Analysing the critical success factors of a circular food supply chain: a multimethod approach

Studies have revealed that while some parts of the world waste food in large quantities, there are other regions where majority of the people go hungry. The wastage of food also entails the wastage of precious resources used in its production – energy, water, soil, labour, capital etc. Food waste also leads to harmful greenhouse gas emissions. This may be primarily attributed to the linear economy approach of “take-make-dispose”. The circular economy principles (reuse, refurbish, recycle, repair) have proven their mettle in minimizing waste and pollution. Similarly, circular food supply chains (CFSC) not only reduce waste but also guarantee ecologically sustainable food production. Based on this motivation, this research used PRISMA methodology to scan through the relevant literature and identify 15 critical success factors (CSFs) plus 4 overarching criteria for the implementation of CFSC. The methodological contribution of this paper lies in utilizing a combination of Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) to understand the CSFs. This is one of the first studies to explore the CSFs for the implementation of CFSC using a multi-method approach. The paper examines the complex interrelationships among these factors and ranks them also which contributes to the uniqueness of this study. Two new CSFs have been identified, viz, sustainable consumption and sustainability reporting. The findings show that the CSF- “government support” has the highest driving power whereas “sustainability reporting” exhibits the highest dependency. Among the 4 identified criteria, “regulatory” has the highest preference followed by “organizational”. The CoCoSo method revealed “packaging” to be the most important CSF followed by “environment orientation”. • Food waste coexists with food insecurity, wasting resources like water and energy. • Circular food supply chains (CFSC) cut waste and boost ecological food production. • 15 CFSC factors identified across 4 criteria using structured literature review. • Factors conceptually ranked; sensitivity analysis deployed to check robustness. • Government regulation and pro-environmental orientation, key factors for CFSC.