d logistics management initiatives. After synthesizing the literature a step-by-step approach for determining the
waste in the agrifood supply chain is proposed. The suggested approach proposes the Value Stream Mapping, which
is a basic Lean thinking tool. Authors argue that the VSM analysis can be an effective and efficient tool for a
number of improvements not only for the identification of the wastes but for the determination of the greening of the
agrifood supply chain.
There are also many challenges that need to be considered for future study regarding the examined sector. First,
in the examined sector lean strategies require just-in-time delivery of small lot sizes which in turn leads to an
increased transportation, packaging, and handling activities that may oppose a green approach. Moreover, especially
during the economic downhill companies in the agrifood sector and in countries like Greece seek to increase their
export efforts. Introducing global supply chain management into the green and lean equation increases the potential
conflict between the green and lean initiatives.” So as companies begin to implement lean and green strategies in
supply chains, especially large and complex global supply chains, manufacturers need to explore the overlaps and
synergies between quality-based lean and environmentally based ‘green’ initiatives, and understand the various
trade-offs required to balance possible points of conflict. Finally, there is a need to evaluate and possibly improve
this tool, based on practice and the applicability in the examined.
Therefore, considering the above challenges future research includes the application of the proposed approach for
determining waste, in terms of measuring the carbon dioxide emissions particularly across organizational boundaries
in specific supply chains (corn, tomato and peach) in order to demonstrate its applicability and effectiveness.