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Sustainability Standards and the Reorganization of Private Label Supply Chains: A Transaction Cost Perspective

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  • Alessandro Banterle

    (Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, Milan 20133, Italy)

  • Stefanella Stranieri

    (Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, Milan 20133, Italy)

Abstract

Private standards are among the main measures that can be implemented to differentiate food production. Retailers have been particularly active in setting food safety and quality systems for the development of their private labels. The purpose of this paper is to identify the effects of introducing measures that guarantee the environmental sustainability of food production on vertical dyadic relations. We focus our attention on the adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) systems that are designed by retailers to support private label products, with the aim of studying how these systems affect the governance structure of transactions between retailer and farmer/processor. Transaction cost analysis is used as theoretical framework to assess changes in vertical coordination after the adoption of an IPM system. Four case studies related to food retailers in Italy were analyzed to identify changes in transaction characteristics, costs, and governance that are related to the adoption of this system. The results show that the introduction of an IPM system leads to an increase of transaction asset specificity ( i.e. , especially of human and material asset specificity) among the agents of the supply chain, and a decrease of the degree of transaction uncertainty. The variations in transaction characteristics determine changes in transaction costs. These changes lead to new hybrid forms of transaction governance, namely dyadic contracts, and a centralized organization of vertical relationships.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Banterle & Stefanella Stranieri, 2013. "Sustainability Standards and the Reorganization of Private Label Supply Chains: A Transaction Cost Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(12), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:12:p:5272-5288:d:31144
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    2. Elena Castellari & Elena Claire Ricci & Stefanella Stranieri & Stephan S. Marette & Martina Sarnataro & Claudio Soregaroli, 2019. "Relationships Between Health and Environmental Information on the Willingness to Pay for Functional Foods: The Case of a New Aloe Vera Based Product [Impact de l’information sur la santé et l'envir," Post-Print hal-02627431, HAL.
    3. Claudio Soregaroli & Alessandro Varacca & Elena Claire Ricci & Silvia Platoni & Pascal Tillie & Stefanella Stranieri, 2022. "Voluntary standards as meso‐institutions: A Bayesian investigation of their relationships with transaction governance and risks," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 44(4), pages 1660-1681, December.
    4. Hobbs, J., 2018. "Transaction Costs, Institutions and the Organization of Supply Chains: Three Good Questions," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277411, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Junyi Zhong & Jiazhen Huo, 2022. "Impacts of Power Structure on Introduction of Green Store Brand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-33, September.
    6. Fang, Yingkai & Asche, Frank & Gao, Zhifeng, 2020. "Can ecolabel certifications for restaurants influence consumer choices away from home?," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304268, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Stranieri, S. & Cavaliere, A. & Banterle, A., 2015. "Voluntary traceability standards: which is the role of economic incentives?," 2015 International European Forum (144th EAAE Seminar), February 9-13, 2015, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 206213, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    8. Oliver Maaß & Philipp Grundmann, 2018. "Governing Transactions and Interdependences between Linked Value Chains in a Circular Economy: The Case of Wastewater Reuse in Braunschweig (Germany)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-29, April.
    9. Weituschat, Chiara Sophia & Pascucci, Stefano & Materia, Valentina Cristiana & Caracciolo, Francesco, 2023. "Can contract farming support sustainable intensification in agri-food value chains?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    10. Marianne Hubeau & Fleur Marchand & Guido Van Huylenbroeck, 2017. "Sustainability Experiments in the Agri-Food System: Uncovering the Factors of New Governance and Collaboration Success," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-23, June.
    11. Ricci, Elena Claire & Banterle, Alessandro & Stranieri, Stefanella, 2018. "Trust to Go Green: An Exploration of Consumer Intentions for Eco-friendly Convenience Food," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 54-65.

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