Trends and hotspots in public food procurement: exploring planetary boundaries and human needs in an integrative literature review

Purpose - Using an Integrative Literature Review (ILR), this study aims to investigate the components defining the Safe and Just Operating Space (SJOS) within food systems and assess their applicability in decision-making for public food procurement (PFP). Design/methodology/approach - Data concerning SJOS implementation in food systems and the criteria used in PFP were retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. Findings - The analysis of the literature highlights that climate change (n= 31; 17%) and water use (n= 29; 16%) are the primary focus areas regarding Planetary Boundaries (PB), followed the nitrogen cycle, land use, biodiversity loss and the phosphorus cycle. In PFP, key criteria linked to PB encompass climate change (n= 19; 7.2%), water use (n= 17; 6.44%) and chemical pollution (n= 17; 6.44%). The social and ethical dimensions underscore labour (n= 18; 6.82%), water (n= 17; 6.44%), income (n= 16; 6.06%) and energy (n= 16; 6.06%). Research limitations/implications - Despite the strengths of this study, certain limitations should be acknowledged. Although the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the reviewed articles were clearly defined, it is possible that relevant literature was unintentionally excluded. Expanding the scope to include grey literature – such as government documents, reports, policy statements and statistical reports – could provide additional insights and broaden the scope of the findings. Moreover, the search was limited to the Web of Science and Scopus databases, which may have resulted in the omission of relevant studies, particularly those published in non-English languages or not indexed journals. Practical implications - The identified procurement criteria can help public administrators develop guidelines and tools for food procurement that consider the SJOS. Social implications - This paper offers an understanding of the connection between planetary processes and human well-being in the context of PFP. Originality/value - This pioneering research lays the groundwork for future agendas in this field and encourages reflection on critical factors essential for selecting methods and standards applied in practical public procurement.