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Against Food Waste: CSR for the Social and Environmental Impact through a Network-Based Organizational Model

Author

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  • Sara Moggi

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy)

  • Sabrina Bonomi

    (Faculty of Law, E-Campus University, 22060 Novedrate (CO), Italy)

  • Francesca Ricciardi

    (Department of Management, University of Turin, 10131 Turin, Italy)

Abstract

This article inductively develops a model of how farmers market organizations can contribute to reduce food waste, fight poverty, and improve public health through innovative Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices enabled by networked activity systems. To this aim, a ten-year longitudinal case study of one of the biggest Italian farmers markets has been conducted, based on triangulated data from participant observation, interviews, and internal documents collection. This study suggests that farmers market organizations are in the position to leverage their inter-organizational relationships, institutional role, and power to build collaborative networks with businesses, government bodies, and charities, so that concrete CSR-based virtuous circles on surplus food donation are triggered at the organizational field level. Answering the call from United Nation Goals for successful examples on SDG 12, this case presents how several CSR levers can have a social and environmental impact allowing farmers and their market organizations to increase their efficiency and accountability to the local community, improve processes, reduce food waste, and contribute to public health and social inclusion. CSR actions have co-evolved with significant changes in organizational logics and identity, thus enabling accountability to the local community and innovative network-level auditing of the relevant organizational processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara Moggi & Sabrina Bonomi & Francesca Ricciardi, 2018. "Against Food Waste: CSR for the Social and Environmental Impact through a Network-Based Organizational Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-19, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:10:p:3515-:d:172982
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    6. Paola De Bernardi & Alberto Bertello & Francesco Venuti, 2019. "Online and On-Site Interactions within Alternative Food Networks: Sustainability Impact of Knowledge-Sharing Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-14, March.
    7. Sara Moggi & Renata Paola Dameri, 2021. "Circular business model evolution: Stakeholder matters for a self‐sufficient ecosystem," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(6), pages 2830-2842, September.
    8. Byron W. Keating, 2022. "CSR Commitment, Alignment and Firm Performance: The Case of the Australia-China Tourism Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-18, October.
    9. Mengmeng Wang & Wenjie Yang, 2021. "What Drives Rural Consumers to Change E-Commerce Attitude and Adopt E-Commerce through the Moderating Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in an Emerging Market? An Empirical Investigation in the C," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-22, November.
    10. Madhura Rao & Nadia Bernaz & Alie Boer, 2024. "Holding Retail Corporations Accountable for Food Waste: A Due Diligence Framework Informed by Business and Human Rights Principles," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 193(3), pages 679-689, September.
    11. Lucas Inacio Santos & Rosley Anholon & Dirceu Silva & Carlos Raul Etulain & Vasco Sanchez Rodrigues & Walter Leal Filho, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility projects: critical success factors for better performance of Brazilian companies and guidelines to qualify professionals and entrepreneurs," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 1685-1706, December.
    12. Amelie A. Hecht & Roni A. Neff, 2019. "Food Rescue Intervention Evaluations: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-22, November.
    13. Mateusz Naramski & Adam R. Szromek, 2019. "Configuring a Trust-based Inter-organizational Cooperation Network for Post-industrial Tourist Organizations on a Tourist Route," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-20, June.
    14. Kusumowardani, Niken & Tjahjono, Benny & Lazell, Jordon & Bek, David & Theodorakopoulos, Nicholas & Andrikopoulos, Panagiotis & Priadi, Cindy Rianti, 2022. "A circular capability framework to address food waste and losses in the agri-food supply chain: The antecedents, principles and outcomes of circular economy," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 17-31.
    15. Simona Cosma & Andrea Venturelli & Paola Schwizer & Vittorio Boscia, 2020. "Sustainable Development and European Banks: A Non-Financial Disclosure Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-19, July.
    16. Cantaragiu Ramona, 2019. "Corporate social entrepreneurship initiatives against food waste – The case of Lidl in Romania," Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, Sciendo, vol. 13(1), pages 505-514, May.

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