A simulation model for addressing supply chain disruptions under a multi-capital sustainability perspective: a case study in the agri-food sector

In recent years, interest in the resilience and sustainability of supply chains has significantly increased. In fact, various events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the weakness of global and local supply chains. Further, people are giving increasing importance to concepts such as social well-being, human rights, environmental protection. The maximisation of shareholder value is no longer the only goal for companies. The main purpose of this paper is to answer the following question: is there a strategy to address agri-food supply chains disruptions while revitalising local economies and improving–at the same time–a number of sustainability-related aspects? To this aim, a simulation model is designed, then tested and validated through a supermarket supply chain case study. The results show that disruptions can be exploited to revitalise small local suppliers and simultaneously increase several sustainability indicators from a multi-capital perspective. Several managerial insights are also provided.