Food Waste Reduction : Empirical Findings from the Italian Food Supply Chain

The paper explores the Italian food supply chain with a focus on the analysis of “Surplus Food” (SF), i.e. the edible food that is produced, manufactured, retailed or served but for various reasons is not sold to/consumed by the intended customer. The Italian food industry provides the empirical setting. The paper adds to research on sustainable management of the food supply chain and food security in developed countries in two ways. First, it addresses the multifaceted concept of the sustainable management of the food supply chain by developing a conceptual model of the integrated food supply chain (i.e. business, environmental and social players). Second, it uses the model to empirically analyse how SF is generated and managed throughout different supply chain stages and sectors