Green Supply Chain Management Enhances Competitiveness and Accelerates Economic Growth in India’s Agro-Food Sector
Authors
Dr. Ramesh Kumar
Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Economics KDS College, Gogri, Khagaria Munger University, Munger (IN)
Article Information
DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2026.15020000031
Subject Category: Economics
Volume/Issue: 15/2 | Page No: 327-344
Publication Timeline
Submitted: 2026-03-06
Published: 2026-03-05
Abstract
This study argues that green supply chain management (GSCM) significantly boosts competitiveness and economic growth in India's agro-food sector. It analyzes how Indian agro-food companies adopt GSCM practices. As a part of the GSCM approach, eco-friendly packaging, reverse logistics, and energy-efficient transportation are considered to maintain their product quality. Apart from the GSCM approach, there is the impact these practices have on the competitiveness and financial performance of the rest of the mode of production. In this study, quantitative methods and secondary data from government and industry sources are used. The research demonstrates how these GSCM elements strengthen company performance and contribute to the agro industry’s sectoral growth. Using descriptive statistics and core hypotheses, the study identifies prevalent practices in the agro-industry. Through this study, we review relevant policy frameworks, identify the obstacles in this sector, and recommend strategies for broader GSCM adoption. The investigation further connects green logistics, sustainable sourcing of agro-green products, and identifies emerging technologies for operational cost reductions and market expansion. The expected outcome of this study is that technological advancements, such as hybrid seeds and modern irrigation, will drive higher productivity and economic growth in Indian agriculture. Practical recommendations are provided to help policymakers, industry leaders, and academics build effective, sustainable, and competitive green agri-food supply chains in India.
Keywords
Green Supply Chain Management, Economic Growth, Agro-food Industry Sustainability, Eco-friendly Practices
Downloads
References
1. Abad, A. R. K. K., Barzinpour, F., & Pishvaee, M. S. (2023). Towards a circular economy for the pomegranate fruit supply chain under dynamic uncertainty: A case study. Computers & Chemical Engineering, 178, 108362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compchemeng.2023.108362 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
2. Agarwal, R., Mehrotra, A., Alofaysan, H., & Mahto, R. V. (2025). Digital technologies and green infrastructure: Advancing a resilient circular supply chain. Technovation, 148, 103329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2025.103329 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
3. Anand, S., Barua, M. K., Katiyar, R., & Meet, R. (2024). Minimizing waste, maximizing sustainability: Analyzing collaborative practice implementation barriers in the agri-fresh produce industry. Sustainable Futures, 10.0398. Https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2024.100398 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
4. Andika, A., Perdana, T., Chaerani, D., & Utomo, D. S. (2025). Transitioning towards zero waste in the agri-food supply chain: a review of sustainable circular agri-food supply chains. Sustainable Futures, 100917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.100917 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
5. Ashaolu, T. J., & Ashaolu, J. O. (2020). Perspectives on the trends, challenges, and benefits of green, smart, and organic (GSO) foods. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, 22, 100273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2020.100273 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
6. Birasnav, M., Chaudhary, R., Dunne, J. H., Bienstock, J., & Seaman, C. (2022). Green supply chain management: A theoretical framework and research directions. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 172, 108441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2022.108441 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
7. Chakraborty, A., Amin, M. A., & Baldacci, R. (2023). Analysis of internal factors of green supply chain management: An interpretive structural modeling approach. Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain, 7, 100099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clscn.2023.100099 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
8. Chaudhary, S., Kumar, S., Kumar, V., Singh, B., & Dhiman, A. (2024). Irradiation: A tool for the sustainability of fruit and vegetable supply chains—advancements and future trends. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 217, 111511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2024.111511 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
9. Das, M., Jana, D. K., & Alam, S. (2022). Ṣ Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain, 4, 100054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clscn.2022.100054 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
10. Das, M., Muchi, B., Alam, S., & Jana, D. K. (2025). A sustainability and profitability optimization model in three-stage green supply chains under uncertainty with competitive and cooperative game dynamics. Supply Chain Analytics, 100114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sca.2025.100114 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
11. Fu, Z., Zhang, C., Huang, Z., Jia, L., Sun, G., & Wang, W. (2025). Advancing sustainable and innovative agriculture: An empirical study of farmers’ livelihood risks and the green transformation of food production. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 10(4), 100732. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2025.100732 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
12. Gardas, B. B., Raut, R. D., & Narkhede, B. (2018). Evaluating critical causal factors for post-harvest losses (PHL) in the fruit and vegetable supply chain in India using the DEMATEL approach. Journal of Cleaner Production, 199, 47–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.07.153 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
13. Gardas, B., Raut, R., Jagtap, A. H., & Narkhede, B. (2018). Exploring the key performance indicators of green supply chain management in the agro-industry. Journal of Modeling in Management, 14(1), 260–283. https://doi.org/10.1108/jm2-12-2017-0139 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
14. Gu, B., Xu, L., Fu, Y., & Chen, J. (2024). Green agricultural technology extension strategies considering the impacts of industrial organizations: direct subsidies versus indirect incentives. Journal of Cleaner Production, 143991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.143991 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
15. Halder, S., Islam, M. R., Mamun, Q., Mahboubi, A., Walsh, P., & Islam, M. Z. (2025). A comprehensive survey on AI-enabled secure social industrial IoT in the agri-food supply chain. Smart Agricultural Technology, 100902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2025.100902 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
16. Hariyani, D., Hariyani, P., Mishra, S., & Sharma, M. K. (2024). A literature review of green supply chain management for sustainable sourcing and distribution. Waste Management Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wmb.2024.11.009 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
17. Hassoun, A., Dankar, I., Bhat, Z., & Bouzembrak, Y. (2024). Unveiling the relationship between food unit operations and Food Industry 4.0: A short review. Heliyon, 10(20), e39388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39388 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
18. Hassoun, A., Prieto, M. A., Carpena, M., Bouzembrak, Y., Marvin, H. J., Pallarés, N., Barba, F. J., Bangar, S. P., Chaudhary, V., Ibrahim, S., & Bono, G. (2022). Exploring the role of green and Industry 4.0 technologies in achieving sustainable development goals in the food sector. Food Research International, 162, 112068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112068 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
19. Joshi, A., Gupta, A. K., Mansi, N., Semwal, S., Deoli, N., Rather, M. A., Naik, B., Kumar, V., Jha, A. K., Rustagi, S., & Preet, M. S. (2024). Sustainable solutions for food security: Evaluating pre-treatment technologies in the growing fruits and vegetables industry in India. Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, 39, 101580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scp.2024.101580 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
20. Khan, S., Singh, R., Khan, S., & Ngah, A. H. (2023). Unearthing the barriers to Internet of Things adoption in the food supply chain: A developing country perspective. Green Technologies and Sustainability, 1(2), 100023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.grets.2023.100023 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
21. Kharola, S., Ram, M., Mangla, S. K., Goyal, N., Nautiyal, O., Pant, D., & Kazancoglu, Y. (2022). Exploring the green waste management problem in food supply chains: A circular economy context. Journal of Cleaner Production, 351, 131355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131355 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
22. Kumar, A., & Agrawal, S. (2023). Challenges and opportunities for agri-fresh food supply chain management in India. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 212, 108161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2023.108161 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
23. Kumar, M., Choubey, K., Raut, R. D., & Jagtap, S. (2023). Enablers to achieve zero hunger through IoT and blockchain technology and transform the green food supply chain systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 405, 136894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136894 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
24. Le, T. T. (2023). The association of corporate social responsibility and sustainable consumption and production patterns: The mediating role of green supply chain management. Journal of Cleaner Production, 414, 137435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137435 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
25. Narwane, V. S., Gunasekaran, A., & Gardas, B. B. (2022). Unlocking the adoption challenges of IoT in the Indian agricultural and food supply chain. Smart Agricultural Technology, 2, 100035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2022.100035 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
26. Nath, P. C., Mishra, A. K., Sharma, R., Bhunia, B., Mishra, B., Tiwari, A., Nayak, P. K., Sharma, M., Bhuyan, T., Kaushal, S., Mohanta, Y. K., & Sridhar, K. (2024). Recent advances in artificial intelligence towards a sustainable future for the agri-food industry. Food Chemistry, 447, 138945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.138945 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
27. Panpatil, S. S., & Kant, R. (2022). Green supply chain management implementation: Modeling green supply chain practices (GSCPs). Journal of Advances in Management Research, 19(3), 389–413. https://doi.org/10.1108/jamr-07-2021-0241 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
28. Phiri, R., Rangappa, S. M., & Siengchin, S. (2023). Agro-waste for renewable and sustainable green production: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 434, 139989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139989 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
29. Rajan, A., & Radhakrishnan, M. (2022). Green Technologies for Sustainable Food Production and Preservation: An overview of ohmic heating, infrared heating, and UV light technology. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 184–197). https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-823960-5.00066-4 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
30. Rajesh, R. (2020). Sustainable supply chains in the Indian context: An integrative decision-making model. Technology in Society, 61, 101230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101230 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
31. Raut, R. D., Gardas, B. B., Narwane, V. S., & Narkhede, B. E. (2019). Improvement in food losses in fruit and vegetable supply chains: A cold third-party logistics approach. Operations Research Perspectives, 6, 100117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orp.2019.100117 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
32. Rueda X., Garrett R. D., & Lambin, E. F. (2016). Corporate investments in supply chain sustainability: Selecting instruments in the agri-food industry. Journal of Cleaner Production, 142, 2480–2492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.026 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
33. Saha, D., Padhiary, M., & Chandrakar, N. (2025). AI Vision and Machine Learning for Enhanced Automation in the Food Industry: A Systematic Review. Food and Humanity, 100587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100587 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
34. Sargani, G. R., Wang, B., Leghari, S. J., & Ruan, J. (2025). Is digital transformation the key to agricultural strength? A novel approach to productivity and supply chain resilience. Smart Agricultural Technology, 100838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2025.100838 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
35. Sazvar, Z., Rahmani, M., & Govindan, K. (2018). A sustainable supply chain for organic and conventional agro-food products: The role of demand substitution, climate change, and public health. Journal of Cleaner Production, 194, 564–583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.04.118 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
36. Sharma, M., Antony, R., Vadalkar, S., & Ishizaka, A. (2024). Role of Industry 4.0 technologies and human-machine interaction for decarbonization of food supply chains. Journal of Cleaner Production, 468, 142922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142922 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
37. Sharma, R., Kannan, D., Darbari, J. D., & Jha, P. (2024). Group Decision-Making Model for the Selection of Performance Indicators for Sustainable Supplier Evaluation in Agro-Food Supply Chain. International Journal of Production Economics, 277, 109353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2024.109353 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
38. Sharma, V. K., Chandna, P., & Bhardwaj, A. (2016). Green supply chain management-related performance indicators in the agro-industry: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 141, 1194–1208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.09.103 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
39. Shetty, S. K., & Bhat, K. S. (2021). Green supply chain management practices implementation and sustainability: A review. Materials Today Proceedings, 52, 735–740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.10.135 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
40. Singh, G., Rajesh, R., Daultani, Y., & Misra, S. C. (2023). Enhancing resilience and sustainability in food supply chains using Digital Twin technology: A grey causal modeling (GCM) approach. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 179, 109172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2023.109172 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
41. Singh, K. A., Patra, F., Ghosh, T., Mahnot, N. K., Dutta, H., & Duary, R. K. (2025). Advancing Food Systems with Industry 5.0: A Systematic Review of Smart Technologies, Sustainability, and Resource Optimization. Sustainable Futures, 9, 100694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.100694 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
42. Singh, K., Chaudhuri, R., & Chatterjee, S. (2025). Assessing the impact of digital transformation on the green supply chain to achieve carbon neutrality and accelerate circular economy initiatives. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 110943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2025.110943 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
43. Singh, R. K. (2025). Impact of net-zero policies on supply chain sustainability: Mediating role of green technology adoption. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/scm-06-2025-0505 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
44. Song, H., Turson, R., Ganguly, A., & Yu, K. (2017). Evaluating the effects of supply chain quality management on food firms’ performance. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 37(10), 1541–1562. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijopm-11-2015-0666 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
45. Sreedharan, R. V. G. S., & Raju, R. (2018). Development of a Green Lean Six Sigma model for the public sector. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 9(2), 238–255. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijlss-02-2017-0020 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
46. Sridhar, A., Ponnuchamy, M., Kumar, P. S., Kapoor, A., Vo, D. N., & Rangasamy, G. (2023). Digitalization of the agro-food sector to achieve sustainable development goals: a review. Sustainable Food Technology, 1(6), 783–802. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3fb00124e [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
47. Tchonkouang, R. D., Onyeaka, H., & Nkoutchou, H. (2024). Assessing the vulnerability of food supply chains to climate change-induced disruption. The Science of the Total Environment, 920, 171047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171047 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
48. Tjahjadi, B., Agastya, I. B. G. A., Soewarno, N., & Adyantari, A. (2022). Green human capital readiness and business performance: Do green market orientation and green supply chain management matter? Benchmarking an International Journal, 30(10), 3884–3905. https://doi.org/10.1108/bij-10-2021-0622 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
49. Trivedi, S., Anand, N., Sunder, R. G., & Negi, S. (2021). Developing a sustainable supply chain for climate change-resilient agriculture in Uttarakhand, India. International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development, 13(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijsesd.287881 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
50. Yadav S., Samadhiya A., Kumar A., Luthra S., Kumar V., Garza-Reyes J. A., & Upadhyay, A. (2024). The interplay effects of digital technologies, green integration, and green innovation on food supply chain sustainable performance: An organizational information processing theory perspective. Technology in Society, 77, 102585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102585 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
51. Yadav, V. S., Singh, A., Raut, R. D., & Govindarajan, U. H. (2020). Blockchain Technology Adoption Barriers in the Indian Agricultural Supply Chain: An Integrated Approach. Resources Conservation and Recycling, 161, 104877. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104877 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
52. Yu, P., Hamid, R. A., Osman, L. H., & Liao, J. (2025). Bridging the Digital Gap: Empirical Insights into Agri-Food Supply Chain Transformation. Sustainable Futures, 10, 100810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.100810 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]
Metrics
Views & Downloads
Similar Articles
- Drone-Based Phenotyping and its Utilization in Crop Improvement: A Review
- An IoT-Enabled Smart Healthcare Monitoring System Using Machine Learning for Early Health Risk Prediction
- Strategic Integration of Artificial Intelligence for Achieving Operational Excellence in Container Freight Stations Using Evidence from Chennai, India
- Adoption of OTT platforms: Analyzing User Behavior through the UTAUT2 Model
- Customers’ Buying Behaviour in Relation to Online Food Delivery (Evidence from National Capital Region (NCR) of India)