ABSTRACT
The agrifood industry is a sector of key economic and political importance. It is one of the most regulated and protected sectors in the EU, with major implications for sustainability such as the fulfillment of human needs, the support of employment and economic growth, and its impact on the natural environment. According to the European Commission, more than 17 million operators and 32 million individuals are involved across the food chain (European Communities, 2008). Moreover, the food and drink sector contributes to 20%-30% of all environmental impacts in EU (Bakas, 2010). Growing environmental, social and ethical concerns, and increased awareness of the effects of food production and consumption on
the natural environment have led to increased pressure by consumer organizations, environmental advocacy groups, policy-makers, and several consumer groups on agrifood companies to deal with social and environmental issues related to their supply chains within product lifecycles, from ‘farm to fork’ (Courville, 2003; Weatherell and Allinson, 2003; Ilbery and Maye, 2005; Maloni and Brown 2006; Vachon and Klassen, 2006; Welford and Frost, 2006; Matos and Hall, 2007).
