Sustainability: Who is Driving it?

  • Luís Kluwe Aguiar School of Business do Royal Agricultural College – Cirencester\ Reino Unido
  • Sílvia Morales de Queiroz Caleman Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul
Palavras-chave: sustainability, pro-environmental behaviour, ethical consumption, supply chain

Resumo

Sustainability is a multifaceted concept which is presently ubiquitous in modern society. As a result, it is difficult for a more definite definition of what sustainability is as it relies on the fact that such a concept has been socially constructed throughout the twentieth century. A brief description of the milestones around the debate on sustainability until the 2000s attempts to highlight the fact that sustainability, as a social construct, has been evolved in response to social, economic and environmental pressures. Following that, the role of consumers and business will be analysed. The first is analysed from a behavioural consumption perspective where a short literature review has attempted to put into perspective the theoretical elements explaining reasons consumers behave, or not, in a more pro-environmental manner. The latter is analysed from the perspective of businesses actively seeking to improve their sustainability positions in the UK market. It is proposed that businesses, rather than consumers, are the principal stakeholders which act as spearheads enabling transformations in business practices that would enable them to attain higher levels of sustainability gains. Businesses do so in order to satisfy some customers, pressure groups and the government, but in so doing reap advantages such as increased efficiency, reduced cost and consequently higher profits. Cases of large food manufacturers in the UK are described regarding the awareness of such businesses to take their sustainability agenda further. The motivation of such businesses is mainly profit-making, to improve their competitive position in a mature market where growth is marginal through differentiation. However, in operating in such an environment, great demand is put on suppliers which have to comply with the industry’s strict standards. Finally, recommendations are made for businesses in emerging markets with an interest in entering the export sector. For businesses in emerging markets, it is of great relevance to understand the food supply chains abroad since the transmission of knowledge, the adhering to standards and the consumers impose challenges that need to be addressed.
Publicado
2013-08-01
Seção
Artigos