Trends and hotspots in public food procurement: exploring planetary boundaries and human needs in an integrative literature review
| Date | 16 January 2025 |
| Pages | 95-119 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JOPP-12-2023-0091 |
| Published date | 16 January 2025 |
| Author | Erica Kushihara Akim,Diogo Aparecido Lopes Silva,Luiz Carlos de Faria |
Trends and hotspots in public food
procurement: exploring planetary
boundaries and human needs in an
integrative literature review
Erica Kushihara Akim and Diogo Aparecido Lopes Silva
Research Group on Sustainability Engineering (EngS Group),
Universidade Federal de São Carlos –Campus Sorocaba, Sorocaba, Brazil, and
Luiz Carlos de Faria
Department of Environmental Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Carlos –
Campus Sorocaba, Sorocaba, Brazil
Abstract
Purpose –Using an Integrative Literature Review (ILR), this study aims to investigate the components
defining the Safe and Just Operating Space (SJOS) within food systems and assess their applicability in
decision-makingfor public food procurement (PFP).
Design/methodology/approach –Data concerning SJOS implementationin food systems and the criteria
used in PFP were retrieved from the Webof Science and Scopus databases, following the Preferred Reporting
Items for SystematicReviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol.
Findings –The analysis of the literature highlights that climate change (n= 31; 17%) and water use (n= 29;
16%) are the primary focus areas regarding Planetary Boundaries (PB), followed the nitrogen cycle, land use,
biodiversity loss and the phosphorus cycle. In PFP, key criteria linked to PB encompass climate change (n= 19;
7.2%), water use (n= 17; 6.44%) and chemical pollution (n= 17; 6.44%). The social and ethical dimensions
underscore labour (n= 18; 6.82%), water (n= 17; 6.44%), income (n= 16; 6.06%) and energy (n= 16; 6.06%).
Research limitations/implications –Despite the strengths of this study, certain limitations should be
acknowledged.Although the inclusionand exclusion criteria for the reviewedarticles were clearlydefined, it is
possible that relevantliterature was unintentionallyexcluded. Expanding the scope to include greyliterature –
such as government documents, reports, policy statements and statistical reports –could provide additional
insights and broaden the scopeof the findings. Moreover, the search was limited to the Web of Science and
Scopus databases,which may have resulted in the omission of relevantstudies, particularly those publishedin
non-Englishlanguages or not indexedjournals.
Practical implications –The identified procurement criteria can help public administrators develop
guidelinesand tools for food procurement that consider the SJOS.
Social implications –This paper offersan understanding of the connection between planetary processes and
human well-beingin the context of PFP.
Originality/value –This pioneering research lays the groundwork for future agendas in this field and
encourages reflection on critical factors essential for selecting methods and standards applied in practical
public procurement.
Keywords Absolute sustainability,PRISMA protocol, Purchasing criteria, Safe and just operating space
Paper type Literature review
This study was financedin part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamentode Pessoal de Nível Superior –
Brasil (CAPES) –Finance Code 001 and the “Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico”
(CNPq) –FinanceCode 303343/2022–2.
Journal of Public
Procurement
95
Received18December 2023
Revised 25 June 2024
3 November 2024
Accepted29December2024
Journalof Public Procurement
Vol.25 No. 1, 2025
pp. 95-119
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1535-0118
DOI 10.1108/JOPP-12-2023-0091
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/1535-0118.htm
List of acronyms
CFA= Correspondence Factor Analysis;
DE= Doughnut Economics;
EU= European Union;
FAO= Food and Agriculture Organization;
ILR= Integrative Literature Review;
PB= Planetary Boundaries;
PFP= Public Food Procurement;
PRISMA= Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses;
SDG= Sustainable Development Goals;
SJOS= Safe and Just Operating Space;
SoSOS= Allocated share of the Safe Operating Space;
SOS Food =Safe Operating Space for Food Systems;
SOS= Safe Operating Space; and
SPP= Sustainable Public Procurement.
1. Introduction
Data from the FAO highlights a significant increase in global food insecurity, affecting
approximately 828 million people in 2022, an increase of 150 million since 2019 (FAO,
IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, 2022). Addressing food insecurity goes beyond simply
increasing agricultural productivity; it involves complex decision-making related to
consumption patterns, biophysical resource availability, and ensuring equitable social
access.
Governments play a crucial role in ensuring fair and sustainable food provision for all
citizens, particularly through public food procurement (PFP) mechanisms (Perez-Neira
et al., 2021). Sustainable public procurement (SPP) is emerging as a key policy tool in this
context, enabling governments to consider social and environmental factors within
procurement processes(UNEP, 2022).
The concept of Planetary Boundaries (PB), introduced by Rockström et al. (2009),has
significantly enhanced the quantitative understanding of the global environmental impact of
human activities and the allocation of biophysical resources. The Safe Operating Space
(SOS), defined within this framework, represents a “safe”zone for preventing severe and
irreversible globalenvironmental changes.
In the socio-environmentaldomain, Kate Raworth introduced the concept of the Safe and
Just Operating Space (SJOS)as part of her Doughnut Economics (DE) framework (Raworth,
2017). The DE model is built upon three key elements: the social foundation, the safe and
just space for humanity, and the ecological ceiling. The inner ring of the “doughnut”
represents basic human needs, such as water, food, health, education, income, work, justice,
and equality. The outer ring delineates the ecological limits that humanity must respect to
maintain sustainability, including climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and resource
depletion (Raworth, 2017).This model advocates for meeting social needs without breaching
PBs, ensuring a balance between resource use and environmental sustainability (Dearing
et al., 2014;Raworth,2017).
Sustainable PFP faces multiple challenges, such as addressing the spatial dualisms
associated with food systems (e.g., global/conventional vs local/alternative systems)
(Sonnino and Marsden, 2006;Sonnino and Milbourne, 2022), and mitigating food waste
(Sonnino, 2019). Despite its benefits, implementing sustainable food procurement
involves challenges related to environmental and social considerations (Sonnino, 2019).
JOPP
25,1
96
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