Sustainable supply chain management in “Base of the Pyramid” food projects—A path to triple bottom line approaches for multinationals?

Conducting business operations at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) have necessitated the need for multinational corporations (MNCs) to involve poor communities in production processes including management of critical supply chains. However, current research on the interface between supply chain management and BoP business operation is lacking. In analyzing three cases of BoP projects in the food industry this study addresses the question of how sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) applied to BoP projects can help MNCs to achieve their sustainability goals. Findings indicate that applying SSCM to BoP projects can complement economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. In particular, the BoP projects analyzed show viable paths for integrating the social domain of sustainability with general SSCM theory and practice. From the perspective of international business research, the findings help to link sustainability activities to MNC operations at the BoP. Accordingly, further research is needed to advance integration of these two research streams.

► Sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) may catalyze sustainability performance of MNCs’ Base of the Pyramid (BoP) projects.
► Utilization (as well as neglection) of SSCM tools is found in case studies of MNCs’ BoP projects.
► SSCM theory may complement MNCs’ BoP projects with the so far neglected supply side as well as the ecological dimension of sustainability.
► Localized multi-stakeholder approaches at BoP can strengthen social dimension of sustainability in international business.
► Interplay between headquarters and developing world subsidiaries of multinationals is discussed and warrants follow-up research.