Implementing sustainability in food manufacturers’ operations and supply chains

Purpose The food industry and its associated agricultural production have very significant global environmental and social impacts. The purpose of this study is to apply and evaluate the use of institutional theory and extended resource-based view (ERBV) to sustainability in food manufacturing and its supply chains. This will provide an understanding of the pressures that facilitate sustainability responses in food manufacturers and their supply chains. Design/methodology/approach An investigation of the Nespresso company and a multinational confectionery company were used to highlight the pressures that an organisation can face with respect to sustainability and demonstrate its responses using institutional theory and ERBV. Findings Based on ERBV and institutional theory, the authors developed an integrated conceptual framework that is readily applicable to food manufacturers and their supply chains and improves our understanding of how they react. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that both ERBV and institutional theory have been used to evaluate sustainability in food manufacturers and their supply chains. It is also the first time that the sustainability responses of the Nespresso company and another food manufacturer have been evaluated using these combined theories and this should improve our understanding of how these theories interact.