Sustainability across supply chain: sustainable purchasing and B Corp certification in multinational companies in the food industry

Following the 2008 financial crisis, a need to rethink the role of companies in relation to their impact and relationship with society and the environment has raised. In this context, new business models with a declared intention to distribute the profit created, not only to shareholders, but also to the entire audience of stakeholders, such as the American Benefit Corporation or the Italian Benefit Societies, have been created. Moreover, certifications, as the B Corp, have been created, to certify the social commitment of certain companies. The work is structured as follows: after having explained the concept of Sustainable Development and having addressed sustainable business models theoretically, the discussion goes on defining the characteristics of the two sustainable business models above mentioned. In conclusion, case studies of companies with a sustainable approach in the food industry are reported and analysed.