Future Prospects of Sustainable Aquaculture Supply Chain Practices

Interest in sustainable supply chains has been rapidly growing for over a decade with an increased pressure to all parties of the agrifood supply chains to deal effectively with food safety and quality issues as well as minimize social and environmental impact. Aquaculture is a neglected research area, although it is recognized as one of the most promising, though also controversial new industries. This paper utilizes a single-case study, action research to examine how sustainability can be promoted on operational level. More specifically, the study analyses a project developed by one of the biggest companies in the Mediterranean, concerning the strategic supply chain re-design towards reducing lead times from production to consumption. The impressive improvements in terms of lead time and cost savings and the conclusions and recommendations drawn in this study are expected to reveal the direction for further research towards integration of aquaculture development with the sustainability imperatives.