Guest editorial: Sustainable growth and development in the food and beverage sector
Alba Yela Aránega, Alberto Ferraris, Gabriele Baima, Stefano Bresciani
Abstract
The main reason for writing this Editorial on the Special Issue 'Sustainable growth and development in the food and beverage sector” is to acknowledge the brilliant contribution of the researchers who have enriched the British Food Journal (BFJ) with their contributions. This Special Issue contributes to the literature on the advancement of technologies and their impact on individuals" behaviours, measures to be taken for environmental protection and green consumption, extends research in the field of sustainable supply chain management, consumer perceptions and reactions to food products and provides various tools to manage individuals" behaviours. Previous studies have already identified changes adapted to the environment. Consumers are becoming increasingly demanding and require their needs to be met as quickly as possible (Baker et al., 2020). The literature also demonstrates the growing interest of digitalization in institutions, even affecting customer consumption (Zhuang et al., 2021). Selby et al. (2021) claim that individuals with low levels of physical activity, poor diet and smoking tend to acquire higher risks on their adaptations. Another issue is the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in numerous restrictions in daily life, including social isolation and lack of defined protocols (Jaworski, 2021). Individuals" lifestyles have been modified, and they have had to adapt in order not to spread the virus. According to Ammar et al. (2020), food consumption and eating patterns were characterised as more unhealthy during confinement.