Circular Economy, Short Food Supply Chain and Digitalisation Drive the Agri-Food Sector Transition Towards Environmental and Social Sustainability: A Literature Review

The agri-food sector is facing increasing sustainability pressures owing to environmental and socioeconomic issues and regulatory efforts in the European context. Given this effervescent background and the growing interest of academia and players in this important industry, a systematic literature review was conducted to organise the contributions of researchers to sustainability business practices and processes, investigate current and emerging trends, and highlight possible directions for future studies. Short food supply chain (SFSC) and circular economy (CE) models have emerged as the main thematic findings and promising strategies for improving sustainability from both the environmental and social perspectives. Moreover, digitalisation, including IoT, blockchain, AI, and machine learning, is crucial for implementing SFSC and CE practices, and consequently, sustainability in the agri-food sector.