Sustainable Innovation in Supply Chain Management within the Food Industry : “By knowing we can suddenly act more proactively”

Sammanfattning: Background: Entrepreneurship is dependent on innovation and entrepreneurial activities increase competition. The world is facing many problems concerning sustainability, especially in the food industry. There are challenges such as climate change and ethical issues, and to stay competitive in an industry faced with multiple challenges, a sustainability-driven innovation practice could be one way to do so. The food industry is of great importance to society and although there are research done in the area of sustainable innovation in the food industry there is still a need for clarification on how it can be applied. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to contribute with a deeper understanding and develop further knowledge about sustainable innovation in SSCM within the food industry. Methodology: This study is a single-case study and has a qualitative and abductive approach where data was collected through in-depth semi-structured online interviews. Conclusion: We found in this study that there is a challenge when it comes to getting acceptance and a common understanding of sustainability both externally and internally. We have contributed by shedding light on challenges and solutions concerning sustainability and therefore we have also developed the understanding of the triple bottom line within the food industry. A link was thus found between internal and external sustainability-work with the dissemination of information. Keywords: Sustainability, supply chain management, innovation, entrepreneurship, foodindustry, sustainable supply chain management, sustainable innovation.