez Mesa, Juan Carlos, 2019. "Benchmarking agri-food sustainability certifications: evidences from applying SAFA in the Ecuadorian banana agri-system," MPRA Paper 119956, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Caiyun Liu & Hui Jiang & Daniel Badulescu & Dorin Paul Bac, 2022. "Achieving Zero Hunger Goal through Minimizing Waste in Food Supply Chain: Evidence from Asian Emerging Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-12, May.
    6. Pragyan Deb & Davide Furceri & Jonathan D. Ostry & Nour Tawk, 2022. "The Economic Effects of COVID-19 Containment Measures," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 1-32, February.
    7. Anna Zielińska-Chmielewska & Dobrosława Mruk-Tomczak & Anna Wielicka-Regulska, 2021. "Qualitative Research on Solving Difficulties in Maintaining Continuity of Food Supply Chain on the Meat Market during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-19, September.
    8. Nordhagen, Stella & Igbeka, Uduak & Rowlands, Hannah & Shine, Ritta Sabbas & Heneghan, Emily & Tench, Jonathan, 2021. "COVID-19 and small enterprises in the food supply chain: Early impacts and implications for longer-term food system resilience in low- and middle-income countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    9. Md. Arfanuzzaman & Bharat Dahiya, 2019. "Sustainable urbanization in Southeast Asia and beyond: Challenges of population growth, land use change, and environmental health," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(2), pages 725-744, June.
    10. Libutti, Angela & Gatta, Giuseppe & Gagliardi, Anna & Vergine, Pompilio & Pollice, Alfieri & Beneduce, Luciano & Disciglio, Grazia & Tarantino, Emanuele, 2018. "Agro-industrial wastewater reuse for irrigation of a vegetable crop succession under Mediterranean conditions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 1-14.
    11. Timothy C. Durham & Tamás Mizik, 2021. "Comparative Economics of Conventional, Organic, and Alternative Agricultural Production Systems," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-22, April.
    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. Aryal, Kishor & Maraseni, Tek & Apan, Armando, 2023. "Examining policy−institution−program (PIP) responses against the drivers of ecosystem dynamics. A chronological review (1960–2020) from Nepal," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    2. Valdemir Antoneli & Leticia Martini Gamba & Joao Anésio Bednarz & Maria Paz Corrales Marmol & Michael Vrahnakis & Aristeidis Kastridis & George N. Zaimes, 2025. "Effect of Rotational Grazing on Soil Quality and Animal Behavior in an Integrated Crop–Livestock (ICL) System on Small Subtropical Farms," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Hugo S. Gonçalves & Sérgio Moro, 2023. "On the economic impacts of COVID‐19: A text mining literature analysis," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 375-394, February.
    4. Panos Panagos & Pasquale Borrelli & David Robinson, 2020. "FAO calls for actions to reduce global soil erosion," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 789-790, May.
    5. Lalinsky, Tibor & Pál, Rozália, 2022. "Distribution of COVID-19 government support and its consequences for firm liquidity and solvency," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 305-335.
    6. Chacha, Peter Wankuru & Kirui, Benard Kipyegon & Wiedemann, Verena, 2024. "Supply Chains in Times of Crisis: Evidence from Kenya’s Production Network," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    7. Norbert Bajkó & Zsolt Fülöp & Kinga Nagyné Pércsi, 2022. "Changes in the Innovation- and Marketing-Habits of Family SMEs in the Foodstuffs Industry, Caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic in Hungary," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-17, March.
    8. Pedrero, Francisco & Grattan, S.R. & Ben-Gal, Alon & Vivaldi, Gaetano Alessandro, 2020. "Opportunities for expanding the use of wastewaters for irrigation of olives," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    9. Bianca Carducci & Yaqub Wasan & Agha Shakeel & Amjad Hussain & Jo-Anna B. Baxter & Arjumand Rizvi & Sajid B. Soofi & Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, 2022. "Characterizing Retail Food Environments in Peri-Urban Pakistan during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-13, July.
    10. Margherita Bernabei & Silvia Colabianchi & Francesco Costantino, 2022. "Actions and Strategies for Coronavirus to Ensure Supply Chain Resilience: A Systemic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-19, October.
    11. Rácz, Olivér Miklós, 2025. "Economic costs of distancing policy interventions," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    12. Hausmann, Ricardo & Schetter, Ulrich, 2022. "Horrible trade-offs in a pandemic: Poverty, fiscal space, policy, and welfare," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    13. Daniel Rees, 2020. "What Comes Next?," BIS Working Papers 898, Bank for International Settlements.
    14. Vasileios A. Tzanakakis & Andrea G. Capodaglio & Andreas N. Angelakis, 2023. "Insights into Global Water Reuse Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-30, August.
    15. Burak, Selmin & Samanlioglu, Funda & Ulker, Duygu & Kup, Eyup Tolunay, 2024. "Ranking willingness to reuse water in cotton irrigation with hybrid MCDM methods: Soke plain case study," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    16. Francesco De Pascale & Eleonora Guadagno, 2025. "Climate Change and High-Quality Agri-Food Production: Perceptions of Risk and Adaptation Strategies in the Calabria Region (Southern Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-23, April.
    17. Rosa Caiazza & Phillip Phan & Erik Lehmann & Henry Etzkowitz, 2021. "An absorptive capacity-based systems view of Covid-19 in the small business economy," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 1419-1439, September.
    18. Vignesh Kumaresan & Niranjan Balachandar & Sarah F Poole & Lance J Myers & Paul Varghese & Vindell Washington & Yugang Jia & Vivian S Lee, 2023. "Fitting and validation of an agent-based model for COVID-19 case forecasting in workplaces and universities," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(3), pages 1-12, March.
    19. Najafi, Mehdi & Zolfagharinia, Hossein, 2024. "A Multi-objective integrated approach to address sustainability in a meat supply chain," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    20. Bang, Rasmus & Hansen, Bjørn Gunnar & Guajardo, Mario & Sommerseth, Jon Kristian & Flaten, Ola & Asheim, Leif Jarle, 2024. "Conventional or organic cattle farming? Trade-offs between crop yield, livestock capacity, organic premiums, and government payments," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:16:y:2024:i:13:p:5616-:d:1426370. 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.