A Call for Contribitions on 'SUSTAINABLE CHAIN MANAGEMENT: TRANSFORMING INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT CHAINS INTO CHANNELS OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
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A "Call for Contributions" on the topic of:
SUSTAINABLE CHAIN MANAGEMENT: TRANSFORMING INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT CHAINS INTO CHANNELS OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
Greenleaf Publishing invites contributions for: (1) a special issue of "Greener Management International"; and (2) a subsequent new book on the topic of "Sustainable Chain Management" both to be edited by Dr Teun Wolters (ISCOM, Institute for Sustainable Commodities, The Netherlands).
Rationale
Although command-and-control measures have had a significant beneficial impact on the environment, it is now generally recognised that ecological sustainability requires further integration of environmental concerns into the strategies that basically define corporate identity. Moreover, it is increasingly considered that sustainable development involves three main aspects of productive activity: economic, social and environmental.
The relevance of this triad is particularly manifest in the international trade relationships involving large international trading and manufacturing companies that obtain their major inputs from low-income regions in the world.
Many of these large international companies - mostly based in advanced economies in the European Union, Australasia and North America - are now facing growing demands for corporate responsibility and accountability. The mixed blessing that globalisation is thought to be is also leading to further pressure on companies operating in developing countries in areas such as labour rights and environmental management, especially when the countervailing powers of good government and civil society are weak and poverty prevails.
Parallel to these developments, in a world of development aid and international co-operation it is increasingly being realised that the war against poverty is best waged by encouraging less-developed nations to become competitive actors in the world economy. Although in the past business and NGOs represented two different, antagonistic worlds, nowadays there is a growing realisation that the provision of schools and clinics cannot bring sustainable well-being if the population remains impoverished and without means to generate wealth. In this respect there is a lot to learn from the international business community which is beginning to broaden its scope in terms of social and environmental concerns.
The above considerations underline the relevance of Sustainable Chain Management (SCM) - which requires working towards enhancing the social, environmental and economic performance (quality) of the processes (and the companies that are responsible for them) necessary to grow, process, transport and sell a product. SCM makes it possible for organisations in the different links of a product chain to work together for a sustainable product and bring it to market. There are now cases where NGOs have actively helped to create separate market niches for social, environmental or in a broader sense sustainable products which benefit small farmers or manufacturers while at the same time proving that different, more sustainable modes of doing business are possible. After the first experiments, there is now a growing call for mainstreaming - the adoption of sustainability standards by large manufacturers and sellers of the products whose (frequently agricultural) ingredients originate from developing countries. This means not only increasing the requirements that overseas small producers have to meet but also actively enabling them to achieve such standards. Direct contacts with large purchasing companies require considerable commercial skills from the upstream producers. Rather than selling to middlemen that pool the products of a great number of producers, sustainable chain management involves direct contact with clients. Product quality is one of the key issues in such relationships.
How to cope with all of these new developments is a great challenge for actors at both ends of international project chains. There is a great need for inspiring stories of good practice, good management instruments and adequate government and NGO policies in this field.
Coverage
Contributors to the special issue of "Greener Management International" are also invited to submit their contribution to the subsequent book. Contributions deemed suitable for the journal's special issue may also appear in the book along with a number of other contributions. Both publications will cover a spectrum of topics, although the journal issue will primarily focus on environmental sustainability in product chains while the book will cover more extensively issues related to social sustainability. Contributions in the following areas are encouraged:
* Implementation of chain management in agricultural chains (e.g. coffee, cocoa, bananas and cotton) dependent on niche markets for organic products and/or fair trade
* Implementation of chain management in agricultural chains (e.g. coffee, cocoa, bananas and cotton) for mainstream markets based on principles of sustainable production
* Conceptual models for market approaches for sustainable products from the viewpoint of the agrofood processing industry
* Conceptual models for market approaches for sustainable products from the viewpoint of upstream producers in commodity chains
* Non-agricultural commodities, sustainable production and chain management
* Management and accounting models and systems that benefit sustainable production and can be applied to international product chains
* (Extended) LCA as a tool of sustainable chain management in product chains involving actors from different continents
* Sustainability indicators for the management of international product chains: integration of economic, environmental and economic variables
* Sustainable chain management as a tool for reducing poverty
* Globalisation and the possibility of making product chains sustainable
* How to define and monitor social and environmental issues in the management of international chains and set challenging targets
*NGO-business partnerships for poverty reduction
* The role of technology in sustainable chain management
Projected audience
The special issue of the journal and the book will both aim to aid managers, researchers, consultants, students, NGO representatives and government in understanding current thinking on sustainable chain management in terms of transforming international product chains into channels of sustainable production. Both publications are expected to incorporate a mixture of case studies, empirical and applied theoretical work.
Contributions
Given the intended practical nature of these publications, we encourage contributions from practitioners in businesses, NGOs and governments, as well as academics. Case studies should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words in length. Other papers, expected to be based on well-founded conceptual models, should count between 4,000 to 6,000 words. The paper submission should follow editorial guidelines, which can be obtained from Greenleaf Publishing (see below).
Schedule
The submission deadline for initial expressions of interest in the form of abstracts of approximately 300 words is 1 April 2002. Abstracts should be sent to the Guest Editor (see "Contact Details" at the end of this Call).
A selection process will then be put into motion. Contributors whose abstracts are felt appropriate for the projects will then be asked to submit full papers by 1 July 2002. Contributors will be informed of the acceptance of their contributions or be invited to submit final revised papers by 1 November 2002. It is intended that the special issue of "Greener Management International" will be published in March 2003 and the book in Autumn 2003.
_ Abstract submissions: before 1 April 2002
_ Full paper submissions: 1 July 2002
_ Revised paper submissions: 1 November 2002
Contact details
For further information, to discuss ideas for contributions and to submit abstracts/manuscripts, please contact the Guest Editor:
Teun Wolters
ISCOM, Institute for Sustainable Commodities
The Netherlands
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Contribution guidelines can be obtained from:
Samantha Self
Greenleaf Publishing
Aizlewood Business Centre
Aizlewood's Mill
Sheffield S3 8GG
UK
Tel: +44 (0)114 282 3475
Fax: +44 (0)114 282 3476
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http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com
