How Sustainable Supply Chains Could Radically Change the Global Economy

The global supply chain is one of the most important and complex systems in the modern world. It moves everything from consumer goods to critical industrial material from one end of the globe to the other. It supports economies, fosters innovation, and connects producers, suppliers, and consumers in a rich web of interdependencies upon which almost everyone in the world relies every day.

As consumers become increasingly aware of the potential harms that accompany the global supply chain, including deforestation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, organizations have looked for more sustainable approaches to logistics, in which supply chains produce economic benefit while doing minimal harm to the environment.

However, new research examines how supply chains can move beyond sustainability and minimal harm to become regenerative systems that strengthen and nurture communities and ecosystems. A recent article, which was based on ongoing academic research, questions the traditional assumptions at the foundation of modern supply chains and proposes a new paradigm that could change the way we think about our economic systems.