Sustainability and Compliance in Organic Food Industries: A Comparative Study of India and Italy
Author(s)
Murali, Aparna P.
Kolożyn-Krajewska, Danuta
Nair, Surya Sasikumar
Date Issued
February 27, 2026
Type
article
Volume
18
Issue
5
ISSN
2071-1050
Journal
Sustainability
Abstract
Food safety, quality management, and ecologically conscious practices must be successfully
integrated throughout supply chains to guarantee the sustainability of organic food systems.
There is little empirical data on how these factors interact in various institutional and
regulatory contexts, despite the growing significance of the organic sector for sustainable
food transitions. This study examines sustainability-focused compliance procedures in
Italian and Indian organic food processing businesses. A systematic questionnaire was
used to gather primary data from 300 certified organic businesses (150 per nation), and nonparametric
statistical methods were used to examine firm-size and cross-country variations.
The results show notable differences between the two contexts in terms of food safety rules
and sustainability performance. Because of a more developed regulatory framework and
more robust enforcement mechanisms, Italian businesses demonstrate greater and more
consistent sustainability performance. On the other hand, Indian businesses, especially
small ones, show more unpredictability, which suggests that they have limited ability
to implement sustainable practices and environmental management. The performance
of quality management systems in both nations is similar, indicating the contribution of
international certification standards to the harmonisation of quality governance. In contrast
to Italy, where they operate as separate operational domains, correlation research shows
that sustainability, food safety rules, and quality management are more closely interwoven
in Indian businesses. The study emphasises the importance of the company’s size and the
regulatory environment in determining how sustainability is integrated into organic food
chains. The findings present beneficial guidance for small and medium-sized businesses by
highlighting important areas where targeted capacity building and regulatory assistance
can improve sustainability and compliance performance and it is one of the first enterprise level
empirical evaluations of food safety rules, quality management, and sustainability
in organic food processing across different regulatory contexts. The findings provide
actionable insights for small organic processors by highlighting priority areas for targeted
regulatory support, technical help, and capacity building to improve the incorporation of
sustainability practices.
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