The Role of Green Information System in Promoting Green Innovation in the Food and Beverage Sector

The Food and Beverage (F&B) sector, a significant contributor to environmental degradation, faces increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint and adopt more sustainable practices. In this context, innovation has emerged as a key factor, though its implementation is particularly challenging due to cost constrains, regulatory uncertainty and other conflicting goals regarding products’ characteristics, such as cost, taste and nutrition. In this context, the thesis investigates the role of Green Information Systems (Green IS), which are digital platforms designed to track environmental data and to support decision making processes in the field of sustainability, as possible enablers of green innovation in the F&B industry. Adopting a qualitative, multi-case study approach, the research combines an overview of Green IS tailored to the F&B sector, with interviews conducted across eight organizations (four F&B firms and four Green IS providers) in the UK and Italy. The study explores three research questions: (1) What are the drives that motivates F&B companies to implement Green IS? (2) To what extent can Green IS enable green innovation? (3) Can Green IS address the challenges that characterize green innovation processes? Findings indicate that companies adopt Green IS primarily to enhance brand image, gain a competitive advantage, credibly communicate environmental performance and compensate for internal knowledge gaps. Although innovation is rarely the initial motivation for adoption, it often emerges as an indirect yet valuable outcome. In several cases, Green IS have acted as catalysts for serendipitous innovation by revealing environmental hotspots that triggered reformulations or supply chain adjustments. The study also highlights how specific Green IS functionalities help address tensions in green innovation. In fact, supplier engagement tools enable upstream collaboration and data sharing, reducing uncertainty and supporting more sustainable sourcing. Integration with R&D systems allows environmental data to inform product development from early stages, facilitating trade-off decisions. Hotspot identification and scenario modelling provide visibility into the environmental impact of design choices, guiding firms in prioritizing actions. Finally, automated life cycle assessments offer standardized and credible reports that strengthen both internal alignment and external communication. In conclusion, while Green IS are not yet systematically adopted with innovation-oriented goals, their ability to overcome key challenges and support evidence-based decision making processes makes them powerful enablers of green transformation in the F&B sector.