Sustainable Food Supply Chains in Maritime Ports: A Review Across Management, Economic, and Social Dimensions

The growing pressures on the global food supply chain highlight the challenges faced by maritime ports, which are responsible for 80% of global trade, emphasising the need for sustainable operations across management, economic, and social dimensions. This article analyses the research trends in this area within the Scopus database, which was researched on July 11, 2024. The PRISMA method (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) was applied.Based on the results of the systematic literature review, four main subjects were the focus of the researchers: i) smart port requirements and sustainable performance; ii) the technological innovations driving sustainable supply chain management; iii) circular economy and digital supply chain sustainability; iv) frameworks and models for integrating sustainable digital supply chain. Additionally it opens possibility for future research could cover the gaps identified in this article, such as analyzing the effects of Technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and the Internet of Things on the efficiency and environmental goals of ports, evaluating social sustainability in the supply chain through indicators like child labor, rural poverty traps, and standards of living, and food economy. The findings contribute to the academic understanding of sustainable development in maritime ports, considering the interconnections among business, economic, and social factors, establishing the groundwork for key performance indicators (KPIs) and opening perspectives for practical innovation.

The growing pressures on the global food supply chain highlight the challenges faced by maritime ports, which are responsible for 80% of global trade, emphasising the need for sustainable operations across management, economic, and social dimensions. This article analyses the research trends in this area within the Scopus database, which was researched on July 11, 2024. The PRISMA method (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) was applied.Based on the results of the systematic literature review, four main subjects were the focus of the researchers: i) smart port requirements and sustainable performance; ii) the technological innovations driving sustainable supply chain management; iii) circular economy and digital supply chain sustainability; iv) frameworks and models for integrating sustainable digital supply chain. Additionally it opens possibility for future research could cover the gaps identified in this article, such as analyzing the effects of Technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and the Internet of Things on the efficiency and environmental goals of ports, evaluating social sustainability in the supply chain through indicators like child labor, rural poverty traps, and standards of living, and food economy. The findings contribute to the academic understanding of sustainable development in maritime ports, considering the interconnections among business, economic, and social factors, establishing the groundwork for key performance indicators (KPIs) and opening perspectives for practical innovation.

Parole chiave:; NEXUS project, port sector; Digital transformation; Artificial intelligence; Blockchain; Internet of things

Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira, Camila Marinho, Valentina Chkoniya, Elisabete S. Vieira, Sandra Filipe, Sustainable Food Supply Chains in Maritime Ports: A Review Across Management, Economic, and Social Dimensions in "Economia agro-alimentare" 2/2025, pp 7-34, DOI: 10.3280/ecag2025oa19420