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The absence of integrated decision-making across the agri-food system is arguably the single biggest obstacle to global food security and breaking through it is perhaps our biggest challenge. To date little research has been done which takes a fully integrated view to address this global challenge. Integrated decision making implies change across all parts of the diverse agri-food system, requiring an integrated assessment of all the processes involved from the ecology of the land through to nutrition and health. To address this research need, we propose a theoretical framework for integrated solutions based upon mapping of whole agri-food systems, their quantitative analysis based on enhanced life cycle assessment, the use of emergent data to catalyse viable and commercially attractive innovation and the free access of data to all stakeholders and in particular consumers as the principle engine for change. This integrated framework is conceptualised through theoretical development building from prior research. This theoretical framework involves an iterative methodology of four overlapping steps (Map, Analyse, Visualise and Share), namely the MAVS cycle. It gives a transparent advanced methodology and collaborative decision support to all stakeholders across the agri-food ecosystems. We hypothesize that this framework would provide a mechanism to break down the current barriers that prevent the integrated solutions absolutely necessary for global food security. We also theoretically position the perspective that it would break the “four walls” of information that reside within each organisation, fostering an open system that encourages a more democratized agri-food system, in which sustainability and resource efficiency are embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sets out to bridge resource perspective on material selection with stakeholder and institutional theory considerations to provide a more comprehensive understanding of life-cycle thinking on material selection decisions in the automotive industry. The objective is to shed light on how regulatory, normative and mimetic institutional pressures, affect sustainability decisions when switching or substituting materials or manufacturing processes in the automotive industry. Within a hybrid life cycle analysis framework, the environmental hotspots across the supply chains of two empirical management examples of Aluminium and CFRP LCA models are presented, quantified and ranked. Further justifications are provided on why and how regulatory, normative-peer and peer-normative pressures affect life cycle decisions. Findings reveal early, mid-process and late-stage life cycle hotspots, both in the material selection and the manufacturing process for both components. This decision support framework can be used to diverge from high energy-intensive manufacturing process and conventional raw materials, and provide forward-looking automotive manufacturers with opportunity to make asset-specific investments in lightweight, fuel-efficient vehicles, and sustainable manufacturing operations. This study presents a new framework that hybridises institutional theory and life cycle thinking to enable a standard routine and decision assessment of sustainability. This study provides a novel theoretical perspective on life cycle assessment by highlighting how the framing rules in a given institution mirror the trajectory of institutional pressures from regulatory (organised laws) through normative (organised behaviour) to mimetic (copied behaviour). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional ceramics such as piezoelectrics, thermoelectrics, magnetic materials, ionic conductors, and semiconductors are opening new frontiers that underpin numerous aspects of modern life. This widespread usage comes with a responsibility to understand what impact their mass production has on the environment. Life‐cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool employed for the identification of sustainable materials pathways through the consideration of environmental burdens of materials both during fabrication and as a final product. Although the LCA technique has been widely used for the evaluation of environmental impacts in numerous product supply chains, its application for environmental profiling of functional ceramics is now gaining attention. This paper presents a review of current developments in LCA, including existing and emerging applications with emphasis on the development and fabrication of functional materials and devices (FM&D). Selected published works on LCA of functional ceramics are discussed, highlighting the importance of adopting LCA at the design stage and/or at laboratory stage before expensive investments and resources are committed. Drawing from the extant literature, we show that the integration of environmental and sustainability principles into the overall process of FM&D manufacturing, in a way that anticipates foreseeable harmful consequences while identifying opportunities for improvement, can aid the timely communications of key findings to functional materials developers. This guides the orientation of research, development and deployment, and provides insights toward the prioritization of research activities while potentially averting unintended consequences. It is intended that the review presented will encourage the materials science community to engage with LCA to address important materials design, substitution, and optimization needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of a model combining multi-layer dimensions of Life cycle assessment (LCA), external Supply Chain (SC) risk factors and Geographical Information System (GIS) is lacking; in order to fulfil this research gap this article proposes an integrated model combining LCA, SC-risk factors and GIS. This research assesses the sustainability of various supply chains representing bio-derived levulinic acid production. The feedstock supplies are corn stover from US, and rice straw from Thailand, China and India. A combined life cycle assessment (LCA) and supply chain (SC) approach, from farm to final bio-derived product distribution and sales are investigated. GIS is applied to provide resolution of spatial and location datasets for the supply chain. The proposed framework is tested on 8 scenarios for the supply and distribution of 100 kilo-ton levulinic acid delivered to China (35%), US (30%), Germany (20%), Japan (10%) and Singapore (5%). The results showed that scenarios 5 and 6 are observed to have the highest overall (external, macro) risks. An overall quantitative (scaled) assessment highlighted that scenarios 1 and 2 are observed to both have the least impacts. With revenue as the main SC priority, scenario 7 gained the advantage of displaying an overall reasonable (moderate) sustainability performance. Based on the limitations of the present integrated model, a future research framework was suggested to include i) multi-criteria optimization methods; ii) land use change (LUC); iii) Water Footprint; iv) dynamic modelling. Image 1 • Combined LCA and supply chain (SC) is modelled for bio-derived levulinic acid. • GIS used to identify locations of feedback supply to proposed biorefineries. • Biomass feedstock include US stover; and rice straw from Thailand, China and India. • Land footprint, costs and revenues, external SC risks and impacts of 8 scenarios. • Future framework/research is suggested to include LUC, WF and dynamic optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There is pressure to accommodate multiple demands in sourcing decision-making processes. • It includes aspects of environmental-friendly, resilient, and digitally integrated supply chains. • In this context, this article advances the current debate on supplier selection. • We propose and test an integrated framework, called 'digitalized econogresilience'. Supply chain managers are coming under pressure to accommodate multiple demands in their decision-making processes, including consideration of environmental-friendly, resilient, and digitally integrated supply chains. And a supplier selection and order allocation (SS/OA) solution that integrates such demands has not yet been identified. Thus, this article proposes a framework that integrates digitalization, economic, green, and resilient SS/OA criteria and tests this framework by means of multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) algorithms and multi-objective optimization approach methodologies. The applied methodologies can help purchasing managers to better evaluate suppliers based on multiple criteria and take direct action towards improving priority areas and order allocation. This article advances the current debate on supplier selection by proposing and testing an integrated framework, called 'digitalized econogresilience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different types of direct-placement dental materials are used for the restoration of structure, function and aesthetics of teeth. The aim of this research investigation is to determine, through a comparative cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment, the environmental impacts of three direct-placement dental restorative materials (DRMs) and their associated packaging. Three direct-placement dental materials; dental amalgam, resin-based composite (RBC) and glass polyalkenoate cements (GIC) are assessed using primary data from a manufacturer (SDI Limited, Australia). The functional unit consisted of 'one dental restoration' of each restorative system under investigation: 1.14 g of dental amalgam; 0.25 g of RBC (plus the adhesive = 0.10 g); and 0.54 g of GIC. The system boundary per restoration included the raw materials and their associated packaging materials for each DRM together with the processing steps for both the materials and packaging. The environmental impacts were assessed using an Egalitarian approach under the ReCiPe method using Umberto software and the Ecoinvent database. Nine different impact categories were used to compare the environmental performance of these materials. Dental amalgam had the highest impact across most of the categories, but RBC had the highest Global Warming Potential. The highest sources of the environmental impacts for each restorative material were: Amalgam, derived from material use; RBC, derived from energy use in processing material and packaging material; GIC, derived from material and energy use for packaging. Less intensive energy sources or more sustainable packaging materials can potentially reduce the impacts associated with RBC and GIC thus making them suitable alternatives to dental amalgam. [Display omitted] • The environmental impact of three dental restorative materials was assessed empirically. • Nine life-cycle impact assessment categories were investigated with the ReCiPe method. • Dental amalgam had the highest and glass ionomers the lowest impact across most categories. • Changes in energy mix and packaging materials can potentially reduce the impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global Solar Photovoltaic (PV) industry is fast evolving and is heavily affected by the government policies. In this study, it has been attempted to present a detailed comparison of the solar PV industry of five countries (i.e., Taiwan, 1 China, Japan, Germany and USA) in terms of policy, industry and supply chain analyses. Based on a rich description and mapping of PV supply chain, it's found that China is the biggest producer and consumer of PV products and Taiwan is only strong in solar cell production. The double-anti duties make Taiwan overly reliant on China and Taiwan gradually loses its competitive advantage even in cell production. The success of China is explained adopting Porter's national competitiveness perspective based on the supply chain analysis. Finally, some recommendations are provided to improve national competitiveness for Taiwanese solar photovoltaic industry. This paper contributes to the clean production literature by providing a comprehensive mapping of PV industry supply chain, comparing the industry of five countries and making tailored policy recommendations to Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic literature review on the concept of social value emerging from circular economy (CE) practice implementation in agri-food eco-industrial parks. The results show that social value stemming from CE practices is substantially under-researched and provides opportunity for further investigation. Firstly, the literature shows that CE practices have been traditionally analysed at an institutional/company level and have not been truly explored at an eco-industrial park level. Secondly, social value has received a good amount of attention when explored as a value-added element (i.e., CSR, human rights, social justice), however, social value emerging from CE practices and actual business operations is under-researched. In addition, the findings suggest that there is a gap in literature linking CE practices with social value along with economic and environmental performance in agri-food eco-industrial parks. Thirdly, the literature adopts an external pressure approach (mimetic, coercive, normative) when it comes to understanding the motivators for CE practice adoption, however, limited work has been done at the agri-food eco-industrial park level. Similarly, the systematic review identifies that the most utilised theories for explaining CE practice adoption with links to social value consist of institutional, stakeholder, resource-based view, diffusion of innovation, socio-ecological, industrial symbiosis, and systems theories, while theories that have not been used but could provide relevance are contingency, cluster, socio-technical system, social embeddedness, knowledge-based view and endogenous growth theory. Finally, the systematic review reveals that mixed methods research and large dataset analysis approaches are currently scarce in the extant literature which mostly denotes the use of traditional operations management (quantitative) methods. • Social value stemming from circular economy (CE) practices is under-researched in agri-food. • CE practice implementation should be researched at an eco-industrial park level. • Triple bottom line performance links in agrifood eco-industrial parks is under-researched. • A range of social science theories currently under-utilised has been identified. • There is a need for mixed methods research in social value exploration in agrifood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Plate size interventions resulted in up to 57% food waste reduction. • Changing nutritional guidelines in schools reduced vegetable waste by up to 28%. • Information campaigns had up to 28% food waste reduction. • Other intervention types had little or no robust evidence provided. • A greater number of longitudinal, larger sample size interventions are required. Abstract Food waste prevention has become an issue of international concern, with Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 aiming to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels by 2030. However there is no review that has considered the effectiveness of interventions aimed at preventing food waste in the consumption stages of the food system. This significant gap, if filled, could help support those working to reduce food waste in the developed world, providing knowledge of what interventions are specifically effective at preventing food waste. This paper fills this gap, identifying and summarizing food-waste prevention interventions at the consumption/consumer stage of the supply chain via a rapid review of global academic literature from 2006 to 2017. We identify 17 applied interventions that claim to have achieved food waste reductions. Of these, 13 quantified food waste reductions. Interventions that changed the size or type of plates were shown to be effective (up to 57% food waste reduction) in hospitality environments. Changing nutritional guidelines in schools were reported to reduce vegetable waste by up to 28%, indicating that healthy diets can be part of food waste reduction strategies. Information campaigns were also shown to be effective with up to 28% food waste reduction in a small sample size intervention. Cooking classes, fridge cameras, food sharing apps, advertising and information sharing were all reported as being effective but with little or no robust evidence provided. This is worrying as all these methods are now being proposed as approaches to reduce food waste and, except for a few studies, there is no reproducible quantified evidence to assure credibility or success. To strengthen current results, a greater number of longitudinal and larger sample size intervention studies are required. To inform future intervention studies, this paper proposes a standardised guideline, which consists of: (1) intervention design; (2) monitoring and measurement; (3) moderation and mediation; (4) reporting; (5) systemic effects. Given the importance of food-waste reduction, the findings of this review highlight a significant evidence gap, meaning that it is difficult to make evidence-based decisions to prevent or reduce consumption-stage food waste in a cost-effective manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As environmental impacts continue to rise, the need to identify and quantify the underlying causes of these impacts has prompted important research questions. This is heightened by the fact that the production of goods and services is becoming increasingly global with countries relying on each other through trade. As such, it is important to have a mechanism in place to understand the environmental burden shifts from one country to another. To this end, this paper exploits a paradox in global environmental analysis, which stems from a false decoupling between economic and production systems as observed in most developed nations, which results in improved territorial emissions of these developed countries at the expense of developing countries. Ecological unequal exchange is one such contemporary ecological economic concept that is used to highlight such asymmetric transfer of embodied natural resources and biophysical indicators between countries. Attempts at environmental impacts reduction efforts has largely focused on carbon emissions but given the complex supply chain created through globalisation and international trade, it is important to consider other important metrics such as land and water use alongside carbon emissions to drive environmental policies that will holistically address ecologically unequal exchanges. For developing countries in Africa where the dependence on land use and water use for agricultural activities are crucial to the development of national economies and in combating poverty, an assessment of these metrics has become even more paramount. Against this backdrop, the current work draws upon the theoretical constructs of multi-regional input-output (MRIO) framework to trace country specific sectorial-level flows of the aforementioned metrics between a representative developed nation, UK, and 27 African regions in order to fully examine their ecological exchanges. Key findings in the study suggest that for water consumption and land use, there is a net externalisation of these impacts for all the 27 African regions by the UK. It was also determined that the extent of the imbalance between the UK and the African region is exceedingly far greater for water consumption. It is recommended that in formulating a robust multi-national environmental policy where so many factors are at play, country specific and industry targeted approach to ecological unequal exchange between nations provides better and improved insight into addressing ensuing environmental issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a globally consumed agricultural product, soybeans have long been one of the most important commodities in the current international market. In this regard, the governance of the global soybean supply chain has become one of the central themes in both industry and academia. However, existing scholarly works focusing on sustainability issues and mechanisms for better governance in the soybean chain are rare. Moreover, the relationship among soybean supply chain governance mechanisms remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a systematic review of the existing literature to identify key themes or topics and to develop a conceptual framework to guide future research. Based on our inclusion criteria and by considering the Scopus database, we identified and reviewed 55 articles published between 2000 and 2019. In our analysis, four themes were identified in soybean supply chain management: drivers (e.g., land-use conflict), global value chain governance (e.g., REDD+), consequences (e.g., reduced CO2 emissions) and potential barriers (e.g., low market demand). Finally, a conceptual model was proposed that elaborates the linkage of the themes, and a research agenda was proposed to direct studies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]