Integrating stakeholder capitalism in urban food systems: benefits and key players in corporate sustainability

Purpose This study aims to explore the integration of corporate sustainability (CS) with stakeholder capitalism in urban food systems among key players, aiming to identify and categorize emerging themes and benefits of CS within sustainable urban food systems. Design/methodology/approach The research involved conducting ten in-depth interviews with experts in urban food systems, employing the Gioia methodology and Atlas.ti software for data structuring. Findings The findings elucidate key aspects of sustainable urban food systems – risk management, operational excellence and market dynamics – and reveal six core benefits: risk reduction, brand building, creating new market change, excellent public relations impact, strategic sustainable management and sustainability business analytics. Research limitations/implications The primary limitation of this research is its narrow focus on the cognitive perspective of CS benefits and its association with the stakeholder capitalism approach, based on ten interviews from urban food sectors. Practical implications The research provides a comprehensive framework for sustainable urban food systems, advocating for strategic partnerships among key players and data-driven initiatives. Managers can use these guidelines to enhance operational efficiency, risk management and market creation. Originality/value The study contributes original insights to the CS literature by detailing how stakeholder capitalism can be effectively integrated into the management of sustainable urban food systems, offering a nuanced understanding of the benefits gained and interactions among various stakeholders.