Hotel Food and Beverage Department Engagement with Sustainability: Comparison
View Latest Version
Please note this is a comparison between Version 2 by Sirius Huang and Version 1 by João Tomaz Simões.

In the hospitality sector, particularly in the food and beverage department, pollution and consumption of scarce resources remain issues. The hotel industry has increasingly recognized the importance of addressing sustainability issues, particularly in the food and beverage (F&B) department. However, while environmental problems remain pressing, sustainability is a complex concept that is often subject to varying interpretations and lacks a clear, consistent definition.

  • hotel F&
  • hotel sustainability
  • unsustainable value chain
  • food sustainability

1. Introduction

The hospitality industry has recognized the importance of sustainability in recent years, and the F&B department of hotels plays a crucial role in this context [2][1]. The F&B operations, including food service, food preparation, and food waste management, have significant environmental, social, and economic impacts [3][2]. Engaging the F&B department in sustainability practices has become a key focus for hotels aiming to minimize their environmental footprint, conserve resources, and contribute to social responsibility [4,5][3][4]. Therefore, the literature review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing empirical studies and best practices on hotel F&B department engagement with sustainability, highlighting the benefits, challenges, and strategies for promoting sustainable practices.
Engaging the F&B department in sustainability practices can yield numerous benefits for hotels [6][5]. One of the primary benefits is the reduction of environmental impacts. Sustainable sourcing and menu optimization practices can help reduce the carbon footprint of F&B operations by acquiring food from local, organic, and sustainable sources and optimizing menu offerings to include seasonal, locally available ingredients and plant-based options [3,7][2][6]. This can contribute to biodiversity conservation, promote sustainable food production, and reduce the emissions associated with transportation and processing of food products. Water conservation practices, such as implementing water-efficient fixtures and water reuse systems, can also help by effectively reduce water consumption in the F&B department and contribute to sustainable water management [8][7]. This is particularly relevant in water-stressed areas where hotels can play a role in conserving a valuable resource. Energy-efficient practices, such as using energy-efficient appliances, optimizing equipment usage, and promoting energy-saving behaviors among staff, can help reduce energy consumption and therefore greenhouse gas emissions in the F&B department [9[8][9],10], contributing to mitigate climate change impacts and reducing operational costs for hotels. Waste management practices, including source separation, recycling, and composting, can minimize waste generation and promote recycling, leading to reduced environmental impacts of waste disposal [11][10]. Last, engaging the staff in sustainability initiatives can increase their awareness, knowledge, and behaviors, leading to more sustainable F&B operations and promoting a culture of conscience within the organization [12,13][11][12].

2. Challenges of Hotel F&B Department Engagement with Sustainability

Despite the benefits, engaging the F&B department in sustainability practices presents several challenges for hotels. One of the main challenges is the need for financial investments. Implementing sustainable practices often requires upfront costs for infrastructure upgrades, equipment purchases, and staff training, which may pose financial challenges for hotels, particularly for small and medium-sized establishments [14][13]. This may require careful financial planning and budget allocation to support sustainability initiatives in the F&B department. Food and beverage operations are subject to strict food safety and hygiene regulations, which may pose challenges in adopting sustainable practices, such as composting or food donation programs, due to concerns about food safety and liability issues [15,16][14][15]. Hotels need to ensure that sustainability practices are in compliance with food safety regulations and take necessary precautions to mitigate any potential risks. Resistance to change and lack of awareness and understanding among staff about the importance and benefits of sustainability practices hinder their engagement and participation in sustainability initiatives [17,18][16][17]. Overcoming these challenges requires effective communication, staff training, and engagement strategies to create a shared understanding and commitment towards sustainability among the F &B department staff.
Another challenge of engaging the F&B department in sustainability practices is the complex and global nature of food supply chains [19,20][18][19]. Ensuring sustainable sourcing of food products, including traceability, certifications, and standards, can be challenging due to the complexity and diversity of food supply chains, especially for large hotels with multiple suppliers and distributors [21,22,23][20][21][22]. It may require significant efforts to establish and maintain sustainable sourcing practices, including supplier selection, monitoring, and auditing, to ensure that food products are procured from sustainable sources. Changing consumer preferences and demands pose a challenge for hotels in adopting sustainable practices in the F&B department [24][23]. While there is growing awareness and demand for sustainable food options among consumers, there may still be resistance to higher prices or changes in menu offerings, particularly in price-sensitive market [25][24]. Hotels need to carefully balance sustainability goals with customer satisfaction and financial considerations to ensure that sustainability initiatives are economically viable and acceptable to consumers.

3. Strategies for Promoting Hotel F&B Department Engagement with Sustainability

There are several strategies that hotels can adopt to promote engagement of the F&B department in sustainability practices such as:
Leadership commitment and support are crucial for driving sustainability initiatives in the F&B department [2,26,27][1][25][26]. Top management should communicate the importance of sustainability, set sustainability goals, allocate resources, and provide necessary training and support to ensure that sustainability becomes an integral part of the organizational culture [28][27].
Staff engagement and training is essential for creating a shared understanding and commitment towards sustainability [26][25]. Training programs can be conducted to raise awareness, build knowledge and skills, and promote sustainable behaviors among staff [29][28]. Staff should be encouraged and incentivized to participate in sustainability initiatives and provide feedback and ideas for improvement [30,31][29][30];
Collaboration with suppliers is a critical step for ensuring sustainable sourcing of food products. Hotels can establish partnerships with local, organic, and sustainable food suppliers, set up supplier selection criteria based on sustainability standards, and regularly monitor and audit suppliers for compliance [32,33][31][32];
Infrastructure upgrades and technology adoption: Hotels may need to invest in infrastructure upgrades and technology adoption to implement sustainable practices in the F&B department. This may include installing energy-efficient appliances, water-efficient fixtures, waste segregation and recycling systems, and food waste management technologies [34,35,36,37][33][34][35][36]. Life cycle cost analysis can be used to assess the economic viability of such investments [38][37].
Communication and marketing: Effective communication and marketing can raise awareness among consumers about the sustainability initiatives of the F&B department and promote customer demand for sustainable food options [39][38]. Hotels can use various communication channels, such as websites, social media, menus, and signage, to communicate their sustainability efforts and educate consumers about the benefits of sustainable food choices [40][39].
Monitoring and reporting: Hotels should establish mechanisms to track the progress and impacts of sustainability initiatives in the F&B department. Key performance indicators (KPIs) can be established to measure and report on environmental, social, and economic performance, and regular reporting can help identify areas for improvement and celebrate successes [41,42][40][41].

4. The State-of-the-Art Regarding Sustainable Food Practices in the Hotel F&B Department

By analyzing the aforementioned items, the literature indicates that hotels in general are increasingly prioritizing sourcing of food from local, organic, and sustainable sources [43][42]. Practices which involves building relationships with local farmers and producers, using organic and sustainably grown ingredients, and prioritizing fair trade and ethically sourced products [44][43]. Using this approach allows to support not only local communities and sustainable food production, but also reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation and processing of food products [45][44]. In this matter, hotels are focusing on menu optimizations to include seasonal, locally available ingredients and plant-based options [46,47][45][46]. This promotes biodiversity conservation, reduces the environmental impact of food production, and provides healthier and more sustainable dining choices for guests [48][47]. Regarding the waste reduction and management, hotels are implementing effective practices in their F&B operations. Such practices includes source separation of waste, recycling, and composting programs to minimize waste generation and promote recycling [15][14]. Hotels are exploring innovative solutions such as food donation programs to reduce food waste and address social responsibility [49,50][48][49]. They are also implementing water-efficient fixtures, water reuse systems, and promoting water-saving behaviors among staff to minimize water consumption are measures that contribute to effective water management [51,52,53][50][51][52]. In regard to energy reduction and greenhouse gas emissions, hotels are using energy-efficient appliances, optimizing equipment usage, and promoting energy-saving behaviors among staff [10][9]. The staff engagement and training are critical for the successful implementation of sustainable food practices so that providing training and education programs it’s possible to create awareness, knowledge, and behaviors towards sustainability among their staff. This includes regular staff training sessions, workshops, and ongoing communication about the importance and benefits of sustainable food practices [54,55,56,57,58][53][54][55][56][57]. Regarding the stakeholder collaboration, hotels are working with suppliers, vendors, and local communities to promote sustainable food practices by involving close communication and looking for someone that shares similar sustainability values and engagement to support local food systems and promote sustainability initiatives [59,60,61][58][59][60]. The monitoring and measurement is assured by hotels systems that track and evaluate the effectiveness of their sustainable food practices by setting up key performance indicators (KPIs), conducting regular audits and using sustainability certifications and labels to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability [62,63][61][62]. Through the implementation of smart kitchen technologies, food waste tracking and management tools, and sustainable packaging solutions, hotels are leveraging innovation and technology to promote sustainable food practices in their F&B department [64,65,66][63][64][65]. Communication and education initiatives represent other important steps that hotels are engaging with their guests to raise awareness about their sustainable food practices, through the provision of information about sustainable menu options, sharing the hotel’s sustainability initiatives through marketing and communication channels, and encouraging guest participation in sustainability programs [40,67,68][39][66][67].

References

  1. Haldorai, K.; Kim, W.G.; Garcia, R.F. Top management green commitment and green intellectual capital as enablers of hotel environmental performance: The mediating role of green human resource management. Tour. Manag. 2022, 88, 104431.
  2. Gössling, S.; Hall, C.M.; Scott, D. Coastal and ocean tourism. In Handbook on Marine Environment Protection: Science, Impacts and Sustainable Management; Springer: Cham, Switzerland, 2018; pp. 773–790.
  3. Chan, E.S. Influencing stakeholders to reduce carbon footprints: Hotel managers’ perspective. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2021, 94, 102807.
  4. Stalcup, L.D.; Deale, C.S.; Todd, S.Y. Human resources practices for environmental sustainability in lodging operations. J. Hum. Resour. Hosp. Tour. 2014, 13, 389–404.
  5. Arasli, H.; Nergiz, A.; Yesiltas, M.; Gunay, T. Human resource management practices and service provider commitment of green hotel service providers: Mediating role of resilience and work engagement. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9187.
  6. Hrdlicka, S.; Tomalty, R.; Bornstein, L. A New Dinner Guest: The Emerging Role of Institutions in Food System Reform. Research Report Series. McGill University. 2011. Available online: https://www.mcgill.ca/urbanplanning/files/urbanplanning/hrdlickaetalfoodrr11-01efinal.pdf (accessed on 28 January 2017).
  7. Bruns-Smith, A.; Choy, V.; Chong, H.; Verma, R. Environmental Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: Best Practices, Guest Participation, and Customer Satisfaction; Cornell University: Ithaca, NY, USA, 2015.
  8. Kim, M.J.; Hall, C.M.; Kim, D.-K. Predicting environmentally friendly eating out behavior by value-attitude-behavior theory: Does being vegetarian reduce food waste? J. Sustain. Tour. 2019, 28, 797–815.
  9. Ogunjuyigbe, A.S.; Ayodele, T.R.; Ogunmuyiwa, S.M. Retrofitting existing buildings to reduce electrical energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission in Nigerian food and beverage industries. J. Electr. Syst. Inf. Technol. 2020, 7, 9.
  10. Pham Phu, S.T.; Fujiwara, T.; Hoang, M.G.; Pham, V.D.; Tran, M.T. Waste separation at source and recycling potential of the hotel industry in Hoi An city, Vietnam. J. Mater. Cycles Waste Manag. 2019, 21, 23–34.
  11. Kim, Y.H.; Barber, N.; Kim, D.-K. Sustainability research in the hotel industry: Past, present, and future. J. Hosp. Mark. Manag. 2019, 28, 576–620.
  12. Scott, D.; Hall, C.M.; Gössling, S. Global tourism vulnerability to climate change. Ann. Tour. Res. 2019, 77, 49–61.
  13. Rizos, V.; Behrens, A.; Van der Gaast, W.; Hofman, E.; Ioannou, A.; Kafyeke, T.; Flamos, A.; Rinaldi, R.; Papadelis, S.; Hirschnitz-Garbers, M. Implementation of circular economy business models by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): Barriers and enablers. Sustainability 2016, 8, 1212.
  14. Kasavan, S.; Siron, R.; Yusoff, S.; Fakri, M.F.R. Drivers of food waste generation and best practice towards sustainable food waste management in the hotel sector: A systematic review. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2022, 29, 48152–48167.
  15. Johnson, R. Food Safety Issues for the 112th Congress. 2015. Available online: https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R41629.html (accessed on 28 January 2017).
  16. Gholami, H.; Bachok, M.F.; Saman, M.Z.M.; Streimikiene, D.; Sharif, S.; Zakuan, N. An ISM approach for the barrier analysis in implementing green campus operations: Towards higher education sustainability. Sustainability 2020, 12, 363.
  17. Waligo, V.M.; Clarke, J.; Hawkins, R. The ‘leadership–stakeholder involvement capacity’ nexus in stakeholder management. J. Bus. Res. 2014, 67, 1342–1352.
  18. Li, D.; Wang, X.; Chan, H.K.; Manzini, R. Sustainable Food Supply Chain Management; Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2014; Volume 152, pp. 1–8.
  19. De Boni, A.; Ottomano Palmisano, G.; De Angelis, M.; Minervini, F. Challenges for a Sustainable Food Supply Chain: A Review on Food Losses and Waste. Sustainability 2022, 14, 16764.
  20. Freidberg, S. Big food and little data: The slow harvest of corporate food supply chain sustainability initiatives. Ann. Am. Assoc. Geogr. 2017, 107, 1389–1406.
  21. Dani, S. Food Supply Chain Management and Logistics: From Farm to Fork; Kogan Page Publishers: London, UK; Philadelphia, PA, USA, 2015.
  22. Naik, G.; Suresh, D. Challenges of creating sustainable agri-retail supply chains. IIMB Manag. Rev. 2018, 30, 270–282.
  23. Dixit, S.K.; Lee, K.-H.; Loo, P.T. Consumer behavior in hospitality and tourism. J. Glob. Sch. Mark. Sci. 2019, 29, 151–161.
  24. Lu, L.; Gursoy, D. Does offering an organic food menu help restaurants excel in competition? An examination of diners’ decision-making. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2017, 63, 72–81.
  25. Cop, S.; Alola, U.V.; Alola, A.A. Perceived behavioral control as a mediator of hotels’ green training, environmental commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior: A sustainable environmental practice. Bus. Strategy Environ. 2020, 29, 3495–3508.
  26. Patiar, A.; Wang, Y. The effects of transformational leadership and organizational commitment on hotel departmental performance. Int. J. Contemp. Hosp. Manag. 2016, 28, 586–608.
  27. Bertels, S.; Papania, L.; Papania, D. Embedding sustainability in organizational culture. In A Systematic Review of the Body of Knowledge; Network for Business Sustainability: London, ON, Canada, 2010; p. 25.
  28. Mishra, P. Green human resource management: A framework for sustainable organizational development in an emerging economy. Int. J. Organ. Anal. 2017.
  29. Renwick, D.W.; Redman, T.; Maguire, S. Green human resource management: A review and research agenda. Int. J. Manag. Rev. 2013, 15, 1–14.
  30. Hohnen, P. The Future of Sustainability Reporting; EEDP Programme Paper; Chatham House: London, UK, 2012.
  31. Tapper, R.; Font, X. Tourism Supply Chains. Report of a Desk Research Project for the Travel Foundation; Metropolitan University: Leeds, UK, 2004; p. 23.
  32. Wang, Y.-F.; Chen, S.-P.; Lee, Y.-C.; Tsai, C.-T.S. Developing green management standards for restaurants: An application of green supply chain management. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2013, 34, 263–273.
  33. Jackson, L.A. Best management practices in green lodging defined and explained. Hosp. Rev. 2013, 31, 3.
  34. Chen, J.; Sloan, P.; Legrand, W. Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2010.
  35. Cohen, R.; Ortez, K.; Pinkstaff, C. Increasing Water Efficiency in California’s Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) Sector; Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): New York, NY, USA, 2009.
  36. Kaszás, N.; Keller, K.; Birkner, Z. Understanding circularity in tourism. Soc. Econ. 2022, 44, 65–82.
  37. Kulczycka, J.; Smol, M. Environmentally friendly pathways for the evaluation of investment projects using life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Clean Technol. Environ. Policy 2016, 18, 829–842.
  38. Nguyen, H.V.; Nguyen, N.; Nguyen, B.K.; Lobo, A.; Vu, P.A. Organic food purchases in an emerging market: The influence of consumers’ personal factors and green marketing practices of food stores. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 1037.
  39. Camilleri, M.A. Sustainable Production and Consumption of Food. Mise-en-Place Circular Economy Policies and Waste Management Practices in Tourism Cities. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9986.
  40. Alrashed, S. Key performance indicators for Smart Campus and Microgrid. Sustain. Cities Soc. 2020, 60, 102264.
  41. Nwosu, P.O.; Koller, J. Strategic planning and assessment in an outcomes-based funding environment. Plan. High. Educ. 2014, 42, 58.
  42. Pratt, S.; Mackenzie, M.; Lockwood Sutton, J. Food miles and food choices: The case of an upscale urban hotel in Hong Kong. J. Sustain. Tour. 2017, 25, 779–795.
  43. Browne, A.W.; Harris, P.J.; Hofny-Collins, A.H.; Pasiecznik, N.; Wallace, R.R. Organic production and ethical trade: Definition, practice and links. Food Policy 2000, 25, 69–89.
  44. Coelho, F.C.; Coelho, E.M.; Egerer, M. Local food: Benefits and failings due to modern agriculture. Sci. Agric. 2018, 75, 84–94.
  45. Ruiz Molina, M.E.; Belda-Miquel, S.; Hytti, A.; Gil-Saura, I. Addressing sustainable food management in hotels: Proposing a framework and examining hotel groups. Br. Food J. 2022, 124, 462–492.
  46. Scholz, P.; Linderová, I.; Konečná, K. Green Management Tools as a Way to Sustainable Behaviour in the Hotel Industry: Case Study from Czechia. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10027.
  47. Goggins, G.; Rau, H. Beyond calorie counting: Assessing the sustainability of food provided for public consumption. J. Clean. Prod. 2016, 112, 257–266.
  48. Demetriou, P. Hotel food waste in Cyprus: An exploratory case study of hotels in Limassol. Cogent Soc. Sci. 2022, 8, 2026556.
  49. Raimo, N.; Rella, A.; Vitolla, F.; Sánchez-Vicente, M.-I.; García-Sánchez, I.-M. Corporate Social Responsibility in the COVID-19 Pandemic Period: A Traditional Way to Address New Social Issues. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6561.
  50. Han, H.; Lee, J.-S.; Trang, H.L.T.; Kim, W. Water conservation and waste reduction management for increasing guest loyalty and green hotel practices. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2018, 75, 58–66.
  51. Tsai, Y.-H.; Wu, C.-T.; Wang, T.-M. Attitude Towards Green Hotel by Hoteliers and Travel Agency Managers in Taiwan. Asia Pac. J. Tour. Res. 2014, 19, 1091–1109.
  52. Han, H.; Hyun, S.S. Eliciting customer green decisions related to water saving at hotels: Impact of customer characteristics. J. Sustain. Tour. 2018, 26, 1437–1452.
  53. Ahmed, M.F.; Mokhtar, M.B.; Lim, C.K.; Hooi, A.W.K.; Lee, K.E. Leadership Roles for Sustainable Development: The Case of a Malaysian Green Hotel. Sustainability 2021, 13, 10260.
  54. Tsui, P.-L.; Chen, Y.-C. Sustainable Development of Hotel Food and Beverage Service Training: Learning Satisfaction with the Situated Cognitive Apprenticeship Approach. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1951.
  55. Okumus, B.; Taheri, B.; Giritlioglu, I.; Gannon, M.J. Tackling food waste in all-inclusive resort hotels. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2020, 88, 102543.
  56. Tavitiyaman, P.; So, C.Y.A.; Chan, O.L.K.; Wong, C.K.C. How Task Technology Fits with Employee Engagement, Organizational Support, and Business Outcomes: Hotel Executives’ Perspective. J. China Tour. Res. 2022, 18, 1212–1238.
  57. Pham, N.T.; Vo Thanh, T.; Tučková, Z.; Thuy, V.T.N. The role of green human resource management in driving hotel’s environmental performance: Interaction and mediation analysis. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2020, 88, 102392.
  58. Cannas, R.; Argiolas, G.; Cabiddu, F. Fostering corporate sustainability in tourism management through social values within collective value co-creation processes. J. Sustain. Tour. 2019, 27, 139–155.
  59. Raub, S.P.; Martin-Rios, C. “Think sustainable, act local”—A stakeholder-filter-model for translating SDGs into sustainability initiatives with local impact. Int. J. Contemp. Hosp. Manag. 2019. ahead-of-print.
  60. Berti, G.; Mulligan, C. Competitiveness of Small Farms and Innovative Food Supply Chains: The Role of Food Hubs in Creating Sustainable Regional and Local Food Systems. Sustainability 2016, 8, 616.
  61. Afzal, N.; Basit, A.; Daniel, A.; Ilyas, N.; Imran, A.; Awan, Z.A.; Papargyropoulou, E.; Stringer, L.C.; Hashem, M.; Alamri, S.; et al. Quantifying Food Waste in the Hospitality Sector and Exploring Its Underlying Reasons—A Case Study of Lahore, Pakistan. Sustainability 2022, 14, 6914.
  62. Gupta, B.; Agarwal, R. Strategic Performance Measurement System and Its Impact on Organizational Effectiveness: A Study of United Arab Emirates Based Organizations. Eur. J. Bus. Manag. Res. 2022, 7, 266–276.
  63. Buhalis, D.; Leung, R. Smart hospitality—Interconnectivity and interoperability towards an ecosystem. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 2018, 71, 41–50.
  64. De Bernardi, P.; Azucar, D. Innovative and Sustainable Food Business Models; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland, 2020; pp. 189–221.
  65. Martin-Rios, C.; Hofmann, A.; Mackenzie, N. Sustainability-Oriented Innovations in Food Waste Management Technology. Sustainability 2020, 13, 210.
  66. Lee, S.; Sun, K.-A.; Wu, L.; Xiao, Q. A Moderating Role of Green Practices on the Relationship between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction: Chinese Hotel Context. J. China Tour. Res. 2018, 14, 42–60.
  67. Nam, H.V.; Lo, A.; Yeung, P.; Hatter, R. Hotel ICON: Towards a role-model hotel pioneering sustainable solutions. Asia Pac. J. Tour. Res. 2020, 25, 572–582.
More
© Text is available under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Video Production Service
Feedback