Responsible sourcing in the food industry: a scoping review

The food industry is facing crises, such as loss of habitat for biodiversity and poor working conditions for farm workers, as well as pressures, especially from external stakeholders, that are leading companies in the sector to move toward responsible sourcing. The literature on this topic has grown considerably over the last ten years and sheds light on the processes and practices for responsible sourcing that food companies have developed. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, no systematic review has attempted to bring together this scattered literature. Based on 92 articles, this scoping review provides a comprehensive map of the current literature and highlights the main practices in this area. The findings show that critical aspects of responsible sourcing—such as supplier selection methods, the involvement of top management and the consideration of specific issues such as forced labor and diversity—are overlooked in the literature, while other issues are widely covered, such as collaborative relationships between companies and suppliers, certification and labeling, the development of new processes and products, and sustainable transport. This literature review can serve as a guide for all those interested in responsible sourcing practices. Interesting avenues for future research are suggested based on the literature review.