Table 2

Strategic choices and sustainable strategic objectives

Sector/industry or sector/nicheInnovative supply chain strategiesSome business information about strategic choices and sustainable strategic objectives
A. Alliance of seven dairy cooperativesNew production plant
NPD
Manufacturing strategies
  • new common manufacturing plant to transform excess milk into high value derivatives

  • milk powder production, in the future whey production too

Sustainable strategies
  • energy efficiency, reduction of the environmental impact of production (water consumption, processing residues, etc.)

  • transport efficiency

B. Italian foodNPD
Innovative supply practices (supply side)
Manufacturing strategies
  • biscuit made entirely from soft wheat from sustainable agriculture: 500 Italian suppliers/growers have joined the “Mulino agreement”, a specification written with the support of the WWF and two Italian universities

Sustainable strategies which impose on wheat farmers
  • the prohibition of glyphosate and bee-killing pesticides; the use of certified and non-GMO seeds

  • crop rotation for soil fertility; obligation to allocate 3% of the area for common wheat to flower cultivation

C. AgrochemicalNPD
New production plant
Manufacturing strategies
  • to increase in production know how

  • new production line design

Sustainable strategies
  • design and engineering of synthesis’ production processes (NPD type)

  • formulation and sale of active principles for the agricultural crops defence

D. Agricultural medicineNPD
Innovative supply practices (supply side)
Manufacturing strategies
  • farmer activities improvement, in order to produce more, to increase profit, to optimize the use of scarce and expensive resources, to increase forecasting capacity, to reduce risks

  • digitalisation, innovative processes about genetic studies and performance improvement (crop harvest)

Sustainable strategies
  • addressing the reduced availability of arable land, the need to preserve resources, the reduction of CO2 emissions

E. AgritechBuilding Italian bioenergy supply chain
High tech agricultural supply chain
Manufacturing strategies
  • production of sustainable energy from agricultural, food and livestock activities

Sustainable strategies
  • reuse of manure and food processing residues to produce energy (biomethane); new low energy consumption production plants

F. Organic foodDevelopment of organic farming
Supply chain digitalization
Manufacturing strategies
  • cost reduction in purchasing and operations activities

  • supply chain innovation

  • supply chain resilience

Sustainable strategies
  • sustainable and organic food exclusively plant based

  • organic healthy products with high nutritional profile

G. Four Italian food firmsAgrifood supply chain digitalization
Innovative supply practices
New production plant
Manufacturing strategies
  • innovative strategies and practices reconfiguration at the aim to simplify the data collection and the data processing

Sustainable strategies
  • building climate indicators and forecasting models to have full control of agronomic management and a more understanding of the environmental footprint of the supply chain itself

Source(s): Our elaboration based on empirical investigation

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