Apprehending traceability implementation in support of sustainable value chains: A novel analysis framework for the fashion industry

The fashion sector is a major globalised industry, relying on production and consumption models, which have prompted tremendous negative externalities over the last few decades. The industry has been considered a significant contributor to global ecological challenges along with serious social damages, recognising it as a potential high-priority sector in the wake of a transition towards sustainable development. In this regard, enhancing traceability along the value chain has been identified as a primary concern to support sustainable production and consumption patterns. However, research remains nascent and extremely fragmented. An ambiguity is surrounding traceability due to its inheritance from the quality management field, which is still essentially conceived from an exclusive supply chain perspective. No study has attempted to comprehensively explore its implementation to promote sustainable value chains in the industry and the scarce frameworks available show limitations in acknowledging this emerging issue. This prevents the examination of the extant knowledge for research and practice. In order to address this gap, a systematic literature review was conducted pertaining to the fashion sector. Employing an iterative and inductive analysis, while considering previous theoretical developments on traceability, a novel analysis framework was developed based on the identification of three recurring and interrelated dimensions (objectives, scope, and action levers) to apprehend its implementation for supporting sustainable value chains in the industry. Accordingly, the main findings from the literature were elicited, thereby providing useful initial knowledge to support the advancement of research and practice on this significant matter in the industry.