Factors affecting adoption of green practices by food firms: evidences from the World Bank Enterprises Survey

This study analyses the factors affecting the adoption of green practices in terms of energy management, waste minimisation, and recycling practices by food enterprises in Indian context. The study used the most recent World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) data for India. A total of 9376 enterprises from 17 major sectors of India participated in the survey; of these, 548 were involved in the food business, which we selected for final analysis. The findings show that the majority of the characteristics of food firms are significantly associated with green practices in terms of energy management, waste minimisation, and recycling. Further analysis shows that firms with access to formal credit, internationally recognised quality certification, upgraded machinery, and beneficiaries of government support are more likely to adopt energy management, whereas firms with higher capacity utilising firms with access to formal credit and upgraded machinery and equipment are more likely to adopt waste minimisation and recycling practices. It is essential to possess a comprehensive comprehension of the factors that influence the adoption of green practices in general and food firms in particular, given the significant role of energy management, waste minimisation, and recycling in the pursuit of sustainable development objectives. In the food industry, there is very little research that has examined the factors that influence the adoption of energy management strategies, as well as waste minimisation and recycling practices. This study will be beneficial to a variety of food industry stakeholders, including government officials, agribusiness managers, environmental economists, and agencies that are striving to achieve SDG 12 and SDG 7.