Green food supply chain management as a solution for the mitigation of food supply chain management risk for improving the environmental health level

Mohamad Saad El Ayoubi; Mehrshad Radmehr

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13264

Green food supply chain management as a solution for the mitigation of food supply chain management risk for improving the environmental health level

Heliyon. 2023 Feb 14;9(2):e13264. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13264. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Authors

Mohamad Saad El Ayoubi¹, Mehrshad Radmehr²

Affiliations

¹ Cyprus International University (CIU)/Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Science, Cyprus International University, Nicosia, North Cyprus, via Mersin 10, Turkey.
² Cyprus International University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Science, Nicosia, North Cyprus, via Mersin 10, Turkey.

Abstract

Purpose: In the context of the food industry, this research investigates the impact of green supply chain management (GSCM) on environmental health. This helps the practitioners and policy makers in mitigation of the supply chain (SC) risks and enhance the environmental health level.

Design/methodology/approach: The study's model was structured using GSC risk factors of green purchasing, environmental cooperation, reverse logistics, eco design, internal environmental management, and investment recovery. A questionnaire-based survey was used to examine the proposed model; 102 data from the senior managers of food firms in Lebanon were collected. Using SPSS and AMOS statistical software, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and multiple regressions have been applied.

Findings: The outcome of structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that four of six GSC risk factors were significantly related to environmental health. The study findings can be applied to the external level through many green practices in cooperation with suppliers and customers like the collaboration with them on environmentally friendly design, purchasing, production, packaging and using less energy. This can increase the level of environmental health by decreasing the impact of SCM risks. Regarding the internal level, many procedures and decisions may lead to an environmentally friendly ambience in the firms like the commitment of GSCM practices from the management and the implementation of internal eco-performance evaluation system. This may enhance the environmental health provisions by setting up an action plan to mitigate the GSC risk and address the sustainable health objectives.

Originality: The paper's distinctiveness comes from the fact that it fills a gap in the literature regarding the few numbers of studies that treat the green supply chain management GSCM as mitigation solution for the risks of SCM. In addition, there were no studies explain the relationship between GSCM and environmental health; this will be the first time the assess the impacts of GSCM practices on environmental health in the food industry.

Keywords: EC, Environmental Cooperation; ED, Eco-Design; Environmental health; Food industry sector; GP, Green Purchasing; GSCM, Green Supply Chain Management; Green supply chain risk management; IEM, Internal Environmental Management; IR, Investment Recovery; NRBV, Natural Resource-Based View; RL, Reverse Logistics.