Sustainable fast-food

: reality or utopia?

Abstract

As technology evolved, society has gained deeper levels of knowledge, which influenced it to be more critical. With the aggravation of climate change, sustainability has been under the spotlight for decades, and customers are holding organizations accountable. As fast-food chains’ popularity increased, so did their responsibility towards society. Sustainability can reveal itself to be rather demanding to achieve, especially for fast-food chains who heavily depend on natural and human resources and operate at a global scale. This paper is dedicated to understanding how fast-food chains are implementing sustainability measures. To explore the research question, I employed a comparative case study analysis. The results show examples of measures fast-food chains can implement. Some examples of these successful practices are: outsourcing from local producers; implementing changes at restaurants to reduce energy/resources consumption; improving worker conditions; supporting local institutions and humanitarian causes; offering plant-based products; spreading customer awareness on environmental matters; among others. However, these measures can be challenging to implement, since they require investment, clear communication, and constant monitoring. For this reason, I also present and analyse the tensions and limitations faced by the two cases. This paper represents a valuable source for fast-food chain’ owners to analyse and reflect upon already-implemented practices and potential future ones.

Date of Award	5 Jul 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Laure Leglise (Supervisor)