Strategic insights into geosustainable Excellence: Unveiling a Resource-Based dynamic approach in global food supply chains for carbon neutrality and economic performance

Abstract

In food-centric nations, such as Vietnam, the roles of (1) organizations, (2) the supply chain, and (3) the government are explained theoretically. This study centers on clarifying the influence of each of these determinants on geosustainable performance in terms of carbon neutrality and economics. This research also provides insight into the moderating role of the Food Safety Management System 4.0 (FSMS 4.0). From 225 replies obtained from Vietnamese organizations, we determined that our model could account for 61.4% Carbon Neutrality and 30.5% Economic Performance. As justified by the hypothesis testing, “Top management support,” “Human resource management,” “Infrastructure,” and “Integration” play contributory roles in fostering Carbon Neutrality. Two elements that have only a negligible impact on achieving carbon neutrality are “External assistance” and “Food safety administration.” Irrespective of no prominent influence on Carbon Neutrality, “Food safety administration” has an appreciable and statistically significant impact on Economic Performance. Regarding FSMS 4.0, while Carbon Neutrality bears the negative influence of “Ecosystem” and “Robustness” when engaging with “Food safety administration,” the opposite —a positive impact of the interaction between “Quality standard” and “Integration”—is witnessed on Carbon Neutrality. This study makes three contributions to the current body of knowledge. First, leveraging a plethora of FSMS 4.0-level-specific factors, this research expands resource-based dynamic theory. Second, this research highlights the importance of external FSMS 4.0 activities, such as stakeholder participation and support from various sources, in providing both commercial and regulatory insights into the key determinants of FSMS 4.0 implementation. In addition, as one of the first studies to shed light on the correlation between an organization’s carbon neutrality commitment and its geosustainable performance, as influenced by the determinants, this research could serve as an ideal motivator for businesses in the food supply chain to embark on their carbon neutrality journeys. Through a multi-level lens, our study investigates the extent to which stakeholder influence and institutional requirements can exert an impact on the deployment of an efficacious FSMS 4.0 to promote and reinforce carbon neutrality and geosustainable performance. This lays the groundwork for enriching existing literature.