Sengupta et al. (2024). Reducing food loss through sustainable business models and agricultural innovation systems

Summary: This longitudinal qualitative research in a developing country with food loss challenges in the post-harvest supply chain examines how sustainable business models (SBM) can be developed within agri-innovation systems in such a way that the two integrate with a systemic understanding for reducing food loss and value loss. First, the study identifies the various value losses in the post-harvest agri-food supply chain. Then, it proposes strategies for moving from the loss-incurring current business model to a networked SBM for mitigating losses. Finally, it puts forth ten propositions for future research in aligning agri-innovation systems with networked SBM. By contributing to ongoing research on reducing food loss and waste, this study is part of the inter-disciplinary academic research initiative at UEF CECE for accelerating socio-economic transformations needed to attain sustainable circular economy internationally through sustainability oriented changes in businesses, societies, and systems.

Usefulness of the results: From the practice point of view, it is often observed that sometimes innovations to business models occur outside the configuration of important actors and such innovations are integrated into the business models at a later stage; more so in the context of lesser developed markets with major sustainability challenges. From the policy perspective, misalignment could be found between policy expectations and actors’ requirements within a configuration. For informing both practice and policy, this study demonstrates the critical roles of different external actors in agri-innovation systems for facilitating the development of a networked sustainable business model integrated with agri-food innovation systems for effective reductions in food loss and value loss.

Authors: Subhanjan Sengupta, University of Eastern Finland; Sonal Choudhary, University of York; Raymond Obayi, University of Manchester; Rakesh Nayak, University of Roehampton; Infosys Ltd, London, UK

Publishing date: 1.5.2024

Format of the publication: Journal Article

Publishing platform: Emerald (https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-01-2023-0059)

More information: subhanjan.sengupta@uef.fi