Paradox of strategic partnerships for sustainable value chains: Perspectives of not‐for‐profit actors

The study explores strategic partnerships themes for Sustainable Agricultural Value chains (SAVC) dimensions. Acknowledging the role of stakeholders, business and not‐for‐profit actors, and their engagement in such partnerships, this study focuses on the latter's perspective. Literature review followed by five exploratory case studies are used to examine SAVC partnership themes. The study identifies three themes influencing strategic partnerships: the interaction between partners through cooperation, coordination, and collaboration; management of information flow between partners; and product flow management with demand–supply coordination between partners. The level of information sharing between partners also influences SAVC value creation. The findings extend value chain literature by stressing the theoretical association between the identified antecedents and partnership in the sustainability value chain in general and the SAVC in particular. The exploratory case studies provide real‐life perspectives and a practical framework in the context of SAVC. Managers, policymakers and international funded programs can also benefit from the current key findings and the new framework as a referential basis to form a partnership strategy in agricultural sectors. This research suggests a further test for the conceptual framework using large‐scale surveys in diverse geographic contexts and looking at trans‐border value chain partnerships, especially in different country contexts that influence sustainable development and partnerships in SAVC.