The Development Model of Food Processing Industry towards a Sustainable Green Industry

Abstract

The main research objectives are 1) to study components of the food processing industry development towards a sustainable green industry, 2) to create a relevant development model, and 3) to prepare guidelines for the development of the aforesaid food-processing sector. The Delphi method was used in this research.  The study was undertaken with two groups of experts. Group 1 comprised 20 experts who provided detailed information in an in-depth interview and a questionnaires, Group 2 involved 12 professionals participating in focus group meetings. The tools used for data collection included a semi-structured in-depth interview questions, a Delphi survey, and assessment forms for the model development and the instruction manual.

    Four main components and 17 sub-components were revealed with respect to the development features of the food processing industry as follows: Main Component 1: Planning, consisting of 4 sub-components: P1) Organizational context and commitment, P2) Legal planning and environmental management standards, P3) Operational planning towards green industry and P4) Planning for operational support. Main Component 2: Doing and carrying out, comprising 5 sub-components:D1) Operational readiness for commissioning resources, D2) Identifying environmental regulations, D3) Implementation according to the plan, D4) Support operations and assistance and D5) Regulatory compliance. Main Component 3: Check and evaluation, covering 4 sub-components: C1) Operational checks and evaluation procedure, C2) Corrective actions and preventive measures, C3) Performance review and C4) Evaluation review. Main Component 4: Improvement and development actions encompassing 4 sub-components: A1) Process improvement and development procedures, A2) Environmental improvement strategies, A3) Development to meet standards and goals, and A4) Promoting sustainability. Based on the evaluation of the developed framework, expert participants reached consensus on the model appropriateness whereas guideline recommendations can be implemented for improved sustainability of food processing and a number of different industries.