• Composite Indicator
• Meat
• MFA
• Supply Chain
• Sustainability

The sustainability of meat supply chain stands as one of the paramount challenges facing contemporary society, with far-reaching implications spanning human rights, environmental degradation, and food security. While existing literature has contributed substantially to the discourse, the predominant focus has often been on isolated aspects rather than holistic sustainability. This work proposes an integrated supply chain approach to assess sustainability across the economic, environmental, social, and governance dimensions within the meat supply chain, thus going from farm to fork. By considering the entire supply chain, including Production of Feed, Breeding Farms, Transformation facilities, Distribution networks, Logistics and HORECA (Hotel, Restaurants and Cafes), the framework captures the interconnectedness of various stakeholders and processes involved in meat production and distribution. The empirical analysis considers 6759 Italian companies operating in the meat supply chain with legal office in Emilia Romagna, over a period from 2013 to 2021 and takes advantage of a multi-block dimensionality technique, namely, multiple factor analysis. This research offers valuable insights into the sustainability dynamics of the meat supply chain, enabling stakeholders to identify key stages for improvement, prioritize investments, and develop strategies to enhance overall supply chain sustainability performance. As a consequence, stakeholders can effectively address sustainability challenges, mitigate risks, and capitalize on opportunities to create and increase the value across the entire meat industry supply chain.

The sustainability of meat supply chain stands as one of the paramount challenges facing contemporary society, with far-reaching implications spanning human rights, environmental degradation, and food security. While existing literature has contributed substantially to the discourse, the predominant focus has often been on isolated aspects rather than holistic sustainability. This work proposes an integrated supply chain approach to assess sustainability across the economic, environmental, social, and governance dimensions within the meat supply chain, thus going from farm to fork. By considering the entire supply chain, including Production of Feed, Breeding Farms, Transformation facilities, Distribution networks, Logistics and HORECA (Hotel, Restaurants and Cafes), the framework captures the interconnectedness of various stakeholders and processes involved in meat production and distribution. The empirical analysis considers 6759 Italian companies operating in the meat supply chain with legal office in Emilia Romagna, over a period from 2013 to 2021 and takes advantage of a multi-block dimensionality technique, namely, multiple factor analysis. This research offers valuable insights into the sustainability dynamics of the meat supply chain, enabling stakeholders to identify key stages for improvement, prioritize investments, and develop strategies to enhance overall supply chain sustainability performance. As a consequence, stakeholders can effectively address sustainability challenges, mitigate risks, and capitalize on opportunities to create and increase the value across the entire meat industry supply chain.