Sustainability Compliance among SMEs in the Food ProcessingIndustry in the Philippines and Thailand: A Systematic LiteratureReview of Socio-Cultural Influences and Best Practices
Keywords:
PRISMA framework; ASEAN SMEs; Green practices; Sustainable development.Abstract
This study undertakes a systematic literature review of sustainability compliance among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food processing industry in the Philippines and Thailand. Guided by the PRISMA framework, the review synthesizes 25 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2015 and 2025. The study examines environmental and social sustainability practices, structural constraints, and socio-cultural influences affecting SME compliance.
Findings indicate that sustainability adoption remains uneven and largely compliance-driven, shaped by regulatory pressures, market demands, and cost considerations (Klewitz & Hansen, 2016; Testa et al., 2018). In the Philippines, sustainability practices are often community-oriented and embedded in local social systems, while Thailand demonstrates more formalized compliance due to stronger integration into global supply chains (Zhu et al., 2016; Khan et al., 2020).
Socio-cultural factors such as collectivism, family ownership structures, and relational norms significantly influence sustainability behavior in both contexts (Harsanto et al., 2023; Tran et al., 2025). The study argues for culturally responsive and context-sensitive sustainability frameworks that integrate informal institutions and local practices.
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