Marketing Mix and Stakeholder Engagement are Vital Few CSFs for Local Food Supply Chain Success
Prioritizing marketing mix strategies and robust stakeholder engagement significantly increases the likelihood of success for local food supply chains.
Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing · 2025
Key Findings
- 01Eleven critical success factors (CSFs) were identified for establishing LFSCs, and twelve for expanding them.
- 02Marketing mix was identified as the primary vital few CSF for both establishment and expansion.
- 03Stakeholder engagement was identified as the second vital few CSF for both phases.
- 04Ten CSFs were common across both establishment and expansion phases, with three differing.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing or strategizing for local food supply chains, prioritize the development of a comprehensive marketing strategy and actively cultivate relationships with all involved parties.
How to apply
When developing a business plan for a local food initiative, dedicate significant effort to defining your target market, pricing strategy, distribution channels, and promotional activities. Simultaneously, map out key stakeholders and plan regular communication and collaboration opportunities.
Project actions
- 01When researching your chosen product or service, look for studies that discuss market entry strategies and customer engagement.
- 02Consider how your design choices directly impact the marketing and distribution of your product.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Comprehensive systematic review methodology ensures broad coverage of existing research.
- +Pareto analysis provides a clear prioritization of critical success factors.
Limitations
The findings are derived from a literature review, so direct empirical testing within a specific design project might be necessary to validate these factors in a unique context.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the findings is enhanced by the systematic review process. Validity is supported by the use of thematic and Pareto analysis to identify and rank CSFs, though the generalizability may depend on the diversity of the reviewed literature.
Think critically
To what extent do these 'vital few' CSFs apply to other types of localized or community-based supply chains beyond food?
Design Principles
"For any supply chain initiative, a well-defined marketing strategy and proactive stakeholder engagement are foundational to viability and growth."
Understanding and implementing these critical success factors (CSFs) provides a strategic roadmap for businesses operating within or looking to establish local food supply chains. By focusing on these 'vital few' elements, organizations can optimize resource allocation and mitigate risks associated with market entry and growth.
What This Means for Your Design
To make a local food business successful, focus on how you sell your products (marketing) and how you work with everyone involved (like farmers, customers, and delivery people). These are the most important things.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use the identified CSFs as a framework to analyze the success factors of existing local food businesses or to justify the strategic choices in your own design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
(2025). Unraveling critical success factors of local food supply chains: a systematic literature review. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/jbim-01-2024-0027 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/f20ff7ce-451c-4c91-afd1-9dbf4067798e/marketing-mix-and-stakeholder-engagement-are-vital-few-csfs-for-local-food-supply-chain-success
Paragraph starter
The critical success factors for local food supply chains, as identified through a systematic literature review, highlight the paramount importance of a robust marketing mix and active stakeholder engagement. These elements are consistently ranked as 'vital few' for both the establishment and expansion phases, suggesting that design projects within this domain should prioritize strategies that effectively reach target markets and foster strong collaborative relationships with all involved parties to ensure viability and growth.
Source
Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing
Unraveling critical success factors of local food supply chains: a systematic literature review
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions about this research
- What does the research say about marketing mix and stakeholder engagement are vital few csfs for local food supply chain success?
- When designing or strategizing for local food supply chains, prioritize the development of a comprehensive marketing strategy and actively cultivate relationships with all involved parties. Evidence: Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing (2025).
- Why does "Marketing Mix and Stakeholder Engagement are Vital Few CSFs for Local Food Supply Chain Success" matter for design?
- Understanding and implementing these critical success factors (CSFs) provides a strategic roadmap for businesses operating within or looking to establish local food supply chains. By focusing on these 'vital few' elements, organizations can optimize resource allocation and mitigate risks associated with market entry and growth.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing or strategizing for local food supply chains, prioritize the development of a comprehensive marketing strategy and actively cultivate relationships with all involved parties.
- What were the main findings?
- Eleven critical success factors (CSFs) were identified for establishing LFSCs, and twelve for expanding them.. Marketing mix was identified as the primary vital few CSF for both establishment and expansion.. Stakeholder engagement was identified as the second vital few CSF for both phases.. Ten CSFs were common across both establishment and expansion phases, with three differing.
- What research method was used?
- Systematic Literature Review with 80 empirical papers.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When developing a business plan for a local food initiative, dedicate significant effort to defining your target market, pricing strategy, distribution channels, and promotional activities. Simultaneously, map out key stakeholders and plan regular communication and collaboration opportunities.
- What are the limitations?
- The findings are based on a review of existing literature, and the specific context and business models of LFSCs can vary significantly, potentially influencing the applicability of these CSFs.
- Is there evidence that local food affects design outcomes?
- A systematic review of research on local food supply chains revealed that a strong marketing mix and active stakeholder engagement are the most crucial factors for both starting and growing these businesses. While many factors contribute to success, these two stand out as essential priorities. Understanding and impleme Source: Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing (2025).
- Where does this food supply research apply?
- Local Food Supply Chains (LFSCs) It sits within innovation & markets research on designdex.org.
Related research topics
local food design research · evidence on local food · does local food improve design outcomes · food supply studies for designers · local food and food supply findings · innovation & markets research evidence